From: Piemonte, Italy
Blend: 50% Barbera, 40% Dolcetto, 5% Nebbiolo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Taste: Barbera provides irresistible bite and mouthwatering acidity, while Dolcetto delivers generous fruit notes and joyfulness. Evoking brambly fruit, tobacco, and licorice, Tintero’s Rosso offers a perfect entry point to the charms of Piemonte.
Pairing: What’s the most classic pairing you can think of? Maybe it’s Fred and Ginger, or peanut butter and jelly, or gin and tonic. But what about Tintero’s light, juicy rosso and a plate of antipasti? It’s probably not the first thing that comes to mind, or the tenth, but when I have a slice of soppressata and a handful of cured olives and then chase it with a tumbler of this aromatic, pleasantly tart blend of Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Cabernet, I can’t imagine a better pairing in all the world.—Dustin Soiseth
And we, here at Champion Wine Cellars, wholeheartedly agree! This is one of our favorite red wines to serve slightly chilled, and alongside an assortment of olives and antipasti. That said, we understand a majority of folk don’t view snacking through an antipasti platter as a meal. So, if you’re in that realm of reasoning & drinking, you’re in luck. This wine pairs with so many things! Risotto, mushroom or eggplant-based dishes, entrées centered around tomato or that include a tomato sauce, practically anything with sausage, Parmesan, lentils, pasta, polenta, etc. Today, we’re going to share its versatility next to a dish that incorporates fried elements with fat, salt, sweet, and sour in a Kay Chun's Chicken Katsu.
In 1900 a Frenchman named Pierre Tintero set out for Piedmont in search of work. He found an opportunity to do odd jobs at a small estate where widow Rosina Cortese was struggling to handle all the work herself. Pierre, called “Pietrin” by the locals, quickly became a vital part of the estate and also fell in love with the widow, whom he married two years later. The couple continued to work the vines together and bottled their own Dolcetto for the first time just as war fell in 1914. Years later their grandson would find a stash of this vintage hidden within the walls of the cellar, certainly a precaution against ransacking troops who passed through the area.
Pietrin and Rosina’s two sons, Giovanni and Carlo, eventually took over the estate and expanded it by purchasing adjacent vineyard plots. Moscato was just a tiny part of their production since it is only practical to produce it in large quantities, but after the Second World War giants Cinzano and Martini began producing the wine, so the brothers planted more of the variety to sell to these negociants while they continued bottling their still wines themselves. It was not until the 1980s that Carlo’s son Elvio began experimenting with the challenging process of frizzante wine production, allowing the family to take advantage of the grape’s special affinity to the local terroir. Elvio has now handed the reins over to the next generation, but he continues to help his son Marco and daughter-in-law Cinzia run the estate.
