Italian wine is terribly confusing. The Wino has been trying to read Italian Wine for Dummies for more than a year now and she is barely past Chapter 3. I mean, she likes to drink Italian wine, but ask her to make sense of an Italian wine label or understand the qualities of what makes one region's wines distinct from another? Fuhgettaboutit, fellow boozers.
One tidbit that The Wino has learned, however, is about the Italian Primitivo grape variety. Apparently, it is the genetic equivalent of Zinfandel, a red grape variety that grows all over California. Familiar with the ever popular Ravenswood Zinfandel? Of course you are. Well, if that wine was made in Italy, it would be "Primitivo" and it would be primarily grown in Italy's Puglia region also known as Italy's heel.
Now, don't let this confuse you, prudent boozers, but the origin of Primitivo is generally thought to be Croatia where it is currently called "Crljenak Kaštelanski." But we will leave that one alone for now.
So if you purchase an Italian wine that includes a high percentage of the Primitivo grape, you can expect this wine to taste much like Zinfandel, with a robust, concentrated flavor profile that can include raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, and pepper. You can also expect it to have a slightly higher alcohol content, in some cases as high as 16%.
Like wine with your pizza? Curious about Primitivo? Seattle's Tutta Bella features a Primitivo wine on their menu called Ognissole Primitivo Manduria.
Cheers.
And thanks, as usual, to Wikipedia for information about Zinfandel.
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