Montepulciano d’Abruzzo produced by Cantina Zaccagnini is not a wine that we can afford to drink every day, even though we would like to.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

It is one of an extensive range of imported wines supplied by this South African retailer.

Not being familiar with this cultivar, I checked Jancis Robinson’s  Oxford Companion to Wine and discovered that Montepulciano is grown in the central and eastern provinces of  Italy like Abruzzo, Marche, Molise and Puglia.

Nosing the wine we found delicate, ripe raspberry scents. On the palate the wine is bone dry to begin with but this quickly changes to a satin smooth, silky feel. It reminded me of those melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies we used to get long ago. The finish leaves you with a ripe fruit sensation, almost sweet and quite like ripe strawberry.

As usual, we were eating alfresco and had grilled free-range lamb chops with the wine – a combo made in heaven! The label recommended having the wine with spicy Italian sausage on bread. What is the South  African equivalent? A boerewors roll of course.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is available online or at Woolworths retail stores for R130.00 per bottle.

Postcript:

Woollies will no longer stock this wine once stocks have been sold out but it can be ordered from Lorenzo at:

http://melgab.co.za/wine/producers/zaccagnini/montepulciano_d_abruzzo