Barolo???

[Tyrrell]

In the summer of 1998 I had a wine which I enjoyed (I think I spent <$15 on it) that I thought was a Chianti classico.

It had a plain off white label with "Barolo" written in large red letters across it. I've seen this bottle many places since then all over the country.

Now I've been slowly chipping away little chunks off of the monolith of wine ignorance that I posses and in so doing I learned that there is a type of wine called Barolo made with a grape called nebbiolo rather than sangiovese. Is the wine that I was fond of not a Chianti at all (as I suspect) or is there some diabolical scheme afoot to spread confusion? (I realize that these are not mutually exclusive.)

[Innkeeper]

There are some soundalikes such as Borgo Scopeto, but don't know of any Chiantis put out by someone named Barolo. Nor have I seen a Barolo that sells for $15.

Barolos are wines you have to save up for or hit Powerball, and then you have to wait on them ten or twelve years. Otherwise they take the enamel off your teeth.

[Tyrrell]

So now that I brought up the topic I was inclined to research it. Over my lunch break I headed off to the friendly local wine merchant to track down the bottle. I found it there. I had misremembered the name. The wine was called Brolio. It was a chianti classico after all.

[This message has been edited by Tyrrell (edited 05-20-2003).]

[wondersofwine]

I think I've had that one and liked it (don't remember what vintage but probably in the mid-90's.)