WINE O’CLOCK: A taste of Italy at bargain prices
WE eat a lot of Italian food in Ireland. Well, sort of. We eat a lot of pasta and pizza, which is hardly the same thing.
That goes for restaurants too. Only China provides us with more ethnic restaurants than Italy, but a lot of so-called Italian restaurants do little more than heat up frozen pizzas and chilled pasta dishes.
Still, I remember when the only Italian food to be had was fish and chips from Cafolla’s, Borza’s or Macari’s, so the change has been for the better.
Oddly, despite the popularity of Italian-type nosh, we don’t drink a lot of Italian wine – apart, that is, from cheap Prosecco, which is everywhere.
SuperValu begs to differ … I think.
“The percentage of Italian wine being consumed has grown from 43% to 46% over the last few months,” says their wine expert Kevin O’Callaghan in a promotional posting.
He doesn’t say 46% of what. I can’t believe it is total sales. In terms of bottles on shelves the Italians are always well outnumbered by the French and Spanish and also, in most stores, by the Australians, new Zealanders and south Americans.
Anyway, whatever about the percentages, SuperValu is doing its bit to alter the balance with a sale of Italian wine. There are some good bargains.
Mr O’Callaghan recommends a “delicate and elegant” Magnum Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry Ca’Berto in a 1.5 litre bottle (€20).
For summer entertaining there’s Capo Zafferano Primitivo Do Manduria in a six-bottle wooden case. With a €10 reduction offered for any six bottles the case costs just €50.
The sale runs to June 12 and also features Zaccagnini Montepulcian D’abruzzo (€15), Cantina Tombacco Aglianco Beneventano (€10), Castellani Arbos Sangiovese (€8) and Ricossa Gavi (€10).
So, when in Rome … Cento di questi giorni!
MICHAEL WOLSEY
