AGLIANICO

Aglianico is the noble red grape of Italy’s south. Aglianico’s name is said to be derived from the word hellenico or ellenico meaning greek. . It is the main red grape of both Campania and Basilicata but it is also found in Puglia, Molise, and Calabria as well. It seems to do best in volcanic soil, whether it be in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius or on the slopes of the extinct volcano Monte Vulture in Basilicata.
While it might not be as popular as Sangiovese or Nebbiolo, Aglianico-based wines are on the rise both in popularity and in quality. Perhaps its finest expression is found in Taurasi, the first DOC from the south of Italy. There are many more producers of Taurasi now than there used to be and so Taurasi’s are becoming slightly more common. Likewise in Basilicata where the quality of Aglianico del Vulture has been on the rise with noteworthy producers such as Re Manfreddi and Cantina del Notaio.

BARBERA

Barbera d'Asti Nobbio, Roberto Ferraris 2001 $30

This is among my favorite wines on our list. I love Barbera in general for its typical high acidity making it a versatile and valuable pairing with our food. It is sometimes hard to find serious examples that have not been aged in new oak, but this is one. It is a stylized single-vineyard Barbera that has been aged in stainless steel so that the wine showcases its pure fruit character of plum, blackberry and spice which balances its crisp structure. Alot of wine for 30 dollars.

Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone, Braida 1999 Piemonte $80

B raida's Bricco dell'Uccellone is considered to be the wine which resurrected the name of Barbera for serious wine drinkers. It comes from a vineyard named after an old woman who once lived in a house next door. She was called l'uselun because she looked like a big black bird. In any case, Uccellone is a wine of great depth and finesse, a wine which is big not in tannic structure but in complexity and craft.

CANNONAU

Cannonau, known as Garnacha in Spain and as Grenache in France, is the world's second most-planted variety in the world. Grenache is thought to have traveled to Sardegna from Spain, not surprising since Sardegna was Spanish-controlled for most of the 14th through 17th centuries.

Cannonau is a low yielding vine which is both difficult and expensive to cultivate. In Sardegna, its main home in Italy (though there is some in Tuscany under the name Garnaccia), it produces a range of styles: from lighter, spicy, fruity wines such as the Le Bombarde from Santa Maria La Palma to fuller, more powerful wines such as the Turriga from Argiolas.