Grape Variety of the Week

(One you might not have heard of!)

Negroamaro is a red wine grape native to southern Italy and the signature grape of the Puglia region. Its name translates to black bitter referring to its deep color. The most widely planted grape in this region it can be bottled alone but really shines in blends.

My husband and I opened up a bottle of Tormaresca Neprica 2007 over the weekend. A blend of 40% negroamaro, 30% primitivo, and 30% cabernet sauvignon produced a deep ruby red color with and intense earthy nose. This wine was full bodied with good structure and dark fruit flavor. The first glass proved to stand up to the 90 points given to it by Wine Enthusiast.

With the second glass poured, meal preparation and playing with the grandchildren took precedence, it had time to breathe. The wine lost some of its appeal becoming slightly bitter. I attributed this to being a young wine. Still, this wine was a good value at 13.99 a bottle from our local liquor store. My suggestion would be to hold onto it a year or two or if you do open now don’t decant and enjoy promptly.