Italian Rosso To Cook With, And To Drink

I found myself looking for an Italian red for cooking. This 2019 Piccolo Fiore Terre Siciliane Rosso did the trick. Like Julia Child always said, only use a wine for cooking which you would drink on its own. 

It was fermented in stainless steel, which I love to see in a red wine. The grapes in this wine are Syrah and Nero d'Avola.  The Bronco Wine website shows no mention of oak, but I think there was oak aging. Alcohol is somewhat restrained at 13.5% abv and it sold for $9 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine is medium dark. The nose is savory, full of tar, earth, tobacco, licorice, plums and raspberries. The palate is similarly dark and savory, with sweet tannins and good acidity. I made a pasta sauce with my first pour, then enjoyed the second pour while it cooked. It was delightful. 

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