Maybe it’s the cold nights and log fires that do it, but for some reason I’ve noticed people tend to ask me more questions about big Italian reds in December than any other time of the year, so this year I thought I’d get in there first with a pre-emptive strike.

Big Italians evoke images of Barolo and Amarone, and for good reason. But there are plenty of others, especially from the hotter south of the country.

Barolo really is the big bad boy of Italian wine, though, and while there are many on the shelves these days lots of them are as false as vows made under the influence. Unless it’s an exceptional vintage and an exceptional winemaker, you need 10 years or more of age on a Barolo before their punch turns from a knockout to a gentle broken jaw.

It’s a curious wine because it has the appearance in the glass of being a lightweight with its often weak red colour, but the nose should be pungent with aromas of high alcohol mixed with anything from chocolate to mulberries and figs. Amarone, on the other hand, is like a big alcoholic cuddle with rich autumn fruits, tobacco, spice and peppers among the myriad of flavour possibilities. I wasn’t understating the alcoholic cuddle, by the way, as the minimum level allowed is 14 per cent and they are typically 15 or above so these are whopping big wines with the fruit to match the punch. Lately, however, I’ve also found one or two real delights from the southern regions of the country so it’s well worth straying off the beaten track in search of that Christmas cracker.

Italian wines love to be paired with food though, so don’t go thinking that the chaps I’ve mentioned above are aperitifs or good with a packet of crisps because they ain’t. Keep it simple and always imagine a dish be it cheese or a steak that’s just a touch more powerful than the wine its getting into bed with and you will be fine.

GERARD'S CHOICES

  • Schola Sarmenti Diciotto: Makes your average Barolo look like a weak rosé! Made from really concentrated 85-year-old vines and finished in French oak for 15 months, the palate is almost as awesome as the alcohol level, which at 18% is bordering on the wonderfully eccentric. Richardson's of Whitehaven, £44.95.
  • Allegrini Corte Giara Amarone: Deep and sultry on the nose with spices and peppers on the palate and a cedar wood finish. Lighter than most Amarones but it still packs a punch. Shill's of Cockermouth, £35.