An ode to my favorite wine.

I love wine. No, I really do. If it weren’t for my girlfriend, every trip to the store would probably just involve 2 or 3 nice bottles of wine, a beautiful piece of fish, and maybe a new box of pasta. But really, what would be wrong with that?

I used to love French wines—all I ever wanted was a nice Bordeaux.  I still enjoy them, but I’ve found that they rely too much upon reputation and are kind of soulless—maybe  they are a good representation of France as a whole but anyway… Now, there is really only one red that I want to drink and that is a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. 

I know, I know, I can hear people saying "Abruzzo? Really?" But hey, I'm not alone, even Thomas Jefferson couldn't get enough of this wine. I will admit that I am biased (spending a month in a place and falling in love with it can have that effect on you), but that doesn't change the greatness of this wine. 

There is just something to these wines, these Montepulcianos (Montepulciani?). I find that they are delicious on different levels, yet still find a way to be very simple. They are fruity and, at least in my mind, can be a bit smoky. They end, at least the good ones will, with a very tannic taste. Something that I think is perfect for a nice summer wine, but is of course not limited to this time of year.

There is something else that a good Montepulciano can do: take you on an adventure-- to a place that seems quite simple but is much more complex once one takes a good look at reality. A Montepulciano transports you to a simpler place and some how makes the drinking experience almost child like.

Well this is how I see a good Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and its really isn't hard to find a good one. As I currently take a sip of a 5 dollar bottle of wine, it reminds me much of the 15 dollar bottle I drank not too long ago; the only real difference is the weight in my wallet. I really don't know how to end my sort of “ode” to the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. I suppose I will just pour myself another glass… 


-Max