Colosi Nero d'Avola Sicilia IGT `09 IGT $12.99 ***(*)

JPH had to talk me into this wine.  Pretty label,  Nero d'Avola, good price point, Sicilian... what's not to love?  I was critical on first sip.  I said, "the finish is sour".  He said "no, it is rustic". I said, "it makes my tongue furry".  He said, "That is tannin, it's the skins - imagine all those women stomping grapes".  I laughed to myself as I mentally thought of Lucille Ball. I sipped and thought, "Ok, rustic, fruity, rough finish, but it is not THAT bad".  As JPH said "Not bad grape juice".  I ran upstairs and got the camera.

Dinner was on the table:  Mixed field green salad in red wine vinaigrette, cibatta, and bomboloni in sausage cream sauce.  I slowly sipped my wine, and said "It's not bad when you just take small sips." JPH said "nah, just drink it".  I grabbed the nuance from the counter and poured myself an aerated second glass.

After aeration:  AERATE THIS WINE. I was stunned.  The look on my face said it all.  JPH tried a glass of the aerated wine.  "Wow! It just exploded with flavor".  I simply nodded, because my mouth was full. He was right, and the aeration simply proved how right he was.  This wine blossomed, smoothed out and became a totally different, elegant wine. S. was on a conference call, so I couldn't solicit her opinion in the comparison.  If she hadn't been preoccupied in another room, tonight would have been Aerator Death Match Round Two, but I can't run a proper Death Match without S.

Blackberrys and almost overripe cherries with a subtle undertone of herbs.  Like you are busy chewing away on some delicious blackberries and by mistake, you chew a leaf as well. (comeon, I am not the only person that has done that!)  This is a really good wine.  If you don't aerate it  - pour it into a decanter or swirl it - even then you will see the difference.  This isn't an ad, I am honestly saying, this wine is what those commercial aerators are for.  You could get the same results with time, but for opening and drinking, (and instant satisfaction) I simply grabbed the Nuance (my latest aerator of choice - and I have tried three aerators so far).  It brought this from a wine that I had to be talked into to a wine that I would give to friends (and then laugh at their reactions after I watched them try it before and after aeration).

Because this wine brought out the Lucille Ball in me,
I will leave you with my favorite clip:

Cusumano Nero D'avola `08 $12.99 (Not TJ's) **(*)

It was a pretty crappy Monday. I was cranky.  I had to start right in on a work project as soon as I got home from work.  Meanwhile, JPH had planned, sourced and started cooking dinner while I sat at my computer being annoyed. After 45 minutes, I went downstairs to see what was up.  While shopping for wine, JPH & S found a cool bottle of Nero D'avola.  It doesn't have a cork, it has a neat Vino Lok.  Point one for elegance.  It is an IGT single varietal from Sicily, point two. JPH stirred as he listened to me recount my miserable day as I swirled my wineglass absent mindedly taking sips. I drank the wine, but I didn't taste it.  I even half halfheartedly took pictures.  He rightly restyled, and we got the picture on the right. I still didn't like the wine.  I thought it was acid, like my mood. Which just goes to show how taste really is subjective. JPH called it "Good Italian Table Plonk" which is praise, meaning that it is a good everyday dinner wine.

We tag teamed dinner and I finished the cooking and plating the Penne Strascicate alla Lucchese from Bugialli on Pasta while JPH went to get S. from the train.  I still half heatedly sipped as I stirred, then remembered to run it through the vinturi.  When they got home, JPH asked me about the flavor profile, all I could say was it is too acid.  He corrected me, and said, "It has that peppery finish" hmmm, I started to understand what he was saying.  Then S piped up for the table "It's Sicilian!!!" - Wow, she is right, it is a great representation of a rustic Sicilian wine, and the bottle is cool! JPH said "we're not throwing this one out".  He's right.  We can use the empty bottle with the glass stopper for all sorts of things. I was happy to have people who love wine and didn't have tainted palates in the kitchen tonight.

