Disclaimer: Don’t drink if you’re under 21, don’t buy alcohol for minors and always drink responsibly.
This week’s bottle is Da Vinci. A good wine from a reputable winery or wine country doesn’t have to cost a fortune. This one you could pick up at our local Target in Marina or at Total Wine and More in Sand City for $13.99.
If you have the notion that wine from Target is considered bad or cheap, let me be the one to say you’re wrong. Like with anything, there are exceptions. All it takes is a little bit of knowledge about what you need out of your wine. In other words, do you need it to be paired with food or enjoyed with your favorite TV show? In most cases, a bottle of wine from Target will do.
The initial aromas that come from this bottle of Da Vinci are of dark fruits (plum, blackberry and cherries) and spices such as black pepper. The taste lingers in the mouth, but isn’t overpowering. Experts would classify this as a medium-body wine, which is a typical characteristic of a Chianti. This specific wine is created on Sangiovese which is an Italian red wine grape. Sangiovese gives a fuller, richer, fresh and more food-friendly taste to the wine.
Italian wines have a reputation of being versatile and well-rounded because they go with many different foods, as well as by themselves. Chianti is a wine with long traditions dating back to the 18th century in Tuscany. Today, Chianti is still produced in Tuscany, which is the area surrounding Florence in northern Italy. Chianti is still known as a quality wine with a good reputation in Northern and Central Europe, because of its versatility.
All wine should get some time to breathe before you serve it; this lets all the flavors and aromas shine and get a chance to breathe. I would recommend opening a bottle about 30 minutes to an hour before consuming it – but if you don’t, that’s OK! You also don’t need any fancy equipment to air out the bottle. Just pop the cork off and you should be good to go.
Chianti wines traditionally pair well with typical Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, chicken and lamb. However, that doesn’t mean you can pick any bottle labeled Italian or Chianti and expect a perfect match with your food. Both the creation of the wine and the food play a vital role in creating a perfect combination.