Food and Wine Corner 

                                             WINE LIST SAVVY 

It has happened to all of us, you are out to dinner with friends and they hand you the

wine list and you gasp. Nothing under 3 figures! What to do? Order a bottle of just 

OK house wine ? Nope! Go “Primitive”, young man (or ladies). Ask if they have “Primitivo”.

So what the heck is it? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

“Primitivo” is Zinfandel's long lost very attractive identical twin. Originally from Croatia,

Primitivo hails from southern Italy , specifically Puglia , where the very dry climate , fertile 

soil, and Mediterranean breezes from 3 sides , makes these grapes very happy indeed.

The name refers to the fact that these grapes ripen very early but none of that really matters

to you. What does matter is that it is very inexpensive , I am talking less than $25/bottle.

On the palate this wine is quite satisfying, smooth and refreshing with a nice mouth feel.

More importantly, you will not hear one complaint from your wine snob friends that you 

should have opted for the $300 Silver Oak.

No Primitivo on the menu you say? Not to worry because you being the clever oenophile that

you are,  have a nifty alternative, “Nero D’ Avola”. This “ black grape of D’Avola " in southern 

Sicily dates back to the 17th century and is the most widely grown grape in the entire country.

Also called “Calabrese”, this wine is full, well rounded  and dry, very similar to Shiraz.

Substitute it for your regular cab … and it kicks in under $25 bucks.

So when the bill comes , for either of these two wines, you can take your bows that your 

superior wine knowledge has saved your friends a nice bit of moolah. You don’t even have to 

mention that you read it in this column. But if you want to, I will take total credit.

                                   Primitivo in the flesh , your wine list darling