Dear Feastlings,
Ask any northern Italian about the south and you’ll get an eyeroll, most likely, and a dismissive gesture. In the South, they refer to the northerners as nordici, which really just means someone from the north, but the northerners call the southerners sudici, a double entendre that means not only “the southern ones,” but also “the dirty ones.” It’s not pretty. We in the US often fall into the propagandistic trap of falling for the myth that northern Italian wines are inherently better wine than those from the south. And we’ve got nothing against Piedmont, the Veneto, Collio and so on. If you look at our wine list, you’ll see that we’re fairly swimming in Barolo. But I submit to you that wines from the south of Italy are every bit as excellent as the wines of the north. What they lack in power and tannin, they make up in value and intensity of fruit. They’re fantastic food wines, and affordable alternatives to their northern counterparts. This week, Kevin opens four Italian wines that all hail from below the 38th parallel: one white and three reds, each a perfect food wine, but each drinkable in and of itself without needing food to balance its already balanced charms. If you’d like to join us, the tasting is at 2:00 this Saturday, February 25th, and costs $10 plus tax and tip. Call us at 326-9363, as web and email reservations won’t hold you a place.
The “Sole” of Italy
2015 Siciliana Insolia, Sicily
2013 Perrini Salento IGT
2014 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso
2015 Tami Nero d’Avola IGT