A fairly
obscure northern Italian variety. Its name, like that of many Italian grapes,
seems to be derived from the shape of the tight cluster, which is thought to
resemble a “groppo,” a lump or tangle. There appear to be only a few hundred
acres grown, mostly in the Brescia region of
Lombardy near the western shore
of Lake Garda.
This bottle is produced by Cantine Turina in Garda and imported by Turina Italian Wines, run by a Maine
chemical importer who branched into wine when he discovered the products made
by his distant relatives. You can read a lot more about Paul Turina and his
business on Fringe Wine.
This is another of northern Italy’s
seemingly inexhaustible supply of delightful unknown grapes. It has been made
into just the kind of wine I enjoy most, with a full and interestingly complex cherry-raspberry
flavor that is concentrated in a light body and supported with bracing acidity.
Producers tend to recommend it with
cheese and meat dishes, but I’d say Fringe Wine’s Rob Tebeau has it pegged with
his call to match this wine with tomato sauce. The flavor profile and acidity
are just right for what can be a difficult pairing. I also have a bottle of
Turina’s reserve Groppello, and maybe I’ll go a little heavier with that one,
like meat with tomato sauce.
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