A 2010 Veneto, Italy Vino Novello

Wow, it's Vino Novello (new wine) time...

2010 Novello del Veneto

It’s that time of year. Many businesses are finally going into the black. If you live in the wrong part of the world, winter is almost knocking at the door. And the new wines are here. This extraordinarily successful marketing campaign started with the French back in the 1930s. Italy does a lot of Vino Novello, also the result of a special process called carbonic maceration that ferments whole grapes. About half of the 9 million VN bottles comes from the northeastern region of Veneto that makes many other forgettable wines such as Soave and some fine ones such as Amarone.

Today’s producer is a cooperative founded in 1933 that in their own words “advises and coordinates the activity of around 200 grape growers” on a total of some 500 hectares (about 1250 acres) in the hillsides northwest of Verona. Interestingly enough their website does not mention this particular wine. A companion article reviews a more expensive French Beaujolais Nouveau Villages.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Negrar Novello del Veneto IGT 2009 12.0% about $9.50

Because the supplier did not include any marketing materials I’ll quote from the back label. “NEGRAR Novello del Veneto is a dry red wine with aromas of ripe red fruits. The taste is fresh with flavors of ripe plums, cherries, and blackberries. Serve slightly chilled with antipasto, prosciutto pizza, figs, grilled vegetables, tallegio cheese or mushroom risotto.” And now for my review.

Cantina Negrar

At the first sips this wine was harsh with a bit of sweetness and no tannins. My wife who tends not to drink but is known to appreciate fine wine said she thought I peeled a banana when I opened this bottle. The first meal started with Japanese Wasabi rice crackers. The banana taste appeared. The main dish was a boxed eggplant parmagiana doused with plenty of grated Parmesan and grated Romano cheese. The banana taste was dominant. This wine was raw, but not entirely unpleasant.

The next meal consisted of a slow-cooked beef ribs and potatoes. Now I got black cherries with the distinct sensation of soda pop. I added a generous amount of Louisiana hot sauce and I had the sensation of eating candy. The wine darkened when it met the potatoes. Then came the side of zesty guacamole. The Novello expanded and the sweetness was gone. Dessert was fresh strawberries; in response the wine had a burnt taste.

My final meal was an omelet with black pepper, Mediterranean spices, and a touch of chicken bouillon. The wine displayed good length and acidity but was grapey. When it met Greek-style eggplant this new wine was round but muted.

Then came the traditional two cheeses. In the presence of cottage cheese this liquid tasted of bananas and cherries. Paired with a Swiss it offered some cherries but was quite short.

Final verdict. No way would I buy this wine again. And I have no intention of trying any such others with the exception mentioned above. Slowly but surely new wine sales are sliding. Why am I not the least bit surprised?

Access the companion wine A 2010 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (Under $15)

About the Author

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com    and    http://www.wineinyourdiet.com

Visit his website devoted to italian travel www.travelitalytravel.com

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