I dined last night at an unpretentious Italian restaurant in the Old Town section of San Diego, close enough to my home in Mission Hills to consider it a neighborhood restaurant.
The owners of Jack & Giulio’s once had a more upscale place in another part of town, but they’ve been in this more casual setting going on two decades now. I love the food — especially when Giulio is working the line in the kitchen — but the wine list is an underrated lure. It’s small, but excellent for such a modest place.
Jack picks the wines and he chooses wisely and doesn’t gouge on price. So there I was sitting under the stars, by the fountain, with two beautiful, thirsty women and the wine list. On a warm summer evening I’m inclined to start with the Pieropan Soave, for it’s both refreshing and interesting, and complex enough to deal with strong flavors as appetizers begin to arrive at the table.
For a red I have decided to go with an old friend, the Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Avignonesi is one of the greatest producers of Tuscany and the wines — even this one, from the sun-scorched 2003 vintage — always deliver satisfaction.
I am reminded that’s what great producers do. Be it Chapoutier, Pol Roger, Joseph Phelps, Cloudy Bay, Gaja or Grange, you never come away from the experience disappointed.
Avignonesi is like that. Yet the price of the Avignonesi Vino Nobile ($35 in the restaurant compared to $60-$75 for the Barolos and Brunellos) would never suggest you are about to experience greatness.
This is due largely to the perception that the wines of Montepulciano do not compare favorably to those from Italy’s other major viticultural regions. Avignonesi, however, is an exception to the conventional wisdom.
This is not widely known although Avignonesi certainly has its following. The price reflects a basic lack of awareness among consumers about the quality and beauty of this wine.
What a gem! What a price!
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