DeForville Barbera D'Asti
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Year: 2013
Price: ~ $20
Despite being what could be described as a debaucherous heathen with few principles and no god, I fucking love Christmas. I love decorating the house and tree, tossing back whiskey ciders in front of Netflix's "Fire Place for Your Home", and Christmas With The Rat Pack on CD. I love ignoring everyone and only making time to eat way too much food and watch Home Alone and the first Harry Potter on repeat with my sister.
Real quick-- If you don't classify the first Harry Potter as a Christmas movie, you are not on my level. That shit is a Christmas movie. There is too much snow and magic for it not to be a Christmas movie.
I've been chomping at the bit for the holidays, and have recently been banned from belting out Mariah Carey while Ben is home until after Mashed Potato Day (also known as Thanksgiving). And at first I was like, "Yeah, you're right. Shouldn't rush things. I need to just let the holidays come to me..."
AND THEN CHRISTMAS DID COME TO ME!!!
AND NOW TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS.
BECAUSE THIS WINE TASTES JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS.
I PUT ON MY ELVIS CHRISTMAS RECORD
AND IT WAS BASICALLY CHRISTMAS.
As a whole, this wine is like a new pine wreath with tiny little cranberry branches strewn throughout, with a touch of cider on the back end. It's warm and fuzzy and feels like whiskey in your belly. Liquor Long Johns, if you will, or perhaps that feeling when you walk into your heated hotel after being forced to walk around fucking freezing-ass Chicago on a flurrying December 23rd.
This is a wine for huggers. And maybe I am biased, because I am a hugger and I love hugging, but this wine makes me want to hug the shit out of you. Yes, you. I want to hug you and say thank you so much for reading my shit and wish you the happiest of holidays. I also want to hug your pets if you have any, but that's less about this wine and really about all wine.
The DeForville is sentimentality in a glass. It's so familiar, and yet, fresh. With each holiday season, isn't that what we're all looking for? That smell, that taste, that feeling... but with new meaning and wonder. This red is full and flourishes in all the ways you want a red wine to, but it is unexpectedly soft and welcoming, much like this time of year should be.
Tasting Notes: Dark ruby with light pine and ripe cherries and cranberries on the nose. Full-bodied, fruity, woodsy and spicy on the palate. The most perfect after-dinner-"let's snuggle up" Christmas Eve wine.
Ross Test: GOD DAMNED DELIGHTFUL AND I WANT TO DO IT ALL DAY
