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WINE OF THE WEEK , March 3, 2013


Piccini Memoro
Italy
Castellino in Chianti
Red Blend
Ah, Italy! Ah, Tuscany! Ah, Castellino in Chianti! MEMORO is an Italian word having something to do with memory. I certainly need no reminder to remember beautiful Castellino in Chianti in the Chianti Classico area of Italy. Vineyards everywhere. Flowers everywhere. Especially red geraniums in so many window boxes overlooking narrow streets. I should have stayed there! Although I was only visiting, a tourist, I felt immediately at home. Following up on last week's WINE OF THE WEEK: 14 HANDS, a succulent red blend from Columbia Valley, Washington State, this week I recommend for your pleasure MEMORO, a red blend from Italy. It is a commemorative wine, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. A blended wine can be made by first mixing different varietals of grapes, e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel grapes, before the fermentation process (cf. February's marketplace newsletter: yeast + grape juice = alcohol)) or by mixing the already-made wines of different varietals. I don't know the merits of one approach versus the other. I do know that by using already-made wines, the vintner (wine maker) is able to use a wine from a different year.

Memoro started out by mixing grapes (not wines) from four areas of Italy: 40% Primitivo (an ancestor of the Zinfandel grape) from Puglia; 30% Montepulciano from Abruzzo; 20% Nero d'Avola from the Sicily region; 10% Merlot. It is immediately drinkable/easy to drink, medium to full-bodied, with a deep ruby color, dark cherry aroma, fruity (not sweet), with flavors of chocolate covered cherry, plum, and very ripe dark fruit; it is creamy, silky, with a long, smooth finish. And all of that for only $10.99. I will long remember MEMORO.