Day: March 20, 2010

My new favourite great low cost wine under $10 – Italian Negroamaros

I loved and still love Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: it’s a great low cost wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape, and perfect with so many Italian meals. However, my new love(s) in Italian wines are those made from the Negroamaro varietal. I’ve had a few now and they are all delicious, including one from the big producer Farnese. I love them for the same reasons stated by this blog, NB Wines, in their review of Mezzomondo’s Negroamaro Rosso Salento:

“I love dark, chewy wines made from grape varieties such as Tannat and Negroamaro. This one offers lots and lots of vanilla on the nose, and also blackberries, raspberries, and spices. It is long and lush and mouth-filling on the palate, which adds leather and tar and features firm tannins that end with an “oomph.” I find it a tiny bit sweet, but otherwise it exhibits good varietal typicity (by which I mean that it has characteristics of more expensive Negroamaros I’ve enjoyed). It is excellent value at the price, and a great place to start to explore this grape varietal and style of wine.”

The other negroamaros shared the same qualities: spicy, chewy, dark, and with lots of cherry and other berry flavour. In some ways, they remind me of Spainish wines, or ripassos. (But still alot cheaper.) They would be perfect with roasts, stronger cheeses, duck, and spicy Asian dishes.

In Ontario, Farnese and Mezzomondo is providing negroamaros in the general section of the LCBO. As well, in Vintages there are some winemakers supplying it as well. I highly recommend you get some soon.

There is a light that never goes out

From the  Lens Blog – NYTimes.com:

“Karina Lau’s bedroom has not changed. A stuffed teddy bear and floppy-eared rabbit sit on top of her floral bedspread. Angel figurines and framed family photos line her bookshelf and dresser.

The only thing missing is her. Private Lau was killed seven years ago when insurgents shot down her helicopter in Falluja, Iraq. She was 20 years old.”

The Lens features the work of Ashley Gilbertson, who has been photographing the bedrooms of young soldiers from the U.S. who died in action and will never return home to their rooms, their parents, or the lives they left behind. It’s a powerful example of the depth behind what can a simple image.

The Lens is always good.