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Gutsy red right for hearty meals – Metro US

Gutsy red right for hearty meals

Context helps choose best wine

I’m often asked how I select wines and what makes one better than the next. My selection process goes like this: First, I establish the category or style of a wine. What is it saying? What’s the vibe? I do this by focusing on the feeling in the wine — the experience it offers. I don’t analyze the wine looking for hints of this or that. Instead, I look at the big picture — the whole experience. This could be likened to sorting music into categories such as lively, jazzy, mellow, etc.

After establishing the category of a wine, I think about the quality of its delivery. Is it a good edition of what it appears to be offering? For example, does a fresh-style wine feel clear or muddled? The better the delivery, the better the experience and the wine.

Finally, I put the wine in a context where it can best shine. For example, I’ve determined the wine I’ve selected for this week belongs in the Rustic Red category. It is a “best wine” if you put it in the context of a fall or winter evening, with a hearty, home-cooked meal, and friends at the table.

Terra d’Aligi borders on richness but the feeling is Italian gutsy. It is not fancy, but a real solid wine. It will make you feel warm and nourished.

The Italian province of Abruzzi sends us amazing reds at low prices. They are the least expensive wines at the LCBO and I have previously recommended some $6.95 bargains, but today I’m pitching a characterful red that costs a bit more, but it’s still a bargain.

Billy Munnelly has been writing about wine for 25 years and is the author of Canada’s largest selling wine book, Billy’s Best Bottles. Sign up for his free monthly e-letter at www.billysbestbottles.com

info@billysbestbottles.com

uncorked

Terra d’Aligi ’04 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo,

Italy

LCBO No.: 28530

Price: $11.75