Wine & Words

Tenuta Canale “Pergolato” Rosso Toscano 2006, Regular Price $9.25 Tenuta Canale is located close to the medieval towns of Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Siena, in the heart of the Chianti hills, where the Aiello farm has been producing wines for centuries. The wine is designated “IGT” (Indicazione geografica tipica), meaning a wine that is typical of its geographic area, in this case Tuscany. IGT wines are labeled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the requirements of the stricter DOC or DOCG designations, which are generally intended to protect traditional wine formulations such as Chianti or Barolo. In wine terms, it is considered the rough Italian equivalent of the French vin de pays designation. A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, think of it as a “Super Tuscan” at a bargain price.
Food Pairings: Drink this wine with any food you’d usually want Chianti with – classy pasta dishes, meats and stews. It’ll pair well with Back Bay Café’s Jumbo Stuffed Pasta Shells (especially with the Spicy Sausage Marinara). Or you can always drink it with a steak.
Due Mondi Chardonnay 2007 (Terre di Chieti, Italy), Regular Price $9.25 I’m not sure what the “two worlds” of this wine are. Maybe Old World Italian winemaking with New World style and panache. This one is also designated IGT, from the area of Abruzzo around the village of Chieti. The wine is 100% Chardonnay, aged only briefly in oak the way they do it in Burgundy, so it bursts from the glass with bright fruit aromas and finishes long and lean. As Chardonnays go, it's a bridge between Californian and European styles…the best of both worlds!
Food Pairing: Oh, yes…Shrimp and Grits! Or a plate of cheeses. Or a warm spring afternoon.
Nostalgia Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Valley, Chile), Regular Price $8.50 Chile has a bit of an identity problem when it comes to wine. Known for their cheap jug wines (think Concha y Toro), the Chileans also make first class, premium wines that win awards (think Concha y Toro). With its long Central Valley that runs north and south between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, it’s a lot like a Southern Hemisphere California. The more southerly (cooler) regions yield crisp Sauvignon Blancs, with the mid-ranges doing bright, tropical fruit nosed Chardonnays and fruity, easy-drinking Cabernet Sauvignon. I was amazed when I tried these Nostalgia wines. Nothing fancy, no extensive pedigree…I couldn’t even find any information about the winery. But, you know, that’s not important when you’re buying an $8.50 bottle of everyday wine. What matters is that they are well-made, easy to drink…and cheap! So come on in and give them a try. We can get more.