All Over The Globe

I have been expanding my horizons and trying more reds. I am partial to cabernet sauvignon but I thought I would expand and try some new varietals. I also picked up a new white wine I want to share as well.

I'll start with a chianti. Now chianti is not new to me but it had been awhile since I had some and I was making homemade tomato sauce and I figured that would be a great addition. So I picked up Fratelli d'Italia Chianti which was $8. I used it in the sauce and then had it later with the dish I made with the sauce (Braciole). It was very good for an $8 wine with an aroma of plums and a fruity aftertaste. It went well with the Braciole.

The second red I tried was one I had actually seen on TV. I am an AVID fan of the show "Three Sheets" with Zane Lamprey. It's on Fine Living and I LOVE it and him. On a recent episode where he went to South Africa, Zane visited a winery that made a wine out of grapes similar to those grown in Rhone. He also had goats that he claimed could pick out the best grapes so as a play on Côtes du Rhône he called his wines Goats Do Roam. I tried the Western Cape Variety. It was $8 at our Total Wine and I was eager to try it. It was excellent...a nice, earthy red with light tannins and a hint of cherry. I drank it alone but I think it would be good with tomato sauce based dishes. The winery also makes a white and a rosé which I can' wait to try.

As you may have guessed from a couple of my other posts, if I see a display with a wine that is, well, cheap, I try it. I figure why not? And so far, so good. This past Friday night Total Wine had a display up front with bottles of Nobilis Vinho Verde from Portugal. It was $7 so I grabbed one. I was pleasantly surprised by how different it was. It was very light, crisp and slightly acidic with a little sparkle. I imagine it would go well with seafood. I drank it alone and could see myself enjoying it on a hot summer night. This will definitely go on my list of regulars. You can't beat the price!