UPDATE (04/16/09): For more on Wine and Pizza check out this Asimov article: http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/wine-and-pizza/
Jason’s post about a Rosso from Santa Martina had me once again pining for some Italian reds. Having started my interest in wine in Napa, it has been difficult over the recent years to stretch my palate and interest in old world styles. Italy is not any different, though my experiences generally are more positive than negative with Italian wines. Unfortunately, the Rosso I tried tonight was not such a big hit. But, it doesn’t necessarily mean someone else may like it more. For example, my wife actually enjoyed this wine much better than I. I tried the 2005 Avignonesi Rosso and this is what I thought:
Color: Dark ruby
Aromatics: Musty, soil, faint red fruit (plum?), some oak/smokiness
Taste: Green, stemmy (grass?), minerals, with a shot white pepper that drops off at the end… very tart cherries that made me pucker.
This is classified as a table wine made from mostly Sangiovese and then Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Table wines in Italy like this are going do better with some hearty food like pasta with marinara sauce. At $13 a bottle, it may still qualify as nice weeknight wine to have with pizza.
Ciao!
I love that you would pair this wine with pizza. I bet they would balance each other out very well!
Thanks for the suggestion.
Although I did enjoy the wine more than Ed, that may have been because I was exhasted and just needed some vino. Thinking about it today I’d describe it as a wine that doesn’t make you love wine drinking. Drinking it might make you consider taking up specialty tea drinking. I’d recommend trying a different rosso which we’ll do next time we’re in the wine store.
Jonj
The fact that this Rosso is a table wine and doesn’t have any/much backbone to stand on its own makes it difficult to drink on it’s own… I am willing to try this again with food like I mention, but, yes, will probably find another Rosso, like the Santa Martina
Great posts and comments.
Jonjie – good point about how any wine can taste great after a crappy and long day. Rubbing alcohol would probably suffice if the day was sufficiently shatty.
Ed – you’re right on about the lack of a backbone, I do prefer these table wines (Rosso, chianti, whatever) with calamari, pasta with red sauce, etc.
Its been a long time, but I was extremely disappointed with Francis Coppola’s try at Rosso. This review does recommend it with pizza as well: http://www.stirlingfinewine.com/r/products/francis-coppola-rosso-classic-2006/?utm_source=google;utm_medium=base