Wine rundown
Jennifer asked in the mcgees.org QuickTopic forum that I mention the wines I chose for dinner with my parents this past weekend. We were having Italian cold cuts (some spicy), bread, and sharp cheeses. I wanted massive Italian wines that could stand up to the onslaught. I chose two that are currently available at Trader Joe’s in Southern California. The first is a Barolo, a wine from Piedmont made from the nebbiolo grape. It is the 1997 “Tenuta La Loggia”. It is full-bodied, tannic, complex, and dry. It spent some of its life residing in chestnut casks and is a gorgeous, deep blood red. It is drinkable now about an hour after decanting, and should cellar well for several years. It costs $12.99 per bottle.
The second was an Amarone, labeled “1997 Amarone Classico D.O.C. Conte di Bregonzo”. It is also massive, highly tannic, and could easily use more years in the bottle. It is thick and fiercely dry. If you are planning to drink it now, open it well ahead of time, decant and aerate it well. The wine is only $9.99 per bottle. Many locations are out of the ‘97 now, although bottles of the ‘98 remain (I have not tried the ‘98.)

















