A Little Italy

FOUR INTO ONE: Fourplay, a wine from Sicily blending four grape varieties, came in at the top of our survey of Southern Italian reds.
Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Southern Italian red wines provide experimental flavors on a budget.

by Peter Burwasser

It is an historical irony that the wines of Southern Italy have been piquing the interest of connoisseurs in recent years. In fact, the vineyards of Puglia, Sicily, Campania and Basilicata are some of the oldest and most productive on the face of the earth. When the Greeks first ventured into Italy centuries and centuries ago, they called the lower peninsula Oenotria, land of wine. But discerning imbibers are to be forgiven if they have paid less attention to this region in years past. The winemakers in the bottom of the boot have generally been more interested in quantity than quality, sending tankers of grape juice around the world to form the base of mass market wine products and wine-based beverages such as Vermouth.

There has been a sea change in the viticulture of the region in the past few years, with a growing number of vintners marketing their wares to a more sophisticated international market. Instead of trying to compete with the famous wines to the north, including Tuscany's Chianti, and the fabled reds of the Piedmont, Barolo and Barberesco, the new wave of Southern Italian wine makers are often embracing the traditions of the region. The climate there is warmer than is ideal for wine grapes, resulting in robust, fruity flavors that tend to lack the subtlety and layers of wines produced in cooler regions. But when the vintners resort to tenting vineyards to reduce the heat, or simply moving the plants to higher elevations, these grapes produce wines of unique and intriguing character.

Which brings us to the question, what are the grapes, anyway? For our tasting of eight red wines, there were at least 10 different grape varieties in the mix — Negroamaro, malvasia, frappato nero, nerello cappuccio, nerello macalese, nero d'avola, aglianico and primitivo among them. The winemakers do not feel bound by the stricter rules of Piedmont and Tuscany, with many of the wines classified as humble vino da tavola or the slightly more upscale indicazione geographica tipicia. Instead, there is a happy spirit of experimentation, including the mixing of native grapes and imports such as sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon.

The resulting range of styles makes for a challenging tasting. The ranking here is misleading, because no two wines were directly comparable, and opinions varied more widely than usual. Everyone seemed to agree on one key point, though; these are interesting, delicious and fun wines.

Fourplay, Sicily, 2001 ($13)
The cheeky name reflects new-wave marketing, and refers to the blend of four Sicilian grapes. The consensus was that the mix is harmonious, "smooth as a baby's bum," with a "rich, fruity bouquet that continued to grow (pun intended)." Not as assertive as some of the others, but still "dark, musty country dirt" to one of the tasters.

Bisanzio Primitivo, Puglia, 2003 ($16)
This cousin of American zinfandel is "bold and spicy, but with a sophisticated balance," with "sulfur on the nose, but not unpleasant." Others detected "anise, berries, and flowers." One taster was put off by the high alcohol level, which is typical for primitivo.

Nu har, Sicily, 2002 ($12)
A blend of cabernet sauvignon and negroamaro, producing a sort of Sicilian bordeaux. A surprisingly happy marriage, with "spice and pepper," and the tannin of the cab tamed by the Italian grapes. A couple of the tasters were underwhelmed by the lack of "nuance in character" and a "dull flatness."

Agricole Vallone Brindisi, Puglia, 2000 ($9.99)
A wine with character, producing schizoid reactions such as "rather unpleasant, distinctive and elegant." Another declared this quaff "foul, with bright fruit notes, adventurous." Your host enjoyed the interesting barnyard nose, with hints of omelet.

Villa Sopita Sangiovese di Puglia, 2003 ($5.49)
A southern take on the famous grape of Tuscany, and simple and easy to drink for most. "Super smooth, bursting with sour cherries," "light and airy" and "well-balanced" typified the reaction. But some of us found it to be dull and lacking proper acidity. The host decried the abrupt, tinny finish.

Tenuta Scilio Etna Rosso, Sicily, 2002 ($12.50)
"Weak and watery," or "just OK" for this product of the volcanic vineyards of Mount Etna. But others enjoyed this "well-made, delicate" vino, "mild, balanced, but with some guts."

Armcolo Salento, Puglia, 2003 ($14)
Another wine with personality, "woody, tangy" on the nose, with dried fruit tones. But several tasters felt that the promise of the bouquet was not redeemed in the mouth. "A bit of a tease," "did not deliver."

Vignali Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata, 2002 ($14.99)
Aglianico grapes make the great Taurasi wine, but this version, despite "spine, spice, and sweat sox," was "strident, heavy," and "in need of taming." Nevertheless, the tannin and bold fruitiness made several tasters want to pair it with a steak dinner, or even carrion (yuck!).