2 Beautiful Italian Wines

Had a delicious 2009 Negroamaro from Perrini and a 2009 Verdicchio from Fattoria Laila with a Sunday Italian dinner. We started with the red - a reversal from our usual order - as the main course featured a plate of linguine with shrimp and clams. Negroamaro is an indigenous  red grape of Salento, the very southern tip of Puglia in the "heel" of italy. Wines from the region can sometimes be very heavy and alcoholic but the Perrini was not. Coming in at a very balanced 13.5% alcohol, it featured very bright cherryish fruit, a touch of spiciness and good acidity giving it shape. It is made from 100% organic grapes and fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The Perrini paired nicely with the baked mussels with breadcrumbs we had for an appetizer. It is imported by David Bowler and retails at my local shop for $12.99. The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi was also great. Verdicchio is an important white grape of the Marche, a region on Italy's east coast. It features beautiful pear-like aromas and flavors, a distinct mineral spine and very good acidity. It goes very well with shellfish. It is imported by Montecastelli and retails at my local shop for $11.99. Great juice!