Wine Pick of the Week: February 4, 2016

Pasqua 2011 Passi Mento (Italy)

This week and next, I’ll feature romantic wines for Valentine’s Day, and, since I’m featuring Italian food on the “Soul” page, the wines will be Italian, too. First up is this red blend from Verona with the intriguing label.

Verona, as you may know, is the setting for William Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo and Juliet. There is a house there, La Casa di Giulietta, said to be where the real Capulet family (and Juliet) lived. A tradition developed of people writing their beloveds’ names on the wall outside, believing that by doing so the love would be everlasting. Awww.

Pasqua has made this wine a tribute to their hometown attraction and named it for the “appassimento” process by which it’s made. The process leaves hand-harvested grapes to dry in wooden trays for one month, reducing the water content and concentrating the sugar.  This wine is 40 percent Merlot, 30 percent Corvina, and 30 percent Croatina.

The 2011 has a deep purplish color and a rustic sense. The nose is blackberry and cherry with chocolate and coffee. There are red cherries to start on the taste, a little earthy spice, then that coffee and a little tobacco. It’s off-dry and slightly acidic, but softens and sweetens as it lingers in the glass.

It isn’t a terribly complex wine—there’s a blast of flavors, then it finishes with red fruit. Passi Mento is dry enough yet sweet enough to handle the cured meats and hard cheeses of antipasti. It would also be good with pasta and red sauce, pizza, bleu cheese and a burger with grilled onions and mushrooms.  

Next week, prosecco with dessert. Molto ben.