The Primitivo grape is grown in the Puglia region of Italy. However, I have been seeing some Primitivo popping up in a few hip new California wine blends.
It has been genetically proven by UC Davis that Primitivo and zinfandel are essentially the same grape. When it is grown in the United States, it is called zinfandel. For simplicity sake, I call them cousins.
Itinera Primitivo is a lovely $14.99 wine from the Puglia region. It has wonderful dried cherry and red plum flavors to go along with a rich and leathery finish. This is a great pizza, pasta or burger wine for sure. It's priced like an everyday drinker, but tastes like a special occasion wine.
The wine really came alive with a few bites from the $20 family tray of Eggplant Parmesan from Akron, Ohio's Vaccaro’s Trattoria. I got a carryout order and served it on one of my Italian ceramic dishes to make me feel like I was dining on the boot. You can also pick up a $10 quart of marinara or bolognese sauce to make your own side of pasta. Tell your significant other that Raphael came over and cooked. They’ll never know.
