I like wine. It’s not the first time I’ve said that and I hope it won’t be the last. There aren’t too many styles of wine I don’t like. Maybe I’d draw the line at buttery chardonnay and jammy reds, but that’s about it. Depending on your mood, the location, the weather, the food – the right wine can be magical.
But how to pick the right one? Many people have no more than a passing knowledge of wine and that knowledge can quickly lose relevance when you are in unfamiliar territory. The familiar supermarket labels are rarely available in local village or small town restaurants in Abruzzo. So what should you do? Well I think the answer is clear – ask, and take the advice given. In fact, in order to have a chance to end up with that “magical” wine you owe it to yourself to try what the locals think is good.
About a year ago I was in the restaurant New Evo in Loreto Aprutino. I’d been there before and enjoyed the food and house wine, (vino della casa), but this was a special night. So I asked Ottavio to recommend a good wine. He picked a wine called Marina Cvetic from the Azienda Agricola Masciarelli. Naturally it was a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. I loved it. I loved it so much that when I’ve been invited for lunch or dinner in the homes of my Abruzzese friends, it has become the wine I most often bring as a gift. It turns out that I’m not the only one who thinks this wine is a winner. I recently came across this article where Mark P. Vincent says the wine is one of the “consistent values” of the Abruzzo region.
How much does it cost? About €20.
How much is it worth? Well on that particular night in New Evo I thought it was priceless!
I discovered later that the Marina Cvetic range of wines are named after the wife of the late Gianni Masciarelli, who was highly regarded in wine circles. His sudden death in 2008 from a heart attack was a great shock to the wine community. This obituary gives an insight into the man and his work.
If you get a chance do try this wine. It may not turn out to be one of your favourites, but surely it’s worth the risk. But more importantly, if you are in are in a restaurant in Italy and you don’t have a clue, just ask. You may make a wonderful discovery.
Related posts:
- Villa Gemma, Pasetti and that elusive red Ape I’ve been “off the air” for a little while as...
- Cantine Aperte 2009 – Wine Producers Open Their Doors On 30th and 31st May 2009 (Saturday and Sunday) many...
- You like red wine, it’s official! As with all bloggers I like my posts to be...
[...] Marina Cvetic, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo [...]