Cookin' With Aglianico

Here's yet another of those bargain wines from Trader Joe's. Julia Child once said that one should never cook with wine you wouldn't drink on its own, and that's a great rue of thumb. I think it was W.C. Fields who said "I cook with wine, and sometimes I add it to the food." Today, it's the 2024  Epicuro Aglianico Puglia IGP.

Freshness and ripeness comes courtesy of the aging process in steel tanks rather than oak. I bought this wine for cooking, but I enjoyed some while the sauce was simmering. I always try to have a red Italian wine on hand for pasta sauce. Alcohol checks in at 13% abv and the price can hardly be beaten, $6 at Trader Joe’s.

This wine is fresh and fruity. The medium ruby tint looks like Pinot Noir. The nose gives red and black fruit aromas, while the palate brings cherries, blueberries, and blackberries to the forefront. It is a clean sip, with no oak coloring the fruit and gentle tannins that make for a nice wine to chill, if you want. 

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