Variety: Negroamaro; Nero d’Avola; Barbera
Region: Puglia and Piemonte – Italy
Cost: $19
Winemaker’s Notes: A vast array of aromas escape the glass – black cherry, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cured meat – which are complemented by shades of sandalwood, vanilla, balsa, and evergreen. The entry is silky smooth with a textured mid-palate of velvety fig, blueberry jame, and soft oak. A hint of sea salt on the finish is rounded out with a mouthfeel that fades slowly.
My Review: I do love me some Italian wine. While Chianti has a special place in my heart, Italian wine with pizza on a nice warm day takes me back to a spring break as a child spent in Italy with some friends of my parents, picking grapes and making pizzas in a brick oven on the patio. It was a lot of years ago, but still one of my favorite memories.
The I4 Italian Red Wine from Locations Wine was a deep red color in the glass and showed aromas of black cherry and bacon initially before giving way to some sandalwood and evergreens as the wine opened up. In the mouth the wine was jammy, with notes of licorice, soft oak, and sea salt.
My wife and I paired the wine with some naan pizzas we made (a fig & pig pizza and margherita pizza), and I have to say that it was a great pairing – pizza and Italian wine, who’d have thunk it?
For less than $20, it’s a good value, and it’s a bit different than the usual sub-$20 chianti, sangiovese, or barbera that you usually pick up at your local store. It went well with pizza, and I suspect it would go well with some grilled meats as the weather continues to warm up.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
