If you long for a taste of Venice at your next summer barbecue, I’ve got a great dry red wine for you.
Think of gliding along the Grand Canal in a gondola with Andrea Bocelli singing romantic love songs while sharing a gorgeous wine with your honey.
That’s what Gran Passione Rosso is all about.
Plus it costs much, much less than the gondola ride.
Sam Messina of the Wine ConneXtion in North Andover recommended it to me several weeks ago and I bought two bottles at $12.99 each. It turned out that Sam was turning me on to another incredible discovery at a bargain price.
Gran Passione Rosso is like drinking a rich Valpolicella or baby Amarone — aged red wines that cost from $20 to $100 or more a bottle.
Gran Passione Rosso is crafted appasimento style and captures the essence of the Veneto region.
What I found so pleasant about Gran Passione was its smoothness from stem to stern. The liquid was full-bodied, hearty, and glided over the palate with all the grace and sleekness of the Doge’s Bucintoro (a stately barge). It filled the senses with blackberry fruit and other earthy flavors, topped by a decently long and satisfying finish.
Gran Passione is dominated by Italian-grown Merlot and blended superbly with Corvina, which is a primary varietal in the making of Amarone. The result is a deep purple color that is so fascinating in the glass, you don’t want to disturb it. The aromas, however, are too formidable a temptation not to take a sip.
The wine is crafted in the same apassimento style as for Ripasso and Amarone. The grapes are placed on mats and left to dry out like raisins for several months. When pressed, the grapes yield less liquid but highly concentrated juice from the desiccated skins.
For Amarone lovers, this is an outstanding everyday wine and it goes well with grilled meats such as sweet Italian sausage, thick, juicy steaks, and veal chops.
It can also accompany a simple meal of pasta in a ragü sauce or with meatballs. That’s how we paired it the first time we tried it at home. The second time we enjoyed it with grilled sausage and several hard cheeses.
As its name implies, there’s great passion in the crafting of this bottling. Plan accordingly if you decide to give it a try. In other words, break out those Bocelli albums and enjoy an adventurous summer evening as if St. Mark’s Square was your stage — and yours alone.
Email comments to jcampanini@lowellsun.com.
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