Revisiting Wine A-Z: Starting with A is Aglianico

Several years ago I started the Wine-phabet, a series that explored the alphabet through wine.  I tried to find fun and different wine terms that would be  both educational and fun to read.  I thought I would re-post some of the Wine-phabet in case you never had the opportunity to read it. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh Campania! Italy’s finest region of the south is home to the Aglianico grape.  One might want to address him as Signore Aglianico, because it is best to approach him with age. His wines are not for the weary at heart.  Signore Aglianico is rustic, grippy and masculine!  He is thick skinned and if not nurtured properly, he can be a miss-behaved outright bully.  Signore Aglianico as a young boy might come across as a problem child, but put him in “time out”  in a bottle and watch him mellow out.  He tastes of black fruit, tobacco leaf, black tea and comes with a  double spine backbone.  Approach him with care, let him chill before you engage and his ill tempered youthfulness gives way to beautiful floral aromas.