Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per the winery “With a vinous bouquet of good intensity that refines with aging, a Riserva is barrel-aged at least two years. It consists of a full, dry, slightly tannic, harmonious flavor and is best served with grilled meats, game and seasoned cheeses. Serve at room temperature and open one hour before serving.”

What I Think:

Given my lackluster experience with Trader Joe’s Chianti I was enthused to find a recommendation for this one. Most of the other chatter in the blogsphere was much less glowing so I open the bottle cautiously optimistic.

Now onto the wine. .. A search of the importer’s site showed that this one has some Canaiole Nero and Trebbiano blended in with the Sangiovese. On the nose you are greeted with notes of cherry. The palate starts a bit off with some barrel type flavors up front that give way to a nice light fruit and lead to a minty, slightly tannic finish. This one didn’t work for me but most Chianti’s haven’t historically. Anyone think they have one that can break the spell?

Rating: Skip It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per snooth.com “A great value, I’d be happy to drink this on a regular basis. It’s a blend of 80% negroamaro and 20% malvasia nera, with mineral and berry notes. It is dry, and light-bodied for a red wine. Some may find this a little watery, but it has a flavorful finish. No heavy alcohol fumes or need to breathe first, like so many wines at this price point.”

What I Think:

After trying their Aglianico I was willing to try the rest of their offerings. Like the previous bottle and the Nero d’ Avola I’ve previously enjoyed this wine was also from southern Italy. This one was a blend of 80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera which immediately sends me to Wikipedia as I have heard of neither. Negroamaro is grown almost exclusively in Puglia which is also the home of Primitivo (a relative of Zinfandel) which I have much enjoyed. All signs seem to be pointing in this ones favor.

On opening my interest is piqued. The nose was full of earth and herbs. On the palate more of the same, very earthy and robust with hints of cherries. The finish was long and flavorful, with fruit tailing off to a woody, smoky ending. Another keeper from southern Italy which has clearly put itself on my map.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per the bottle “This red wine shows intense blackberry and cherry notes harmoniously exalted by a light spicy background. Smooth and velvety with a firm backbone. Perfect with red meat, ham and mature cheeses”

What I Think:

Ah my nemesis, Italian wine. I want to like them but am often confounded. The Aglianico grape I discovered at Delfina Pizzeria some time back. I have since purchased a few bottles but have paid north of $15 for each. To see this offering at TJ’s for $5 was so delightful that I bought two bottles before even tasting it. You’re probably saying “Wow, he sure did splurge!” mockingly but for me this is a rarity. These wines hail from southern Italy which is no shock to me as the other Italian varietals I enjoy (Nero d’ Avola from Sicily and Primitivo from Puglia) are found here as well. Back to my opening, perhaps it is the wines from the northern region that leave me confounded…

As soon as I got this home it ended up on the table with pizza and I quickly confirmed my intuition to buy multiple bottles was correct. On first taste, the wine struck me as light, fruity and slightly on the dry side reminding me of many Spanish efforts I enjoy. The nose showed mainly cherries with some barrel scents and spiciness lingering in the background. A great value at this price, almost a lock to make the Top 10 for January. In fact yesterday I went hunting for more but struck out as they did not have it in South San Francisco.  They did however have another offering from the same label I grabbed based on the quality found here. I’ll have to get back to Brannan Street quickly!

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per the distributor ” This wine is ideal outside of a meal. It is delicious with hors d’ oeuvres and fish dishes, particullarly lobster and crabmeat. Also an excellent companion for soups and white meats. Serve chilled at a temperature of 8°-10° C.”

What I Think:

This one has been in the fridge for a while as I was keen to try it. I came home from a business trip to find my wife had opened it in my absence. No worries, there is plenty left for an opinion. I pull out the stopper and don’t get the sound I like, it hasn’t been pumped. I now realize I can’t pass negative judgment on this experience even if I want to. Not to bother, it must be good. Even in this state at a bare minimum it was very quaffable. Many of the flavors had been muted but at this price it was still well worth the money. Looking forward to seeing what the next bottle brings.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per quaffability (for the 2003 version) “This is a jelly-jar wine, and it went fine with grilled tri-tip served with Arugula salad and Parmesan. I’ve never been to Sicily but I can certainly imagine knocking back this stuff by the carafe in a cafe there. It’s an anti-Parkerized wine. Very light in body, fruity and juicy, without much extract and virtually no tannin. Very little acid, too, so there is a sense of roundness as well as lightness.

