2018 Poggio Baccanti Gragnano

Region: Campania < Italy

Grapes: Piedirosso

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Biodiversity in the vineyard, no chemicals used, extreme volcanic soils on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvio; fermented and aged in concrete, no added SO2; 12% ABV

Winemaker: Raffaele La Mura

Italians, it turns out, aren’t big on vino with pizza. Beer, yes (Peroni, usually). Even Coke. There is one rather obscure exception: Gragnano, the frizzante red that comes from the town of the same name on the Sorrento Peninsula outside of Naples. Drunk young and served chilled, Gragnano has a touch of sweetness, a smoky finish, and a slight effervescence that cuts the fattiness of cheese and oil. Inky, grapey, and similar to Lambrusco, with smaller bubbles and a beguiling mouthful of flinty rocks, wild berries and morello cherry. Drink chilled – you want it as cold as a white wine!