One of the great pleasures of wine exploration is not just in encountering something new, but something special.  Italy is full of something new.  An adventurous consumer can find dozens of new grape varieties to explore:  red and white; fat and thin; rich and lean.  However, it is not often that you are introduced to a wine that is at once both special and new.  Gaglioppo is one such wine – that rare combination of unique and profound.

Gaglioppo finds it’s home in Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot.  This area is hot and dry and quite mountainous but is ideally suited to grape growing.  Most red wine grapes would be too easily cooked by the climate, producing wines that taste stewed and raisiny.  This region requires a unique variety to handle the heat, offer structure, and provide non-fruit flavours to make sure the fruit character isn’t over the top.  It turns out that Gaglioppo is that grape, much in the same way that Mourvedre finds its spiritual home in Bandol, near the sea, withstanding the heat while steadfastly refusing to produce stewy wines.

On offer this week is the 2013 iGreco Catà Gaglioppo.  I first tasted this wine when my associates brought a bottle back from their visit to VinItaly (the second largest wine trade show in the world held every April in Verona).  I was immediately smitten – my wife and I have just started our third case which qualifies as my ringing endorsement for this wine!

The 2013 iGreco Catà Gaglioppo is available for immediate delivery.  Please call 416-463-4677 or email. This wine is perfect for everyday drinking and holiday entertaining.  I hope that you enjoy this discovery as much as I have.

2013 iGreco Catà Gaglioppo
$20.80 btl / $249.60 cs  (case of 12 x 750ml)iGreco-Cata-GaglioppoA fleshier, silkier example of the usually heavy Gaglioppo variety, Catà is the perfect introduction to Calabrian wines. Six months in barrique gives a velvety roundness to the wine and a burst of spicy red fruits and chocolate notes come through on the palate and linger on the finish.  Incredible value!

Drink:  Now – 2020+

Food Pairing:  Grilled meats, lamb in particular, grilled vegetables and stone fired flat breads and sheep’s milk cheeses

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