Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon - The platonic ideal form of red wine under $15. Think of this as the best wine to buy a case of to serve at a dinner party. I’ve used it as the major red at multiple weddings where I’ve curated the wine now, and it has always been a hit.
The Negroamaro adds a soft earthiness. The Primitivo creates a red berry, brown spice, and floral mid-palate. The Cabernet adds weight and plays well off the soft, vanilla oak treatment the wine has received. Cabernet in Italy tastes nothing like Cabernet in France (somehow it is always more interesting and musky), and I hope to see variations on this blend tried by wine makers in all parts of the world soon.
$11.99 at T.B. Ackerson Wines 8.0/10
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheap Drinks, Italy, Negroamaro, Primitivo, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Wine Reviews | No Comments
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
Do you ever find yourself really wanting to drink a Zinfandel, but the California aisle of your wine store is either way too far from the door for your lazy self to walk over to … or is it filled with so many dudes in Moses sandal and white socks that you really just don’t want to be associated with California Zinfandel?
Head to Italy instead where they grow just as good, if not better, Zinfandel than in California, and they don’t even call it Zinfandel!
Primitivo = Zinfandel…. much like Shiraz = Syrah.
Hailing from the very tip of the heel of the boot of Italy, this Primitivo has soft, floral red and purple berries dusted with brown spices. It definitely fits under the category of “fruitilicious,” but sometimes that’s what we need in our wine… especially if you’re looking for a red wine that you can eat with strawberry-rhubarb pie.
$9.99 at T.B. Ackerson … 6.9/10
Cheap Drinks, Italy, Primitivo, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Wine Reviews, Zinfandel | No Comments