CASSOULET WITH CESARI AMARONE MARA OLIVE OIL GIFT SET

LCBO 590000, 2 pk, $64.95 Cesari pairs a bottle of Amarone with another of its popular wines: Mara Valpolicella ripasso and a half-litre of excellent Italian olive oil, all packed in a handsome wooden box. The Amarone is a ripe beauty full of black fruit and prune flavours, but the richness is cut by a lively acidity that will also help the wine cope with the cassoulet (recipe on page 219). Mara is essentially a younger sibling, recognizably related to the Amarone, still nicely concentrated, but not quite as rich. It has what it takes to live up to the opulent textures of pork and turkey in this hearty dish. And why not use the olive oil when you cook the cassoulet!