Another Strange Wine

I received a sample of Ile de France Brie. Tonight's dinner incorporated this lovely cheese, and I had some leftover for dessert. I pulled out another unusual Italian wine to go with dinner. It paired beautifully with the meal and the cheese, but I don't think I'd drink this one alone. Grapes involved: Fiano and Greco.

The brie is lovely (I said that already, didn't I) - exactly what you would expect of a brie. Slightly bitter rind, creamy texture, excellent meltability. A lot of brie, I tend to discard the rind because it's too bitter. This one is just right and the flavor of the rind actually enhances the cheese itself. And it goes beautifully with the wine.


Wine: 2006 A Mano Fiano - Greco Puglia IGT
Meal: Brie-baked Chicken with pasta

Tasting notes on the wine:
Color: 5/5
Pale honey, almost straw-like. Fantastic clarity.

Nose: 11/15
Minerally, with a hint of honeysuckle and vanilla. Nice, but not complex.

Taste: 7/10
No heat, really smooth. Crisp, with good acidity. Melon and pear notes dominating. Again, very simple, but nice.

Finish: 6/10
Smooth finish, again minerally and clean. Apples show themselves here, but once again, no complexity to speak of.

Aging: 2/5
Will possibly hold up another year, but I wouldn't risk it. Drink it now if you've got it.

Overall: 3/5
I'm neutral about this one. It's nice. I don't know that I'd buy it again. Decent wine.

Total: 84pts

Hey, it's all about the experience, right? I couldn't pass up the chance to try two unusual grapes.

Want to make this meal?
2 chicken breast halves
1 cup wine
4 oz brie, sliced about 1/4" thick, rind on
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in 8x8 dish. Pour in the wine and bake for 35 minutes. Pull out the dish and top chicken with cheese, then return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

The pasta dish was just a pre-packaged pasta dish with sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy!