A Trip to Sardegna

Before starting every new blog post I quickly search Google for the wine I'm drinking. I do this to make sure I don't say anything totally off-base and end up sounding foolish. After all, you rely on my wine reviews. Normally I don't share the results of my search with you because they aren't in the editorial voice I use for this blog. And here, my fellow Whiners, is why:

"I grabbed this bottle made from the Cannonau grape thinking I was trying a "new grape" only to find out it is another name for the Garnacha or Grenache grape. Oh well, it was a decent wine made on the island of Sardinia. It pours like a Pinot Noir with a light--even pale cherry hue but it doesn't smell like Pinot at all. This wine is serious with a heavy bouquet of herbal, and dark ripe berries and plums. In the mouth it is lively with pepper and hints of spice with lively tannins."  

I won't source this quote out of respect for the fellow wine blogger who wrote it, even though a Google search will land you directly on his blog. Just saying. Anyways, the portion of this quote in boldface is exactly why this blog is called "Whining in the Bronx." And so tonight we do in fact have a bottle of wine made form the Cannonau grape and it is awesome.

I have never had a bottle of wine made form the Cannonau grape, nevertheless a bottle from the Italian island of Sardinia. So I did a little research on this bottle and am happy I did -- I know only two things about Sardinia: it is supposedly one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and the island is riddled with criminals hiding from the law (historically, if you're kidnapped in Italy you'll probably end up in Sardinia). Now back to the wine. This bottle is a regional DOC that covers the entire island. The Cannonau grape is simply a Sardinian name for France's Grenache grape and Spain's Garnacha. Same grape, different names.

This bottle is designated "Riserva" which means that the wine is guaranteed to have a minimum alcoholic strength of 13%. And considering this bottle cost about $11, you get 1% of alcoholic content per volume for every $1 you spend. Like that math? Don't expect more. 

  

Name: Cannonau Di Sardegna

Price: $11

Rating: 8/10