To my knowledge, I don’t have a drop of Italian blood
running through my veins but something seems to come over me when I enjoy a
glass of Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. Just saying
the words is hard to do without a contrived Italian accent.
Today’s Wine Wednesday feature is the 2011 Cantina
Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the name of the grape
varietal (and also a town in Southern Tuscany). Abruzzo is the wine region where
today’s feature is from, located (if you can picture it) about mid calf on the boot
of the Italian Peninsula. The
pronunciation, say it with me and don’t forget the accent, is “mon tae
pul chee AH noh dah BRUTE so”. Notice the
words on the bottle “il vino dal tralcetto”. This translates as “the wine from
the little bunch”. A nice
branding/marketing touch is the addition of a small twig of grapevine fastened
to each bottle.
Being a lover of great Chianti, I’m reminded I should reach for
Montepulciano more often. I made
homemade marinara the other day and used it in the sauce where I normally use
Chianti. With a price point of around $15 I had no reservations (only cook with
wine you want to drink) and we enjoyed the rest with the sauce and Italian
sausage over spaghetti for dinner that night.
On the nose; plum, black cherry, a touch of cedar, vanilla
and as you slowly breathe in (don’t stop, keep inhaling until you almost can’t
anymore) a wonderful cloak of violet. On
the palate; fruit forward with a pleasant acidity and mild to moderate tannins.
I found it a little less edgy than most Chianti in this price point but also
perhaps a little more one note on the palate with not a lot of evolution. Sip on this by itself too. I think it’s a great summer red. Serve at
about 62° Fahrenheit.
Try with appetizers like my Grilled Bruschetta or with Greek inspired dishes like my Portobello Pitas with Bulgur Salad. Click the links below to print or save the recipes.
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