Tag Archives: Masciarelli

Wine of the week: Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020

Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo bottle
Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2018/$9-$13

The long-time WC favorite offers even more value this time around

The blog has long featured red wines from Italy’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo region. They’re almost always well made, inexpensive, and created with value in mind. Plus, they’re terriifc with food.

But this vintage of the Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($12, purchased, 13.5%) is even better than that. It’s not just a Hall of Fame wine, as the Masciarelli has often been, but a wine that will show up on the shortlist for the 2024 Turner cheap wine award.

That’s because this vintage – and I think the age has helped – is darker, deeper, and more interesting. Or, as my tasting notes says: “Wow.”

It’s earthy and rustic, but not heavy or off putting or too rough, as some cheap wines are. There is fresh, juicy cherry fruit, but it has that current of acidity so that the fruit isn’t cloying (as some cheap wines are). This is how to make a simple wine for every day drinking at a more than fair price.

Highly recommended, and just the thing as the weather gets cooler. So red sauces, sausages on the grill, and even something like a cherry tomatoes and gnocchi.

Imported by Vintus

Wine and food pairings 13: Crawfish etouffee

https://cdn.copymethat.com/media/crawfish-etouffee-20180422133749427688cxocf.jpg
Yes, I actually took a picture this time.

The Wine Curmudgeon pairs wine with some of his favorite recipes in this occasional feature. This edition: three wines with classic Cajun crawfish etouffee

Crawfish season is coming to a close in south Louisiana, which means it will be harder to find a a picnic table covered with boiled crawfish to salivate over. But isn’t part of the Wine Curmudgeon’s job to solve problems like that?

Hence, crawfish etouffee, which I actually prefer to a boil. Peeling crawfish has never been one of my best things, and etouffee is more wine friendly. Boiled crawfish is beer, and usually Budweiser. And not to worry if the idea of “etouffee” sounds intimidating. An etouffee is a simple stew – nothing more than a roux, some aromatics, and the crawfish. And please, no tomatoes.

Finding crawfish isn’t difficult, either. Use packaged, pre-cooked tails, which are more common than ever in supermarkets and the Internet. Just don’t buy imported crawfish tails, which are rubbery and have no taste. Sadly, these brands carry Cajun-sounding names like Bernard’s and Thibodeaux’s. So make sure to check the “product of” line on the package.

Click here to download or print a copy of the recipe. What wines to pair? Etoufee is rich, spicy, and wonderfully fishy, so many of the usual suspects won’t work:

• Le Paradou Viognier 2019 ($10, purchased, 12.5%). This French white features stone fruits, a bit of citrus, and some minerality. It’s not sweet, but wonderfully fruity. Imported by European Cellars

• Masciarelli Colline Teatine Rosato 2019 ($12, purchased, 13%): Fruity but dry (strawberries and cherries?), but not so crisp as to get in the way of the etouffee. Imported by Vintus

• Aplanta 2019 ($11, purchased, 13.5%): Well-made Portuguese red that offers value and varietal correctness. Fresh red fruit, a little Portuguese heaviness in the mouth, and mostly balanced. Needs food. Imported by Ole & Obrigador

Blog associate editor Churro contributed to this post.

More about wine and food pairings:
• Wine and food pairings 12: Hot dogs
• Wine and food pairings 11: Croque monsieur, turkey style
• Wine and food pairings 10: Lemon rosemary roasted turkey thighs

Slider photo: “Rome Elite Event: wine, food and nice people” by Yelp.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mini-reviews 79: Black Friday wine

Black Friday wineReviews of wines that don ?t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the final Friday of each month. This month, four wine reviews for the price of one — how much more Black Friday wine can you get?

? Marqu s de C ceres Rioja Reserva 2009 ($18, sample, 13.5%): Spanish red from the Rioja region is terrific value, especially since it’s probably much cheaper in most supermarkets. True reserva tempranillo, with integrated oak and tart cherry fruit, and not just a fruitier version of the entry-level crianza.

? Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2009 ($14, sample, 13.5%): This Spanish red, like the Caceres from one of the country’s biggest producers, is also much better more enjoyable than its crianza, though not as well-rounded as the Caceres reserva.

? Gianni Masciarelli Villa Gemma 2013 ($17, sample, 13.5%): This Italian white, made with two little known Italian grapes and a splash of chardonnay, is heavier and richer than I expected, with white pepper and only a little white fruit. Having said this, it’s an intriguing wine that needs food (chicken in a wine sauce?) and should improve with age.

? Georges Dub uf Beaujolais-Villages 2013 ($9, purchased, 13.5%): Surprisingly acceptable French red, given how disappointing so much Beaujolais is these days. A little rustic, even though it’s an older vintage, but varietally correct, grapy and fresh.