Tuscan Wines for Winter

WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore | By Al Spoler,

Hugh Sisson

Published January 18, 2017 at 3:08 PM EST

Al and Hugh give their picks for the best Tuscan wines to drink this winter.

Strozzi Campo al Capriolo Bolgheri '13 *** $$

(Super-Tuscan red, smooth, silky, high quality from great region)

Strozzi Morellino di Scansano '12 **1/2 $$

(Sangivoese/Cilieglolo blend, fresh and fruity, very food friendly)

Illuminatti Riparosso Montelpulciano d'Abruzzo '14 *1/2 $

(Lean, tannic, but built for café drinking)

Grignano Chianti Ruffina '11 ** $

(Perfect wine for tomato sauce, 5 years old and drinking well)

Price and Quality Keys

$=less than $20 * = decent $$= $20-40 ** = very good

$$$=$40-60 *** = superb

$$$$=above $60 ****= elite

Many of these fine wines can be purchased at Reds Wine and Spirits.

Al Spoler

Al Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.

See stories by Al Spoler

Hugh Sisson

As General Partner of Clipper City Brewing Company, L.P., Hugh J. Sisson is among Baltimore's premier authorities on craft brewing and a former manager of the state's first pub brewery, Sissons, located in Federal Hill. A fifth generation Baltimorean, Hugh has been involved in all aspects of craft brewing.

See stories by Hugh Sisson

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