Five years ago we visited Puglia and found it to be lovely. We stayed in a little Hobbit hole house in a style peculiar to the region, called a Trullo. It was down an unmade road, just wider than the hired Ford Kuga, had an above ground swimming pool and was surrounded by Olive trees. Donkeys lived next door.
One of the features of that holiday was discovering that in rural Puglia it is nearly impossible to buy food, certainly to buy ready to eat food, before about 9pm. Even then the locals eyed you with suspicion as they had only just woken from their naps and certainly weren't ready for dinner.
When it did come, it was generally very good, as was the wine. In memory of that holiday this week's wine comes from Puglia.
Week N (2015) Feudo Dei Tari, Negroamaro, 2013. Majestic £7.49.
I don't remember with certainty that we drank Negroamaro, but I do believe we did.
It is a local, indigenous variety (nearly, the Greeks brought it in 8,000 years ago) whose name translates to 'black and bitter'. I assume that refers to the berry before it is made into wine, because the contents of this bottle are a mid-to-deep ruby red and taste more of red fruits such as Raspberries and Cherries (with a hint of Redcurrant) than anything more aggressive.
The bottle notes speak of bitter chocolate hints and I am not yet convinced. I suspect I will have to get much more towards the flat bottom of the bottle before my imagination convinces me that either Mr Green or Mr Black has been anywhere near this one. There's a Quentin Tarantino reference in there somewhere, but I've had the wrong kind of day to waste any brain time trying to find it.
Despite the warnings from those who know better, I will tell you that this has 13% alcohol, which tonight is hitting the spot very nicely.
Majestic's tasting notes suggest that it would go very nicely with a generously topped pizza or any tasty tomato-based meat dish. I rather suspect it might, but I have come home to a quiet house (even the cat is silent, but then he's dismembered two Wood Pigeons today and at fifteen years old that's fair play) and found a half finished family bag of lightly salted Kettle Chips and some wax coated real ale and mustard flavoured cheddar cheese, wittliy labeled 'Hoppy Days' to accompany mine and that seems to work quite well, too.
At the price this is a pleasing, easy drinking, not-at-all bland, red wine that I would be happy to buy again. Would I take it to a dinner party? Only if I could be sure we were in for a generously topped pizza. And right now........
One of the features of that holiday was discovering that in rural Puglia it is nearly impossible to buy food, certainly to buy ready to eat food, before about 9pm. Even then the locals eyed you with suspicion as they had only just woken from their naps and certainly weren't ready for dinner.
When it did come, it was generally very good, as was the wine. In memory of that holiday this week's wine comes from Puglia.
Week N (2015) Feudo Dei Tari, Negroamaro, 2013. Majestic £7.49.I don't remember with certainty that we drank Negroamaro, but I do believe we did.
It is a local, indigenous variety (nearly, the Greeks brought it in 8,000 years ago) whose name translates to 'black and bitter'. I assume that refers to the berry before it is made into wine, because the contents of this bottle are a mid-to-deep ruby red and taste more of red fruits such as Raspberries and Cherries (with a hint of Redcurrant) than anything more aggressive.
The bottle notes speak of bitter chocolate hints and I am not yet convinced. I suspect I will have to get much more towards the flat bottom of the bottle before my imagination convinces me that either Mr Green or Mr Black has been anywhere near this one. There's a Quentin Tarantino reference in there somewhere, but I've had the wrong kind of day to waste any brain time trying to find it.
Despite the warnings from those who know better, I will tell you that this has 13% alcohol, which tonight is hitting the spot very nicely.
Majestic's tasting notes suggest that it would go very nicely with a generously topped pizza or any tasty tomato-based meat dish. I rather suspect it might, but I have come home to a quiet house (even the cat is silent, but then he's dismembered two Wood Pigeons today and at fifteen years old that's fair play) and found a half finished family bag of lightly salted Kettle Chips and some wax coated real ale and mustard flavoured cheddar cheese, wittliy labeled 'Hoppy Days' to accompany mine and that seems to work quite well, too.
At the price this is a pleasing, easy drinking, not-at-all bland, red wine that I would be happy to buy again. Would I take it to a dinner party? Only if I could be sure we were in for a generously topped pizza. And right now........
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