Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you’re enjoying a day filled with family, good food, a winning lineup in fantasy football and plenty of special wine.

In our ongoing spirit-quest to find great wines, we stumbled upon this beautiful Amarone. Winter is coming, and you MUST fortify your stash with some belly-warming reds.

Amarone, especially at our knee-wobbling price (UNDER $30, what?!), is a total no-brainer. Unless you have two hands on the wheel as you strategically block someone from using the breakdown lane as their personal thoroughfare, there’s no excuse to miss this one. Please grab a bottle or three for the upcoming winter. I tell you, there’s NOTHING better to drink when it’s a blustery 59 degrees in California and we haven’t seen the sun in 24 hours.

Cold and sunlight may be relative, but the enjoyment Amarone brings is not. Amarone, as you may know, is one of Italy’s finest contributions to the wine world. If you’ve never had one, you’re in for a treat.

Trouble is, it can get pricey as you go up the quality ladder. On any other day, spending $95 per bottle on an Amarone you can count on – by the house that PIONEERED it – may hurt, but is worth it as what goes into making it is crazy amounts of love, labor, and patience.

BUT $29???! From $95?? Seriously?

The Wine Economist has the story: “Take the cooperative winery in Negrar - Cantina di Negrar. This is where Amarone was born in 1936 when the cellarmaster lost track of a tank of Recioto, which fermented dry by accident instead of the yeasts being stopped with some residual sugar remaining. A catastrophe - except that it was really good. Not bitter ‘Amaro’ but smooth and dry Amarone.”

What you get is a full-bodied wine loaded with mixed berry jam, cherry liqueur, dried figs, rum raisin cake, and black currants with some spiced chai latte. It all merges into one warm, ripe, succulent mass of juicy, belly-warming deliciousness. Seriously good stuff, I tell you.

Wine Advocate adds “Cooperative wineries are often seen as the ugly ducklings of Italian wine. But the dynamic Cantina di Negrar with 220 members who farm a total of 600 hectares is maturing into a graceful swan. The co-op is very active when it comes to experimentation with sustainable farming methods and innovative winemaking. I was absolutely captivated…”

If Wine Advocate knew we’d be giving this away at $29 (gulp) today, how much more “absolutely captivated” would they be?

Rich date, singed orange peel, and torrifaction notes have tightly meshed with accents of graphite, wild herbs, and forest floor, showing that impeccable balance between sweet and savory nuances, while fine-grained tannins impart a plush texture. Mouthwatering, with a long finish of dried fruit and spice.

A $29 Amarone doesn’t come around often. Winter is coming. Prepare yourself.