Dinner Tonight: Kentucky Bourbon Burgers and Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2013

At this time of the year, the last thing on our wish list is a complicated weeknight dinner. Whether you’ve spent all day shopping online, decorating everything in sight, working at your office from dawn to dusk or helping your kiddos with last minute school projects, keep dinner simple but special. Just recently, I bought grill-ready Kentucky Bourbon burgers at my local grocery store and popped the cork from an exceptional wine, Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2013 (sent as a sample). The most difficult parts of the meal were making the salad and opening the bag of BBQ chips!

Located due east from Rome, Abruzzo is north of Puglia, east of Lazio and situated between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Grapes thrive thanks to influences from high elevations, breezes from the sea and a variety of microclimates. The area of Chieti is responsible for most wine production, yet Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG, Abruzzo DOC, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC and other sub-regions provide fortunate winelovers notable choices. Click here for valuable information about the region and wines of Abruzzo.

Photo credit: www.annamap.com

Viticulture in Abruzzo covers 32,000 hectares. Annual production is approximately 3.5 million hectoliters of which over 1 million are from DOC designated areas. The main variety in Abruzzo is Montepulciano and up to 15% Sangiovese is allowed in the blend. Wines must be aged at least 5 months prior to release with a minimum alcohol level of 12%. Those wines aged more than two years, including a minimum of 9 months in wood barrels, are permitted to use “Riserva” on the label. Riserva wines must have an alcohol level no lower than 12.5%.

Generally speaking, the Montepulciano variety is light to full bodied with soft tannic structure, moderate acidity and aromas and flavors of red cherries and herbs as well as remarkable ageing potential. (Cerasuolo, a rose made from Montepulciano, is a specialty of the region and if you can find a bottle, don’t leave it on the shelf – you’ll love its bright aromas and flavors. There are a number of white varieties cultivated in Abruzzo, too. Trebbiano flourishes in the region as does Pecorino (click here to see my article about this special variety), Passerina and Cococciola.)

About that easy and ultra-satisfying dinner, though… The grilled Kentucky Bourbon burgers were the epitome of savory and boasted plenty of spice and a touch of sweet from the bourbon. Enjoy the burger with or without a bun (my choice – my husband opted for a fresh brioche bun) or gooey, melted provolone cheese. Don’t forget the side salad or BBQ chips that offered notes of smoke, sweet, and spice, too. If you can’t find ready-made Kentucky Bourbon burgers, try the recipe here.

The star of the dinner, though, was Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2013($50), a delicious pour from Abruzzo. “Caroso” is the name given to both the wine and the hills on which the grapes were grown. “Caro” is Italian for elegant, rich and valued. Montepulciano grapes were sourced and hand-picked from old vines (some more than 55 years old) in hillside vineyards with elevations of often more than 1000 feet and with views of the Adriatic Sea. On the nose, intense aromas of purple plums, exotic spice, dark red pomegranates and black cherries were rustic and enticing. Powerful, rich tannins and bright acidity surrounded elements of lush red fruit, mulberry, anise, lead pencil shavings and exotic spice. Six months refinement in French oak barrels, another 18 months in barrique followed by 8 months in bottle prior to release are partly responsible for this notable wine you’ll want to find now!

Although Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2013 could be sipped on its own, why not pair it with Kentucky Bourbon burgers tonight? Celebrate this addition to your simple yet memorable weeknight dinner…