I am writing this week's column from bed. I am neither ill nor tired. It is just that it is the only piece of furniture, along with my laptop and wireless router, that the removals firm have left me with. I have limited time before I am unplugged and left on the floor so I shall get a move on.

With the exception of my wine collection, which I packed myself, I've not got the faintest idea where anything is. The great pack-up was yesterday and the move is today. I've always hated unpacking supermarket shopping and I can't tell you how much I'm dreading getting to the new house.

Not least because I had three half-drunk bottles of wine in my kitchen yesterday and these, contrary to my wishes, appear to have been packed. Where and with what have they been packed? I'm already envisaging the burgundy-soaked kitchen utensils or, more interesting perhaps, wine-drenched porridge oats. Maybe I should be more optimistic but as the bread bin has also been packed along with a chunk of rye bread and a Waitrose muffin I think I have good cause to be nervous.

Anyway, back to the wines. Packing the wines was a fun experience, not least because it gave me an opportunity to have a good look at what I've got. I did once build myself a spreadsheet of every wine I had, but the truth is I drink faster than I do admin and so it's woefully out of date.

It seems I have a lot of medium-dry and sweet white wines from Vouvray, which is good. They are not yet ten years old and they are getting better and better with every additional year. I was equally surprised to see how much claret I seem to possess. It's not something I consciously go out collecting but I've clearly come across enough to get excited about.

I was, though, happiest to discover that I still have a healthy number of Italian wines and particularly from the north. Ranging in their origin from Piedmonte in the north-west to Soave, which is between Milan and Venice in the east, the wines are among some of my personal favourites.

Soave is a stunning medieval town, flanked by vineyards on every side. The dry white wines are famous for their fresh, fruity qualities and are a stalwart of my everyday drinking selection.

The district, though, is not just restricted to dry whites. Some fabulous sweet white wines are made there too. Unlike Sauternes wines, the grapes are harvested while still in perfect condition on the vine and are left to dry over the winter in airy cellars.

As time passes, the grapes shrivel and dry until there is only a tiny amount of sweet, concentrated juice left. It is this liquid that is used to make the wines, which are capable of utter brilliance.

Moving only slightly west and north you will find yourself in Valpolicella country. As with Soave, you will find everything from the cheap and cheerful to some of Italy's most famous red wines: Amarone. There aren't many of us who have tried Amarone that haven't fallen in love with it.

You may well be surprised to learn that the sweet white wines of Soave have quite a bit in common with the rich, concentrated styles of red Amarone. A proportion of the grapes are, once again, left to dry and it is the intensity of flavours in the resulting juice that adds so much to these wines. They tend to be reasonably pricey but they will often age for many years.

Don't be disheartened though. It is possible to have a touch of the Amarone experience without having to pay for it! You will sometimes see Valpolicella Ripasso wines. These wines are made by passing the grape juice through the left-overs from the Amarone pressings. It's rather like pouring water through tea leaves, with the liquid picking up the flavours and aromas as it trickles through. It's pretty clever really.

It's quite a long drive from here to the vineyards of Piedmont and the home of Barolo, arguably one of the world's finest wines. Made from the nebbiolo grapes, these wines should have - traditionalist that I am! - vibrant acidity, pokey tannins and generous fruit. It is this slightly wild quality that I am entirely in love with and what makes them some of the best wines for food.

As with Amarone, the wines of Barolo are not for bargain-hunters. For something more modest, I suggest you look to Barbera d'Alba. These wines are equally good with food and can be wonderfully expressive but a little softer and more approachable in their youth.

I am out of time. My bed is being loaded into the lorry. It seems I'm off. Keep your fingers crossed for no spillages.

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