You: Hey Whitney, what was the wine you were most excited to try last week?
Me: Friend, let me tell you. The brand spanking new 2010 “Piedi Grandi” from La Clarine Farm is what!
photo brought to you by my iPhone
You: Piedi grandi! What the heck is that?
Me: It means “big feet” in Italian.
You: Why did Hank name his wine that?
Me: Some of the grapes were foot-stomped by little kids. He’s funny. And totally not into child labor. The name is in Italian since the main grape in the blend is nebbiolo (with syrah, mourvedre and a splash of roussanne and viognier bringing up the rear.) There’s some whole cluster and it spends 6 months in tank and 6 months in old puncheon.
Verdict? Delicious! It doesn’t necessarily taste like a nebbiolo, but I don’t care. Like most of Hank’s wines, the fruit is pure and there’s an undercurrent of spice and dried herbs. All of his wines remind me of something familiar and cozy but totally new at the same time. Buy his wines. They don’t cost an arm or a leg…or a big foot.
