Cantina Zaccagnini

Cost: Average price $13

Where buy now: Sorella Wines

Grapes: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Region: Italy

Vintage: 2009

Cantina Zaccagnini

I’ve been lazy, forgive me. I didn’t think it got that bad until I was out recently and a handful of folks said, “hey, where are your weekly updates?.” Gosh, you actually read this drivvle? And like it?!?!

So, let’s get back to my wheel-house, Italian m’f’in’ wine!

Let me transport you…

Upon opening the bottle, like sizzling bacon and coffee awakening you from a fuzzy slumber, fragrances of red berries, spice, leather and earth emerge. Mmmm! The motherland, she’s calling me home. I pour a glass of the violet nectar and swirl. Taking a sip, I get a mouthful of just what I want: flavors of red berries, pepper, leather and a hint of herbs. This dry red wine coats your mouth, yet it’s low acidity doesn’t leave you overwhelmed. It has a great sense of {tip Terroir, a French term that loosely translates as “sense of place”, and is often batted around to describe wine that is indicative of it’s geographic origin. Think of it as the soul of a wine.}Terroir{/tip} for just $13, and I can actually say that, first hand, having spent quality time on the Italian country side (eating dirt and licking plants– whut?).

I simply love, love, love this wine. It’s 100% Montepulicano d’Abruzzo; an Italian wine I can sip without any food and savor the tastes. However, if you’re looking for a new Italian wine staple, or you’re just new to Italian wines, pick this one up. This wine would pair very well with a few different sauces (or “gravies”, if you will). Either try your hand at creating, or pick up some store bought Puttanesca or Arrabiata sauce, and toss with your favorite pasta. This wine would go very well with a pizza, perhaps sausage & peppers, or good ol’ spaghetti and meatballs. Just stop thinking about it and go purchase it.

An instagram friend said they call it the “stick wine”, due to the decorative branch that adorns each bottle. That works and makes this bottle easier to spot in the store. I bought mine at Sorella Wines for a under $12 during one of their sales.

11 thoughts on “Cantina Zaccagnini”

  1. Ok not to go all weird on you but I LOVE YOU. The way you write has me giggling my ass off. (can I say that?) I have to add their Pinot Grigio is DELISH and goes well with AIR

    1. Dear Samantha ~

      Thank you so much for commenting, you made my day! Plus you have me AND my editor rolling with laughter. . .”Pinot Grigio goes well with air.” I have to use that quote in the future, if I may.
      Any other suggestions or wines you’re interested in, let me know. Glad I can entertain and you dig my sense of humor.

      Cheers, love!
      T.S.L.

  2. I fully agree with you comments. A real pleasure to drink on it’s own or with variety of foods. True Italian. I like very few reds and yet I love this one.

  3. This is one of our staples, but try as I might I have a hard time selling it because I have a hard time describing it. Thank you for making my incompetence invalid!

    1. Ciao Tim ~

      Thanks for commenting, much obliged! Hope you can sell this great juice all day long now! Make others privy to what we already know.

      Cheers, love!
      T.S.L.

  4. I found this stuff to be insipid and almost acidic when chilled. But bringing it up to room temperature or slightly warmer(!) opens up an incredible array of complexity and richness, that lingers a while on the palate and even longer in memory. Incredibly versatile, this wine pairs well with anything from tuna on rye to spicy chili – and all the classic pasta sauces and other Italian staples in between. Expect intensity with a huge scale of subtle overtones and appreciate it.

    1. I guess you actually did learn not to chill red wine? Sounds like you did. Fabulous!This red stands out from many others at its price point. Goes well with hearty dishes or enjoy it food free. Yes, room temperature or a tad warmer… Open the bottle let it breathe for 30 minutes or so prior to sipping. Enjoy!

  5. I am in Florida and I am having a difficult time finding cantina zaccanini dry red wine. I found it at Costco and of course “when it it is gone it is gone forever”. Why is it so hard to find?

    1. I sympathize with your plight! Costco, it can be both exhilarating and frustrating. :/

      I suggest finding your local wine shop and asking them about the wine. Let them know where you bought it and the cost. Most wine stores want to keep their customers happy and I am willing to bet they would entertain the idea of bringing in a case. Plus, there are probably others who are searching and are similarly frustrated.

      thanks for commenting!

      xoxo,
      T.S.L.

  6. Definitely don’t chill! This is my fav Italian Red…great at room temperature after a 45 minute breather. Wonderful wine goes with anything spicy. Fabulous with spaghetti and meatballs… GREAT VALUE! In NYC $13.99 in Chelsea and $16.99 at that trendy wine shop in a “hip” neighborhood!

    1. Dear Anne-Marie,

      Thanks for commenting! I totally agree, a 45 min. breather and this baby is good to go! And at those prices in NYC, wowza! After reading your comment, I’m now hankering for my Mom’s super giant meatballs!

      xoxo

      Cheers,
      T.S.L.

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