Our tastes often run to the domestic and French in this house, but every so often have a fun detour to other fine regions of the world–like Italy in this instance.  Dining in Buffalo this evening with clients, I had the occasion to drink this full-bodied red for the first time.  The Barbaresco Produttori ‘07, I had to look up thereafter, comes from the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy.  It’s made from the Nebbiolo grape and fermented first in stainless steel and then aged in oak prior to bottling.

Barbaresco Produttori 2007, Piedmont, Italy.

The Barbaresco accompanied a delicious spread.  Ignoring the fresh bread and olive oil, I sampled a selection of olives and then had a finely chopped Caesar salad (lemon and anchovy dressing!) for my Insalata.  I was still sipping the Barbaresco with my Seconi as well, a pair of grilled lamb chops that were panko crusted and drizzled with some dark, rich (too rich?) sauce.  The lamb was one of the Siena specials for the night, and the wine worked effectively with the smoky taste of the meat.  Green beans were a welcome side vegetable too.

And the wine itself?  Very fruity and floral-smelling, and I would have loved to enjoy more than just a glass.  As the driver, though, I was forced to savor just one…easy yet smoky on the tongue.  Sometimes a business dinner gets you outside of the norm, and I’ve now got the Barbaresco Produttori 2007 on my “try again” list for this reason.