Wine List Pick: Prune (Manhattan, New York)

Date: 21 October 2012
Wine: Tami’ 2011 Nero d’Avola
Cuisine: American Nouveau

Wine List: Prune’s wine list is concise, funky and dominated by European wines. It’s also value-oriented with only a handful of wines creeping above $70.

Pick: My companion was thirsting for a cider, so I opted for a wine by the glass. I had chosen the Roasted Squid with Charred Scallions and a Radicchio, Endive and Lettuce Salad with Valdeon and Fried Pistachio Nuts. These may sound like white wine dishes, but the savoriness from the roasting process and the rich blue cheese made a red wine pairing possible. Besides, I wanted to drink red anyway. I briefly considered the Sancerre Rouge (Pinot Noir), as I’m always looking for one to like. There are some good ones, but too many are hard and green. But then, I spotted the Tami’ Nero d’Avola. Arianna Occhipinti’s Grillo from this label is a delight, so I was eager to try her Nero d’Avola at $13 a glass. Nero d’Avola always puts a smile on my face, seemingly delivering rays of warm Sicilian sunshine directly to my palate. This one’s tannins resulted in a surprisingly drying finish, but I enjoyed this unusual (for Nero d’Avola) textural element. The clean, crisp finish coupled with juicy, ripe fruit on this medium-bodied wine provided great refreshment with these mid-weight dishes.