One of the things I love about Italian wine is that they taste like nothing I’ve ever had before. This is because most of the Italian wine grapes or varietals are native only to Italy and rarely do well elsewhere. A perfect example of this is in Italy’s premier wine region of Piedmont in which Barbaresco lies. The Nebbiolo grape widely used in this region literally does not grow well anywhere else, even in Italy. So unless you regularly drink Italian wines, having a Barbaresco like La Loggia’s can be a truly unique experience. It was ruby red in color with the thickness of apple juice, and when I first smelled the wine, it did not have a nose at *all*. However, after a half hour, it opened up releasing a subtle aroma of berries and dark fruits when swirled.
The body was a bit thin, making it a very easy drinking and food friendly wine. It had good acidity, a balance between earhtyness and fruit, and a raspberry aftertaste with a subtle lingering spice. So if you’re looking to get into Italian wines yourself or trying to get your friends on the bandwagon, I’d recommend this as a good inexpensive starter Italian wine – it was only $12.99 at Trader Joe’s.
I think it would pair well with soft creamy cheeses like brie and meats like proscuitio or salami. Perfect for a light picnic on a sunny day.
