Ill Grotto Della Sole Finao di Avellino 2009

Well, this takes the cake for worst photo ever. To all you people that like a nice photo, well, you're just going to have to deal with it. In fact, it's so bad that I can't even really read what the name of the producer is...oh well, I don't think it matters too much. This wine is a food wine--a nice one--although not really complicated. Sarah and I consumed it at Al Pompiere, in the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. I've eaten there one other time; