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 vinta