If the tomatoes aren't yet bursting on the vines where you are, it's only a matter of time. Tomatoes are an interesting wine pairing challenge. The acidity and sweet edge of fresh tomatoes can fight with some wines, and be overwhelmed by others.Enter Grechetto. Grechetto has been grown in Umbria for centuries (I was corrected on this point when I drank an earlier vintage of this wine!). And it goes great with fresh tomato dishes, like caprese salad or this fantastic roasted cherry tomato pasta dish which uses barely blistered tomatoes to make a delicious sauce for spaghetti.
The 2008 Arnaldo-Caprai Grechetto Grecante (available for $16-$20) tasted quite different to me than the one that I drank in October 2008. That might be because that one had been in the bottle a bit longer, and was deeper in color and richer in taste as a result. This bottling--at least at this time--was much paler in color. The aromas reminded me of preserved lemons--the Moroccan kind, with salt. This aroma is echoed in the flavors, which take on savory herbal notes as well which will draw out the flavor of any herbs you use with your fresh tomatoes. Deliciously complex, dry, and not your ordinary summer white. Excellent QPR.
Full disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.
3 comments:
SIX GREAT REASONS TO MAKE YOUR OWN WINE
Do your snob friends turn up their noses at the mere suggestion of making your own wine? Get theses critics to put their money where their mouth is and conduct a blind taste test. In our own experiments – we find nobody can tell the difference between homemade wine and commercially produced wine. Here are six more reasons to consider making your own wine:
Save Big! A bottle of wine is not that big! Hosting parties and family can be expensive. Taxes tend to make up the lions share of the price of wine purchased at retail. Save big and make your own wine.
Less Sulphites. When you make wine – it contains less than 1/5th the sulphites of commercially produced wines. Large wine producers tend to over-sulphite their wine to reduce spoilage. Many people are allergic to sulphites and they are not good for anyone’s health.
Better for the environment. When you make wine, you sterilize and re-use your bottles over and over. This means less landfill or energy used to recycle your used bottles. Over your lifetime think of how many wine bottles you have generated only to toss them in your recycle bin. Reduce, Re use, Re drink!
Easy peasy. Making your own wine is easy. Consult your yellow pages or Google “winemaking stores” in your area. The process requires two visits: the first to mix your ingredients (5 minutes) and the second to bottle the finished product (15 minutes).
It’s good for you. Doctors have been boasting the health benefits of a glass of wine a day for years. Research has suggested wine can be good for your heart and for overall relaxation. .
It’s a fun hobby. Get involved in producing your own beverages. There is a pride in consuming anything you make yourself. Your friends will be impressed! Serve your homemade wine at your house parties. You can even have wine-tasting or wine-creating parties. Incorporate some fun into wine making by learning with your friends as well.
Mark Whalen runs The Wine Butler, a local shop where people save money by doing Wine Making Toronto style! Come check them out at winebutler.ca
Know matter how many I try I'm always learning about new Italian varietals I need to try! sounds like a good one.
where can I buy this wine?? I have been reading "Under The Tuscan Sun" and she mentioned this Grechetto...and would love to try it!!!
Post a Comment