2006 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

[Innkeeper]

Had an '06 tonight {$9.99) with Gemelli in our Italian Tomato Sauce, Italian Sweet Sausage, freshly grated Romano Pecorino, and salad. Wonderful! It doesn't get any better for a Tuesday night.

[hotwine]

Thought sure I had some Masciarelli socked away but can't find it.

[Kcwhippet]

This is one of our all time best sellers. Even the employees are big fans. Not only is it a great sipper, but it's one of the best red wines I've found for cooking.

[wondersofwine]

Good to know KC as I sometimes question what wine to use in cooking that won't impart a woody flavor to the food.

[Kcwhippet]

Nothing worse than making a reduction sauce and having it taste like hardwood flooring. This wine definitely works well. Another wine that works extremely well is the Big House Red, which used to be a Bonny Doon wine from Randall Grahm. Since he split up his empire and sold off most of the pieces, I'm not sure whose realm this wine currently comes under. At any rate, Big House Red is a blend of Rhone varietals, lightly oaked, that works wonderfully for braising as well as for reductions - and it tastes great just for sipping.

[Innkeeper]

It all depends on what you're cookin. We like a little wood in some things. For example we use Tawny Port in our tomato pasta sauce. As posted elsewhere we used Whiskers Blake to baste our Christmas goose.

[Drew]

Carl, what does the Tawny port add to the sauce other than sweetness...if you can describe. Sounds interesting as I'm always making different red sauces, aka gravy.

Drew

[Thomas]

Drew,

I use Madeira in tomato sauce, which adds both sweetness and a little woodiness. But I think the real issue is its caramel notes, which seem to add a classy structure to the sauce. I assume that Tawny would be similar in adding classy structure--depth.

[Innkeeper]

I agree with Foodie. Our Italian Tomato Sauce originated in Craig Claiborne's "New York Times International Cood Book" many decades ago. He like many others call for red wine in the sauce. We started using Tawny Port mainly because we always have an open bottle around. It works and we love it.

[Innkeeper]

Same meal tonight except with Fettucini as the pasta. Remember Wednesday night is Prince Spaghetti Night!

[Innkeeper]

Popped an '07 last night. Just as nice as ever, with maybe a slight edge on the tannin. We matched it with are "cow milkless" pizza.

We had gone without pizza since finding out earlier this year that Bev was allergic to cow milk and its offspring. We paint a pizza crust with a tablespoon of EVOO; then add a cup of our Italian tomato sauce (mentioned above); we sprinkle with grated Romano and add some basil leaves; then a third pound of shredded Cascio De Roma, topping of the night, and Penseys' Pasta Sprinkle. The cheeses come from sheeps' milk. Delicious.

[Innkeeper]

Yet another, the last on hand, tonight. We matched it with pasta in our fresh tomato, basil, butter, and salt sauce; Romano for her and Parmesean for moi, Italian sausage with lots of fennel, and a great salad with our Summer Golds as a highlight.

[Innkeeper]

We popped an '09 last night that we picked up in Portland several months ago, so don't have the price. Methinks it was around $10. Any hoo it is as steady as the price of gas used to be. We matched it with lamb shanks and spaghetti, and salad in creamy goat cheese dressing. Yum.

[Drew]

Honestly, I don't know if there's a better value in Montepulciano d Abruzzo than Masciarelli...always a staple in the Drew house.

Drew

[Innkeeper]

Yet another last night with Sweet Italian Sausages with fennel root, and pasta in our Italian Tomato Sauce. Yum!