La Quercia Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (2015)

My basil plant has become a basil bush.  What does that have to do with this week’s Wine Wednesday feature you ask? Well, it has to do with how I arrived at serving it. You see, I decided to use some of my fresh basil to make a double batch of my homemade marinara. 

Whenever I’m making “sauce” I usually freeze most of it for future meals, but after smelling it slowly simmer for a good part of the day, I had to reserve some for dinner that night.  So, I browned some hot Italian sausage, sautéed some mushrooms and heated it with my marinara – then decided to choose my wine.

 I had used some Chianti in the sauce, but when I noticed that my wine fridge was now void of Chianti, I spotted the bottle of 2015 La Quercia Estates Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. I thought to myself “Montepulciano – Sangiovese – Chianti – same thing – that’ll work”. That could all be true if not for the d’Aburzzo part I had hastily overlooked.

To clarify, Montepulciano is a town in Tuscany. It is also a red wine grape varietal. The key grape varietal grown in Montepulciano, the town,  is Sangiovese which is also the key grape varietal in Chianti.  However, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the Montepulciano varietal grown in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The good news is that though the wines are uniquely different they do share some common characteristics which still made my choice a delightful pairing for spaghetti with marinara.

Both wines tend to be very fruit forward and this one certainly was. On the nose, blueberry with a hint of spice and cassis. It was slightly sweet on the tongue but exhibited a well-balanced acidity with pleasant pepper on the finish. I actually preferred this over a Chianti with my sauce as my sauce is on the zesty side and with the addition of the Italian sausage, the wine stood up nicely to the bolder flavors. This wine is fermented in stainless steel with no barrel aging which in my opinion usually makes the wine a little brighter and more lively on the palate.

With a price point of $11 - $12 a bottle, this versatile wine for pairing makes for a great weeknight choice.

I would also recommend with pork loin or Baked Chicken and Wild Rice. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Homemade Marinara

Baked Chicken and Wild Rice

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d' Abruzzo (2011) Wine Review

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. 

Marinara Sauce

Grilled Bruschetta

Portobello Pitas with Bulgur Salad