Deep roots are a good thing when it comes to wine. They allow a vine to drink water stored deep in the soil during dry seasons. Deep roots in a wine community – meaning history and tradition this time – also lead to better wine. This week’s wine, San Marzano Talò Primitivo, is a salute to the farmers and families who make up the San Marzano Co-Op, and the deeply rooted community that thrives because of this cooperation. It’s the perfect way to raise a glass to their roots and your own.
Tasting Notes: Generous flavours of plum, juicy black cherry, vanilla, chocolate and spice. Soft tannins linger with the ripe fruit flavours through a lengthy finish.
Enjoy With: Grilled or smoked chicken or pork with a sweet’n’spicy barbecue sauce, and Moroccan or Turkish dishes will pick up Primitivo’s spice flavours, while the wine’s hearty and rich notes match perfectly to pizza, flavourful grilled veggies like red pepper, portobello mushroom or eggplant. For a cheese pairing, try stronger flavours like aged cheddar or smoked gouda.
Style: A full-bodied, rich, smooth red wine.
Terroir/Region: If Italy is a boot, Puglia is the heel and coastal region moving north. Puglia produces over half of Italy’s olive oil alongside many of its best wine values. Some of the most popular Apulian wines are made from the Primitivo grape (a.k.a. Zinfandel), which is perfectly matched against the hot Mediterranean sun and cool sea breezes, leading to rich and balanced wines.
Producer: In 1962, nineteen grape growers from San Marzano, whose families had farmed the land for generations, combined their efforts to establish Cantine San Marzano. Through the decades, this cooperative has grown using modern techniques to produce elegant wines, but without forgetting their roots and old Apulian wine traditions.
Availability: San Marzano Talò Primitivo will be available on October 22 for online ordering and in the Vintages section of your local LCBO.
Check LCBO store inventory
Price: $17.95
LCBO #: 455220
Size: 750 mL
Alcohol Content: 14.0% alc./vol.
