At a recent dinner party, I had the pleasure of seeing the gentleman who taught me advanced Italian wine classes at the Wine School of Philadelphia years ago, Frank C., a/k/a “Mr. Chip”.  Frank taught history for years, and was an excellent teacher, and enjoyed sharing his passion for Italian wines.  Italy has over 370 native varieties of grapes, and all 20 regions in Italy make wine, so there was a lot to cover, as you can imagine.  He brought a bottle of his current “house red” to share, a 2008 Copertino Rosso Riserva DOC. (He will probably be peeved that I’m publishing this, because his supply may dry up.)   Copertino is from Puglia (the heel of the boot), and is a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia.  Dark and dense, there are flavors of blackberries, cedar, spices, vanilla, and tobacco.  This wine is surprisingly complex at this price point of only about $11 a bottle at Wineworks. 

I brought a 2014 German Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) to the dinner party, made by Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, Germany.  I know what you’re thinking:  wineries in Germany make good red wine? Well, the cool young Rings brothers do!  Yes, we can all thank global warming for this recent development.  Weingut Rings is in the Pfalz region, located in Southwest Germany, between the Rhine River and the Haardt Mountains (part of the same range that is called the Vosges Mountains in Alsace, France).  The Rings Spatburgunder is a well-balanced, light-bodied red, with bright red cherries and zippy acidity which pairs well with food. I got this through a private importer for $29, and did find it online through other private importers.  But keep an eye out for German Spatburgunder bottles in general in your local wineshop, for something new and different to try.

Speaking of trying new and different wine, I hope to see many of you this month at the Burlington County Bar Foundation’s Wine, Beer and Bourbon Tasting at Laurel Creek Country Club on October 20, 2017.  Cheers!