Alison of Sassy Moms in the City, knows the way to become my friend: she asked me to participate in her Wine of the Week blog series. Since red wine is my drink of choice, I was excited to participate. If you know me, you might have heard me joke about being on a fermented grape juice cleanse. I absolutely love red wine, especially in winter since it warms me right up.
Alison instructed me to pick a wine and talk about it. I went against the rules a little, but only because I didn't like the $17 bottle of wine I bought first. I was trying pick something more impressive than my Trader Joe's standby, and failed! Saturday I was at the most darling local grocer, and another customer was raving about Cosimo Maria Masino's Sangiovese, which they call "Nicole". The wine is production is eco-friendly with the grapes being picked by hand and fermented naturally. But, I didn't like the wine. I especially didn't like the say it smelled, and when I don't enjoy a beverage's aroma, I have a very hard time drinking it. (Sidenote: this is why I don't drink Stella Artois). The Nicole was easy to drink (despite the smell), but it wasn't anything special.
Not wanting to recommend a funny smelling $17 wine that doesn't taste like much, I headed to Trader Joe's so I could write about a wine that I love. I spent on $3.99 on Grifone's Sangiovese. It is made with the same grape varietal as the more expensive Nicole, but it was a more complex taste that makes it fun to drink. Grifone is exclusive to Trader Joe's, and I feel that it is significantly better than Charles Shaw (aka two-buck-chuck). I also love the Grifone Primativo, which in my experience can be hard to find in Chicago.
The first thing I noticed about the Grifone Sangiovese after trying the Nicole, is that is doesn't smell like feet. It is a medium bodied wine with just a hint of fruit that is balanced out with mild spice notes. It is a smooth wine with hints of balsamic and spice. it is very drinkable.
Sangiovese is a medium bodied wine that pairs very well with food. Sangiovese is generally a nice safe pick if you are bringing wine to a friend's house for dinner. I highly recommend the Grifone Sangiovese because it is incredible inexpensive, but it tastes great. If you served this wine to friends they would never suspect that it was only $3.99. My advice is to skip the Nicole, and use that $17 to scoop up 4 bottles of Grifone instead. Plus, if you get 4 bottles of wine instead of one, you can invite your friends over and have a little party!
What is your go-to wine? Leave any suggestions in the comments. I am always up for trying something new. If you enjoyed Wine of the Week, you can follow the series of posts on SassyMomsintheCity.
I’m linking up with SassyMomsintheCity.com for #WineoftheWeek. Check out Alison's post about Dead Bolt, a blend of Californian wine here.
Kevin Pastore
Wednesday 28th of May 2014
Don't skip the Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Trader Joe's, as well, for only $1 more.
Marisa
Thursday 13th of February 2014
What a fun series! I've had great luck with Trader Joe's wines beyond the standard "two buck chuck" as well. It always looks fancy too.
Alison Ray (SassyMomChicago)
Wednesday 12th of February 2014
Great video review! Love that the $3.99 wine was better. You can't judge bottle by the price or the label. Adding this to my must drink list. Thanks for linking up this week!!
Katharine
Wednesday 12th of February 2014
Love this post! SO putting the Gifrone Sangiovese on my grocery list next time I'm on my way to TJ's. I'll have to check the name on the bottle once I get home, but I have an inexpensive go-to cab and pinot noir to recommend! -Katharine Living's as Easy as 312
Tomissa Porath
Wednesday 12th of February 2014
I also love the Grifone Sangiovese. I always seem to have a bottle (or two) on hand.