This is the time of year when we lean hard on our favourite party wines. These are the juicy, easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing wines that don’t break the budget. Enter the 2018 Mezzacorona Novello. Made in the Nouveau style famous in Beaujolais, France, Mezzacorona has harnessed the grapes of Trentino to put an Italian twist on the classic French style. Perfect for your next party, you may just find yourself being toasted in celebration of the latest great wine find!
Tasting Notes: Mezzacorona Novello is made using the Teroldogo grape, grown exclusively on the Rotaliana Plain of Trentino, Italy. Teroldogo produces a wine with deep red, near-purple colours, bursting with fruit and spices. Red and black berry compote, brown baking spices, soft tannins and a dark chocolate note prevail through the finish. This is very easy drinking stuff!
Enjoy With: Holiday classics like roasted chestnuts, but also delicious when sipped on its own or with grilled or cured meats. Warning – leaving the bottle next to a charcuterie board may result in an empty bottle!
Style: A dry, medium-bodied, fruity red wine.
Terroir/Region: The Trentino region of Italy is well known for its Pinot Grigio (something Mezzacorona is known for as well), but by showcasing the lesser known Teroldogo grape, Mezzacorona Novello stands out in its region. Teroldogo is only grown in Trentino and is a specialty of the region along with other rare reds like Lagrein, which give dark colours, soft tannins, and big wines. These are just two of the over 3000 wine grapes native to Italy you may have never heard of!
Producer: Mezzacorona is nestled in the foothills of the Italian Dolomites, a mountain chain and UNESCO World Heritage site. These mountains help set the winery’s style, focusing on cool climate wines like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, and maintaining freshness in reds like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Lagrein and Teroldogo. With this cool climate seeing little change over the years, Mezzacorona has been able to consistently produce quality wines at attractive prices, gaining them a following the world over.
Availability: Mezzacorona Novello is available in the Italy section of your local LCBO but it is in limited quantities, so grab it before it’s gone. The parties are just getting started!
Price: $10.95
LCBO#: #443192
Size: 750mL
Alcoholic Content: 12.5% alc./vol.