 As it stands, this is a rustic wine with cranberry/cherry highlights.  A dark coffee middle and a slightly sour and peppery finish.  It is tart and fruity and not a drink that you will drink big gulps of, but I think that with food, it adds an interesting highlight that is missing in a majority of lower priced wines.  This isn't a mellow wine at all.  It is what it is, rustic, medium bodied and flavorful.  It reminds me of the Tempranillo that I love so much. I just didn't give it a chance.

I was so ready to trash this wine and give it one star and a scathing review, and then I realized that I was wrong. I was in a one star mood and anything would have been found wanting. For now, I am giving it a solid two stars with a bump to three, pending a retasting tomorrow night. My mood should be better, we're seeing Harry Potter.

On a final note... have you seen what Barbie has been up to lately?  The Christmas catalogues have started arriving in the mail, and let's just say Barbie isn't just for little girls anymore.... My Barbies never looked like THAT, and my guess is that this Barbie would really enjoy a rustic Sicilian  ; ) 

Nausica Nero d'Avola Sicilia `08 (not TJ's) $11.99 ****

This is a wine that I bought after tasting it during my class @ Bacchus (Touring Italian Wines).

From my class notes: I loved it (the `07 version).  I called it "Warm & Jammy with hints of Cinnamon and Allspice".  This wine was the fourth that I tasted that night, and let me just say that at wine class, I drink... I don't sip and spit... by the time I have left the tasting cellar, I am very, very happy (and carrying a tote of at least four bottles of wine).

Well, let's see how it fares at home in my little crackhouse, away from the luxurious surroundings and decadent cheese....

Upon first opening the bottle (I had to get out the Alessi "Super Anna" corkscrew, the plastic cork gave me a bit of a struggle).  The smell is great.  Even before pouring, the scent of berries wafted from the bottle.

First pour:  Super dry and fruity. Even though it makes my tongue furry, it is a light wine. It may not have been the perfect bottle to open for today's lunch, but it will still be great to drink. Even after being in the glass as I type this, the wine settles and my tongue is less furry.

After the Vinturi:  Not a huge difference.  Kind of flatter.  I notice the tannins more.  I'm not going to decant this for lunch.  I'll pour it straight from the bottle.

Menu:
Mushroom Beef Stew braised in beer
Egg noodles & Spinach tossed in a garlic butter

The wine is great.  It works well even with the Garlic in the Spinach & Egg Noodles.

And, since I am loving my new Blackberry, here is a picture of lunch...

Ruggero Di Tasso Nero D'Avola ** (*) $ 4.99

First sip - oh yes, this is red wine - not too heavy and just a soft tannin aftertaste. This is a fruity red, dry. I have some Wisconsin Cheddar curds in the fridge, I think that I'll try pairing the wine with some cheese. This isn't a stand alone drinking wine. It needs food to temper and bring out the taste.

A few minutes later...

Provolone & Ham pinwheel and Ruggero - I'll rate it 4 Star. The strength of the provolone is cut by the tannin of the wine, and the salt of the ham... well, that's just a party in my mouth.

This is how I understand pairing - in the comfort of my own home. Once I've developed the vocabulary of taste - then I'll go back to Mario and have his pairings. Because I can only imagine that what I've learned on a Trader Joe's Budget - will be blown out of the water at Otto or Babbo or even Per Se...

Ruggero & Cheddar Curds - not so good. The cheddar is a bit too mild.

This is only my first glass. And I'm going to call it a night. I'll update later this week when I've had this wine with a meal. I'm thinking red sauce Italian - maybe with sausage. I'll go shopping on the way home tomorrow.

The next day..

The wine does not age well. I bought sausage, and made a penne & vodka sauce to go along with, but I have to say - there were no sublime notes like last night. As a matter of fact, I'm not even going to finish the glass.

In summary - drink this when you open it, and have it with food.