It’s time for me to talk about a wine because I really liked it and for no better reason.  I have no holiday or seasonal agenda here, although I do enjoy discussing the merits of a fine Claret with a Christmas dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding.  This particular blog is I admit, somewhat random.  

This wine is an excellent value from the Piedmont region of Italy.  Barbera is a dark skinned grape variety that as a wine is simpler and more approachable than Nebbiolo.  It has deep sour cherry, plum and cranberry notes with a hint of spice.  At this price it is a wonderful alternative to Pinot Noir or Merlot.  The soft tannins and round mouth feel make this a particularly easy wine to drink. It does not need deep analysis.

One of my favorite food wines, Barbera is very versatile and pairs with several classic Italian dishes from Pasta Bolognese to Gnocchi and Fontina sauce.  Surprisingly, it can also go well with the unexpected. For example, I had a bottle of La Giribaldina Monte del Mare with some left over Pad Thai and it was a great match.  The bright red fruit worked very well with the subtle sweet and more pronounced spice in the Pad Thai. Those that know me well will find this funny since I almost always suggest a Gewurztraminer or Vouvray with spicy Asian food.  But hey, what can I tell you? It worked.  This wine is value priced at $9.99.

So what do we use for a movie tie in?  Considering the time of year, I’d say The Graduate directed by the late great Mike Nichols and starring in his first major role, Dustin Hoffman.  This is a very funny, satiric, and poignant film that epitomizes the 1960s.  It is also timely today for expressing the fears of college graduates as they attempt to step into the rat race.  Is there an Italian wine tie in with this movie?  Not really. But Ben (Dustin) does drive an Alfa Romeo convertible.