Winemaker Notes
A pure Negroamaro from 20-year old Notarpanaro vineyards in the Salento area. After traditional fermentation, Notarpanaro is aged for 36 months. To add extra elegance, Notarpanaro is aged for three more years in the bottle before release. Ruby red in color with a very elegant bouquet of tobacco and licorice, Notarpanaro is rich and full-bodied offering delicious flavors of ripe red berries, pepper, anise and spice. With a complex texture framed by fine tannins, Notarpanaro is the wine of choice for roasted meat, game, sausages and medium-aged cheese.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.