Italy's Puglia wine region, located on the heel of the boot, tends to be be overshadowed by some of the country's more notable wine regions like Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello. Casa Marrone's Appassimento Rosso is a wine that could certainly help change that perception.
I picked up a $14.99 bottle and a stromboli from Angie's Pizza in Barberton, Ohio, to celebrate Italian Heritage Month. The smell of the meat stromboli with mushrooms added had me drooling the whole way home.
I couldn't wait to open the wine. Rich, dense black raspberry flavors greeted my first sip. The velvety smooth finish had me double checking the price.
I couldn't get enough of this unusual blend of 45% Negroamaro, 30% Malvasia Nera, and 25% Merlot. The wine's richness and complexity are achieved by the appassimento or drying process where the stem of the grapes are cut during harvest and left on the vine for 15 days to dry in the sun. With nearly 50% of the grapes' volume lost, the near-raisin grapes are then hand harvested and pressed.
This wine loves red sauce as much as I do. Of course, it was awesome with the stromboli dipped in marinara sauce and a few leftover meatballs sprinkled with aged Locatelli cheese.
Try a hunk of Piavi cheese with a glass while you are waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil.
