A Toast to Italy

I just cracked a bottle of 2007 Trentacinquesimo Parallelo Primaitivo del Salento from Italy in an effort to expand my repertoire of wine from my usual picks from the regions of B.C., Chile, Argentina or Australia. The heady scent of cherries and plums with a hint of spice make a nice smooth bloom on the palate. The relatively opaque hue reminds me of rubies in a glass and is a nice change from the thinner Chiantis that I've tried. For approximately $15 a bottle it's a good deal for a relatively full bodied wine. I'll have to add some more European wines to the list of wines to sample. Stay tuned for more.