Wine of the week: Tormaresca Neprica 2006

One of the rules of this business is that one should only write about wines that are locally available. After all, what's the point in waxing poetic about a wine that no one can buy?

Which brings us to the Neprica, a sample of which arrived this week and which I tasted immediately. That's because it's a $10 Italian red blend from Tormaresca, a very reliable producer that understands how to combine quality and value.

In fact, this wine is so good that I'm going to break the availability rule. Since I just got the sample, the wine probably isn't in most stores yet. Never mind. Go to your local retailer and tell them to order some.

The Neprica is made with a local grape called negroamaro, plus primitivo and cabernet sauvignon. It's darker in flavor than chianti, but it's still low in alcohol and it's not aged in oak. The latter gives it a fresher favor. I drank this with spaghetti and tomato sauce with mushrooms, and my only regret was that I didn't have another bottle.

Technorati Tags: Tormaresca Neprica,Italian wine,red wine,$10 wine

Comments

[Tam]

Where can I purchase this wine, I actually had it recently at Il Forno and it was so good!!!! Do you know where or how I can buy it?

[Jeff Siegel]

Welcome to the world of availability, a dark, despairing struggle where only the strong survive.

Here's how to find out whether a wine is available at retail: Ask the restaurant that carries it who the distributor is. Then, call or send the distributor an email asking them who carries it.

I'll check with my sources and see what I can find out for the Dallas area. Sometimes, for whatever reason, wines are only sold in restaurants and not stores. It's all part of the despair.

And, for what it's worth, the Neprica is one of the most popular posts on the blog. A lot of people like it. Which shows that visitors here have good sense and a good palate.

[Jeff Siegel]

Just found out that the only retail outlet for the wine in the Dallas area appears to be the Albertson's grocery store chain. Otherwise, it's restaurant only.

One thing you can do: Go to your local liquor store and ask them to order it for you. If there is a distributor in your area (it's Republic in Dallas), it shouldn't be that much trouble.