This is a Portuguese wine we first tried a couple of weeks ago. I was really unfamiliar with wine from Portugal until we visited last fall. We found a few of the wines to be a bit harsh with high tannin content. On a whim we picked up this Altano Douro because it was on sale and found it to be quite pleasant. It is a bold red that is quite smooth and drinkable. It combines peppery and fruit flavors and is very pleasant overall.
I'd recommend pairing this with a med-full bodied cigar such as the
El Rey del Mundo Oscuro or
La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda. This goes to show that Portugal can produce more than Port!
La Valette is a wine that we found during our visit to Malta. It is a traditional Maltese wine produced and bottled on the island. It a medium bodied red with fruity flavors and a peppery aroma. It is quite nice for what would be considered as a Maltese table wine. It compliments both mild and full bodied cigars because of its subtle nuances in flavor. You should try it out if you come across it, which is more and more likely due to the increasing popularity of Maltese wine. It would pair well with an H. Upmann or Hoyo de Monterrey.
The Chianti Classico is a wine from the area of Tuscany between Florence and Siena (not to be confused with Chianti which has different DOCG requirements) which is made up of a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes grown in the area. It is a rich, bold red with woods and spice. A nice Classico should be aged for a minimum of 5 years, although younger vintages are still good and tend to be a little more fruity with a higher tannin content. The Riserva is more complex with longer aging in French oak barrels giving it a stronger wood and some vanilla notes. The Classico is sometimes considered a simple table wine in Italy but in truth it is one of my favorite wines...and I like wine! It pairs really well with any medium-full bodied cigar as it will overwhelm any mild smokes.
