Susumaniello. Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?
Su-su-man-yell-o is an obscure red grape from the Puglia region — the heel of Italy’s boot. I’d never run across it before so when I stumble over a curio like this, I’ll pull its cork. Inky in hue, it is medium bodied in both tannin and acidity with bold plum and blueberry fruit and nuances of tobacco and Five Spice.
The 2019 Ruggero Di Bardo Susumaniello ($10) at Trader Joe’s reminds me a lot of another everyday red I buy there: Nero Grande Appassimento ($7), a blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo also from the Puglia region. Of the two, Susumaniello is a bit more rustic, not quite as fruit forward as the Nero Grande, offering more smoke and spice.
As cooler weather rolls in, I gravitate more to reds.
Another recent discovery was the 2019 Oak Grove Petite Sirah ($10) at Total Wine. This variety, found mostly in California, is believed to be an off-spring of the Syrah grape. It’s distinctive for an almost opaque color in the glass and a brambly, peppery edge to the blackberry, chocolate and plum profile. This wine reminds me of another repeat buy there: the 2017 Chopo Monastrell ($10). From Spain’s Jumilla region, Monastrell is also called Mourvedre, a blending grape in top flight French Rhone reds. This varietal leans on a spicy backbone with plenty of black cherry, blackberry and almost crunchy tannins.
A perennial favorite is the 2016 The Seven Deadly Zins ($13) I found at Costco. This playful California Zinfandel has been in the Triad market for more than a decade. Crafted from old vine fruit in the Lodi region, it’s a riot of blackberry, plum, currant and black pepper. Oh, and gluttony, envy, sloth, vanity, lust, greed and wrath.
Some other reds — widely available in the Triad — you might consider: 2018 Veramonte Carmenere Organic Grapes ($14) from Chile; 2013 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Reserva ($18) from Spain; 2017 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($22) from California; 2019 Domaine Bousquet Malbec ($13) from Argentina; 2018 Bodegas Breca Garnacha de Fuego ($11) from Spain; 2017 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone ($17) from France.
I recommend wines I believe to be true to varietal character and distinct from the ocean of red blends on grocery store shelves. You know which California and Washington wines I’m talking about — they’ve the same brand name but are adding playful derivatives to suggest power or texture or a distinction that’s indistinct.
There’s a dirty little non-secret in the wine industry that paints red wine at the $6-$10 price point. It’s called Mega Purple, an additive that boosts color in less expensive brands while adding texture and sweetness. Constellation — one of the largest wine producers in the U.S. — has been selling it for years, and winemakers use it to cover defects and darken their product.
These enhancers from the concentrated Rubired grape variety (itself a cross between the Alicangte and Tinto Cao varieties) go by other names such as Cherry Shade or Ultra Red. Critics say they are grossly over-used today, giving too many wines identical profiles: dark and plump with a hint of sugar and a velvety mouthfeel.
Here’s an interesting parlor trick: The next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up a half dozen or so of these brands. You know the ones I’m talking about; they retail $9-$10 and sport cutesy or spooky names. In a blind tasting, have a friend pour six glasses side by side. Enjoy your doctored drink.
Ed Williams is marketing director at Alamance Community College. This column appears the first Wednesday of each month. If you have wine news, email williamsonwine@gmail.com.
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November 04, 2020 at 12:00PM
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Uncorked: Cooler weathers brings a hankering for red wine - Greensboro News & Record
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