The wine is not complex at all it’s just juicy with strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Definitely Quaffable, this would not be bad at all chilled or even on ice.”

What I Think:

My struggles with Italian wine have been almost as covered as the Paris Hilton goes to jail story. That said whenever I visit Delfina Pizzeria they usually have a varietal on the menu there that I have never heard of but enjoy. They turned me on to Aglianico sometime ago. When walking by the other day I just glimpsed and noticed a few Nero d’ Avola offerings on their wine list. It made me smile as I had found this Archero bottling at TJ’s.

So a few nights after walking by I decided to open a bottle to eat with my gourmet TJ’s Mac & Cheese. It was kind of pasta so Italian wine seemed like a good idea. The fruit flavors were definitely present and forward, seeming almost jammy like on the palate. A nice wine but not with this food. I finished it with a glass of milk before enjoying a glass of this as a digestive. I think this one is still best suited to play the role of getting pulled out towards the end of the evening…Of for those of you that like a different wine before dinner this would certainly be an option then as well. TJ’s was nearly out last time I checked but if I find it I am certainly game for a few more bottles at this price.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per quaffability (for the 2003 version) “This is a jelly-jar wine, and it went fine with grilled tri-tip served with Arugula salad and Parmesan. I’ve never been to Sicily but I can certainly imagine knocking back this stuff by the carafe in a cafe there. It’s an anti-Parkerized wine. Very light in body, fruity and juicy, without much extract and virtually no tannin. Very little acid, too, so there is a sense of roundness as well as lightness.

The wine is not complex at all it’s just juicy with strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Definitely Quaffable, this would not be bad at all chilled or even on ice.”

What I Think:

This Nero d’ Avola is a wine that I had about a month or so back that piqued my curiosity. I thought I had learned two important lessons then, the first being that this bottle needs some air and the second that it was too light for pairing with food. I think I was wrong on both accounts. I opened this one late one evening as I was enjoying the wine we were having with dinner and was immediately satisfied. Perhaps my expectations were set low but I was pleased with the dark, jam-like flavors on the nose. These translated directly to the palate and the lack of tannins made it thoroughly pleasurable to drink. To top off my list of bad assumptions, the next night I made some pasta in a slightly sweeter, rather than my usual spicy, style and this wine showed well again. This time, it was a glass of this that I wanted to save for tomorrow.

That being said I would guess this has limited range from a pairing perspective so tread carefully or feel free to drink it all on its own. I have yet to try it chilled as mentioned above and likely won’t as it doesn’t fit my fancy. If it does yours, let me know how it goes.

This one certainly deserves that graduation from 12th Bottle to Buy It. At $3.99 you can’t go wrong. This is what I call the perfect “guilt-free” wine for any occasion. At this price you’ll never regret opening another bottle.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per quaffability (for the 2003 version) “This is a jelly-jar wine, and it went fine with grilled tri-tip served with Arugula salad and Parmesan. I’ve never been to Sicily but I can certainly imagine knocking back this stuff by the carafe in a cafe there. It’s an anti-Parkerized wine. Very light in body, fruity and juicy, without much extract and virtually no tannin. Very little acid, too, so there is a sense of roundness as well as lightness.

The wine is not complex at all it’s just juicy with strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Definitely Quaffable, this would not be bad at all chilled or even on ice.”

What I Think:

The bottle says it is from southwest Sicily, not that I have had enough wine from the region to know the difference but thought that I may find it of interest at some point in the future. This wine started slowly but grew on me over the three days that it was open. Strangely, as this is a light wine, I think that it is better without food. It is either that or the air that made the difference in the dramatic improvement after the first night. Still not impressed enough to go buy this in bulk but one bottle is pretty much in my next case just to try it again.

Rating: 12th Bottle