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Everything about the launch of the Bootleg Collection is high-concept. Introduced during New York's fashion week in September, these five different bottles sport extraordinarily eye-catching faux zippers running from top to bottom. The name is a play on the fact that all of the Bootleg wines are made in Italy (the boot): Five different estates from five regions have come together under a single brand, each working with grapes that best represent the local area.
The "Southern Red," for example, is a blend of 25 percent primitivo, 25 percent negroamaro,
25 percent montepulciano and 25 percent uva di Troia -- all grown in Puglia (a.k.a. Apulia), located in the heel of the boot. The wine is very dark purple and has a fantastic bouquet -- really something you can stick your nose into and almost taste the plum and leather. A sip reveals a pleasant wave of soft tannins and a healthy amount of fruit and pepper in the finish.
Fans of zinfandel will especially like this stuff; primitivo is the Italian equivalent of a zin. While Puglia is known more for its quantity than its quality, Terre Del Grico Estate has produced a winner with this bottle. The four other varietals in the collection include a pinot grigio, a sauvignon blanc, a chianti and a grand Tuscan made from sangiovese, merlot and ancelotta grapes. If the wine's description hasn't convinced you, the packaging should: Every woman who sees this bottle oohs and aahs. Leave it to the Italians.
-- James Oliver Cury
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