Like most Latino households, I grew up with wine in my home. As a child, the bottles magically appeared on our "special occasion" dinner table together with wondrous meals and laughter.During my college years I removed myself from the liquor-heavy parties, and instead embraced the beauty of wine and conversation.As a matter of fact, my first roommate was a Spanish gal that worked in the restaurant industry. Wine was always available in our place, yet I could only distinguish between white and red.With time, I have come to appreciate the different varieties of grapes and the wine they produce. I've become braver and even more open minded when it comes to trying new and different wines. I've also come to experiment with food pairings and plan on taking a wine region tour outside of the US. So, imagine my excitement when Montefalco Sangrantino invited me to try various wines from the Umbria region of Italy?
Until that moment, I was completely unfamiliar with the Umbria region of Italy, which is the only area in the world that grows Sangrantino grapes. This unique grape is one of the most tannic varieties in the world, which are inky purple in color with an almost-black center. The bouquet can be described as full-flavored, with hints of plum, cinnamon, and very, very earthy. The wine produced with Sangrantino grapes is aged for 30 months, of which at least 12 months must be in oakbarrels. The wine is a DOCG, the highest-ranking category of Italian wine denominations
Originally used specifically for dessert wines, the more than 25 growers in the region are experimenting with different types of wines made with Sangrantino Grapes. Some white, some red. Some dessert and sweet, some a bit bubbly and dry.I tried several of the wines brought for the tasting, and found that the red wines that were 100% Sangrantino grapes were a bit tannic for my taste. Whereas, although I am usually not a fan of sweeter and white wines, those made with Sangrantino grapes had a nice balance, and I found them perfect to pair with heartier summer dishes.
My favorite wine from the tasting with the Scacciadiavoli Rossi
I have asked around for some of the wines I discovered during the tasting, and found that the best resource was going directly to the Montefalco Sangrantino website to get a list of distributors before I went directly to a wine shop to find these boutique bottles.___
Do let me know if you try Sangrantino Wines and what your taste buds think - I'm pretty sure you will be happy to find a new wine to love :)
Cheers!
