Wine Blogging Wednesday # 28 - Sparklers!

I hereby interrupt this string of Burgundy Trip 2006 posts to bring you...Wine Blogging Wednesday!! Non-Champagne sparklers are the subject of this month's installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday, an online community tasting organized by Lenn at Lenndevours over two years ago. The Culinary Fool is the host this month, and graciously provided a helpful set of preparatory posts, with loads of information about various sparkling wines - worth reading.

I was all set to review the new version of one of my favorite sparkling Loire wines, like the Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire with its expansive flavors, or the Francois Pinon with its apply yumminess. But when I got to the store I was in a strange mood and I wanted to try something completely different. Something that I would probably never order in a restaurant, something that I normally do not have occasion to taste.

I went with a sparkling sweet red wine from Lombardy, Italy, whose name in English translates to Blood of Judah. Why Judah, the traitor? Is this wine meant as a warning to those with impure thoughts? Before you do whatever badness you are contemplating, sip this wine and remember Judah?

I brought the wine over to my pal Deetrane's house. He gave me a bowl of his home made pasta with wild boar ragu, and some roasted fennel. We enjoyed the Blood of Judah after our dinner. The profile of Bruno Verdi on Vino.com says that it's made from 65% Croatina, 15% Barbera, and 20% Uva Rara. It's a Rosenthal wine, an importer whose wines I almost always love. Sounds promising...

Here are some tasting notes:

2005 Bruno Verdi Sangue di Giuda, $13.

Deetrane: Impenetrable purple color, bordering on black. Restrained nose of apples; gripping, sweet but simple palate of black cherry. Delightfully acidic and bubbly finish. A great everyday dessert wine for impressing unsuspecting guests.

Brooklynguy: Medicinal piney nose, with hints of tarragon and some earthiness. No visible bubbles, but mild fizziness on the tongue - probably classified as a Frizzante. Black cherry rush with cola flavors. Surprisingly long finish. A simple wine that would go great with chocolate (which we tested with an M&M Amazing bar, and it works), or even a piece of pie.

Winelover's Page: click here for some more tasting notes.

After a half hour open and further swirling and sipping, we summarized that although this wine is quite enjoyable and definitely scores points for its novelty, it essentially tastes like adult soda-pop. And I wrote that before I read the notes on Winelover's page. Think cream soda mixed with Dr. Brown's Black Cherry. Yummy, right? And at merely 7% alcohol, you could serve it to the kids at a pizza party and they would lap it up, and then nap afterwards making it easier to get them home.

I'm not trying to trivialize this wine - it has an interesting nose that includes some pine scents. A pairing with chocolate mousse comes to mind, although one could become diabetic just imagining this. I could picture serving this on a hot summer night on the porch, maybe in lieu of dessert. But I find it hard to take this wine too seriously.

I cannot honestly recommend this wine other than as a curiousity, but I also cannot call it a dud, because it isn't a dud. Its good, for what it is - very sweet red fizzy juice. If that's what you're in the mood for, go for it.

Thanks again to Culinary Fool in Seattle for hosting, and for providing the inspiration for me to try something new. Check out the round-up of 33 bloggers and their experiences tasting various sparklers on Culinary Fool's WBW #28 post.