For a while, I’ve looked with skepticism this #Exotic Zibibbo di Barraco 2016 label among the wine of our Vinhood shelves.
BAH.
I already quite well this wine producer, which makes insane natural wines, but I snubbed this Zibibbo.
I’m not keen on this “aromatic” genre and the idea of drinking a glass of wine like it was a version of an “Eau de perfume” wine, it’s somehow disturbing.
But then, knowing I had to write an article, I thought that it was the unique opportunity to meet this #Exotic wine.
I armed myself with humility and carbs to accept this challenge.
Just in case, I prepared a huge plate of spaghetti with clams to comfort myself, since I was already foreseeing it was not going to be a nice encounter.
Guys, how wrong was I!
This dry Zibibbo is simply one of the best wines that I have ever drunk in the year.
Like a hand grenade.
In the mouth it tastes salty and meddlesome; it moves quickly on the tongue but at the same time it gives a pleasant scratch. It resembles that sensation of taking a sunbath on top of the rocks after a good swim in the sea. Even though your wet skin lies on top of the towel, the rough rock gently grub your back tickling it.
But it is the nose that really surprised me.
I expected an invasive scent, like Rococo or theatrical.
I was ready to say “No thank you, NEXT”, the same thing I would say to a funny Sicilian grandma, offering you the umpteenth portion of parmigiana with aubergines.
Instead, I met with a mysterious and silent fisherman indeed.
A persistent orange smell tending to be a hint oxidized and brackish notes felt only if you allow them to glow for a while, you begin to notice that it has a lot of stories share… stories narrated in a Sicilian dialect! Stories that perfectly explain how and why it is an aromatic wine, without bragging about it.
You can smell the unmistakable Zibibbo notes that bring to mind delicious Sicilian sweets with almond paste, orange flowers, and even spices from far away countries.
A simply perfect wine.
What are you waiting to discover your #Character? Go ahead, find it! And if it is an #Exotic one, run to the wine shop and try this Zibibbo di Barraco 2016.
We dedicated a whole Wineshow to revealing some tricks you can use to recognize grape varieties, based on the colour, aroma, and structure of a wine. This way, you can lord it over your know-it-all wine-loving partner, friends or relatives.
By now you’re familiar with the cornerstones of pairing. But if you’d like to do a little review, here is part 1 of the guide. Now, attempting to align the sensations, as we do the signs of the zodiac in order to determine our celestial similarities, let’s identify our pairings!
People say that 'good cellar makes good wine', but something can go wrong: let's learn about wine defects.