Aglianico, A Southern Italian Grape

Aglianico, ( ah-LYAH-nee-koh) a red wine Italian grape found primarily in Southern Italy can either be a varietal ( 100% Aglianico grape) or used in blends. Hot climate and volcanic soils are the perfect combination for this grape to flourish. I found this variety at the Addison Goody Goody liquor store (one again the wine manager Robert assisted me) in a 2005 Rubrato Aglianico Dei Feudi di San Gregorio which ran approximately $17.00. This wine is from the Campania region home to Naples, Mount Vesuvius and of course the beautiful Amalfi Coast. I invited Jane and Meredith to join me again for a taste testing. After reading about this grape, I decided to decant the wine for an hour and glad that I did because after the first sip, Jane commented that it made her “gills quiver”. The second sip was so much better as we paired the wine with a pungent pasteurized cow’s milk cheese, Robiola di Bosco which was strong enough to hold up to the strong tannins and high acidity in the wine. We tried a softer cheese and fruit but they were definitely overwhelmed by the wine. Later I served a spicy and tangy Pasta Puttanesca with black olives, tomatoes, anchovies, and capers. This dish was a great choice to balance the intense concentration of flavors in the wine. Once again, I discovered a wine that reached it's potential with the right food pairing and of course the perfect company~
Salute!

Day 1, Grape 1, Wine 1

I could hardly wait to begin the adventure! But first I had to figure out how to pronounce Agiorgitiko (ah-zhero-Gee-tee-koh). What a mouthful, I wonder if the grape will match its name. As I mentioned earlier, I will be referring to the The New Wine Lover’s Companion for definitions and pronunciations. This red grape variety is thought to be one of Greek’s oldest grape varieties and the second most planted grape in the country. With a bottle of 2005 Boutari Nemea in hand ( made up of 100% Agiorgitiko), my taste testers Meredith and Jane joined me for an evening of Greek dining at Opa Grill, a wonderful BYOB Greek restaurant in Dallas. Watching the waitress pour the wine in our glasses, we could feel ourselves getting caught up in a Greek moment as we nibbled on humus, calamari, and yummy green olives and tried our first sip of the Agiorgitiko variety. The red wine was light, mild and almost bordered bland but then as we continued sipping, we noticed how much the food brought out the flavor of the wine. It only got better! I can’t imagine a better way to taste this variety than pairing it with Pastitso (Greek lasagna), Spanakopita (spinach layered with phyllo), Gyro, Dolma and a wonderful lemon soup called Avgolemono.
Referring to Tyler Coleman in his book, A Year of Wine, “Context is wildly underrated when it comes to enjoying wine. Where we are, whom we’re with, what time of year it is and what we are eating…… and even how we are drinking it all influences our perceptions of wine.” So our experience of tasting this Greek grape variety was heightened by the delicious Spanakopita and the delightful murals on the walls and Greek background music. Yes, the mood and food definitely played a part in this tasting…. at one point we could see ourselves sitting in an outdoor cafe in Athens, sipping Agiorgitiko.