LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: Nov. 5

Masi Bonacosta Valpolicella Classico DOC (Veneto, Italy)

Sale $13.00, Regular $15.00
Discount (until Nov. 8): $2.00
LCBO # 285585 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Lots of cherries with a dash of pepper.
Pairs with: Simple Italian fare: veal sandwich, pizza, pasta in red sauce.
Good for: What else? Pizza night.
Alcohol: 12%
Drink: Now.

Why we're drinking this
Valpolicella is about the least pretentious wine you’ll ever meet. Never too complicated or too expensive, the wines are generally lively and easy to drink, straightforward and delicious. These wines come from the Veneto region of Italy, near Venice, and are generally made from two main grapes, Corvina and Rondinella. They can have other grapes in the mix too, and in the case of this Bonacosta, it’s Rondinella. You’ve likely never heard of them, because they really aren’t the finest grapes in the world. But that’s tradition for you! Masi is a large wine group that is still run by the Boscaini family that started it a few hundred years ago.

Tasting note
Medium ruby colour and very fragrant nose of cherry with a touch of black pepper, plum, blackberries and red licorice. It’s a pretty nose. Dry, with lively acidity. You get lots more cherry (it’s all about the cherries) on the palate, and some pepper and a nice drying effect that puckers you up. Tannins are fairly smooth. It’s mid weight with relatively low alcohol (12%). Uncomplicated, forthright and really nice to drink. This is modern-style Valpolicella — less rustic than some — that should please just about any wine lover. It’s drinkable on its own, and would shine with simple pastas, pizza and charcuterie.

Find it at your LCBO
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