I've been on a pronounced red wine kick of late, in part encouraged by Trader Joe's red wine blends, both the Chariot Gypsy and the Aquila Doro Toscana 2007, both of which feature Italian Sangiovese. So when I saw this 2007 Ciao Bella Sangiovese from Italy at the Bargain Grocery Outlet for a mere $3.99, I snagged a bottle. Ciao Bella is one of the numerous Precept Wine labels, and, like most of them, it's hard to find much about it. I note that Ciao Bella Sangiovese 2007 usually retails for between $10.00 and $13.00, and that they also make a fairly well regarded Ciao Bella Pinot Grigio Venezie IGT.

This is a screw-cap bottle, which makes it perfect for spontaneous picnicking. This wine is very dark red in the glass, with an aroma that's a bit like sour cherries with a hint of blackberry. It's slightly dry, noticeably dryer than other similarly priced Sangiovese I've tried lately, and it's slightly cherry in terms of the fruit. This is fruit forward, but it's acidic enough that's it not overly fruity. It's making me want pizza with lots of pepperoni and mozzarella, a perfect companion to a drink-it-now wine like this. It may be my perfect pizza wine; it reminds me very much of a reference made by an Italian poet to the joys of drinking "peasant wine" in the spring. We liked it enough to try a second bottle, and are now contemplating trying it with pizza at a local park.