Here's one more for my running tally of wines that:
"…make my eyes open wide and my mouth break into a big smile. It’s usually a fruit-forward wine, a fragrant wine, a wine that goes well with food. It’s also usually a good value, often under $15, rarely over $30."
For a wine to stand out in the large, festive family dinner party I attended over the weekend in Nashville, TN it had to be damn good. Uncomplicated. Delicious. Food-friendly. In-your-face fruity.
And that’s exactly what I found in the 2008 Tenuta Curezza Salento Rosso PRINE.
This Primitivo/NegroAmaro 50-50 blend (hence, PRINE) is from Puglia in Italy’s heel. Primitivo is the Italian Zinfandel; NegroAmara (“bitter black” ) is a local grape usually used for blending.
Because this wine spends no time in oak barrels, it’s all about the fruit – lush, aromatic, plummy, in-your-face fruit. It was a fitting partner to our dinner at MafiaoZa's, a parade of elegant, thin-crust pizzas with creative toppings, including the yummy DeMartino with imported salami, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, homemade mozzarella, arugula and basil chiffonade.
The Curezza PRINE is an inexpensive wine, we’re talking about 12 bucks a bottle. Happy to be gulped, not sipped. And delicious with pasta dishes and pizza, burgers, ribs and other backyard grill fare. Check it out.
MafiaoZa's, Nashville's most beloved pizzeria, is located at 2400 12th Avenue South.
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