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It Just Goes To Show...

You say one thing.  You write it down and publish it online.  You sound like an expert.  People in Vietnam and the Czech Republic are depending on you to say the right thing. 

And, ultimately, you jump the gun and kind of sound like an idiot.

I did mention last night that the DOCG rating on Italian labels are a good indication of wine quality...and that for anything else, you're on your own.

Well, a trip to the liquor store tonight was in order...and quite surprising, actually.  Yes, there were several bottles of wine that featured critters on their labels, but there was a good amount that also had those special letters on them.  Hooray!

This particular bottle of wine has this on its label: IGT (Indicazione geografica tipica), which is the tier of quality just below DOC, which is just below DOCG (the top, remember?).  So, yeah, in those terms and in light of what I said last night, it would seem I was shopping for wine at my own risk.

And it just goes to show that sometimes taking a risk is a gooooooooood thing.

Pizza was on the menu tonight, so my intention at the liquor store was a Chianti...until I got distracted by the bottle above (but yes, I did also buy a Chianti).  The estate name is Tormaresca, Puglia is the region in Italy (the heel of the boot, otherwise known as Apulia), the vintage is 2008, and Neprica is the grape...or so I thought.  Neprica is actually three grapes (Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Cabernet Sauv), so this wine here is actually a blend. 

And a good-tasting, interesting, food-friendly red wine to boot.  I was impressed.  It's hard to say what "known wine" the Neprica compares to, since it's a blend, but it tasted good by itself, in addition to pairing well with the pizza.  There's a lightness to it, but it's easy to get the licorice undertones in the aroma and taste.  I'm reminded of the Nouveau we drank at Thanksgiving...except the Neprica is a little more complex...and I dig that.

A couple of stereotypes were destroyed for me today:

1.  That Puglia is the region of Italy is *only* known for cheap bulk wines. 

2.  That IGT labelings somehow indicate inferior quality.

Neprica.  Look for it.  Ask for it.  Enjoy it.

On an unrelated note, according to my stats, I have two viewers today from the United Kingdom...is it possible at all that one of those readers might be Benedict Cumberbatch?

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