Wine List Pick: L’Apicio (Manhattan, New York)

Date: 7 December 2012
Wine: Guttarolo 2010 Negroamaro Anfora
Cuisine: Italian

Wine List: Joe Campanale’s list at L’Apicio is a greatest hits list of what’s both eclectic and delicious in Manhattan. There are great bottles under $50 and there’s even a white under $30! Going with a big group? Order festively; there are a few magnums under $200.

Pick: I met a wine industry pal in the lounge for sips and nibbles. Opting for a bottle, we became skeptical about some of the wines’ style classifications. At first glimpse, the red classifications were immediately clear: “Light in Color and Full of Flavor”, “Dry, Textured” and “Full, Deep, Dark”. We became puzzled, however, when we looked at the wines under those headings. My companion pointed out a Negroamaro aged in Anfora under the first, “light in color” category. How impossible could that be? A grape named “black bitter” that makes a wine light in color? Well, it can be done, and this unusual example is done very well. If you want to unravel some of your wine paradigms, head straight to L’Apicio and ask for Joe.