This year I am going to try to be very prolific on this blog and write about all the wines I have tasted and been sent over the past years. Let’s see how much I get done. This is also the year of wine grapes with the letter “M” on Avvinare. There are many of them and I believe it will be 2023 before I get to the letter P. I look forward to the journey.

Today’s indigenous variety is Maiolica Nera which grows mainly in Abruzzo, in  Le Marche and in Umbria. The word Maiolica to me used to mean ceramics before I heard of this particular grape variety. It is usually blended with Montepulciano, the signature red grape from Abruzzo.

It is not a very tannic grape and doesn’t have a lot of acidity but it brings floral and spicy notes to the blend.

I haven’t visited Abruzzo in a long time but I think I am due for a visit. I need to put that on the calendar for 2022, along with many other things. So much wine, so little time….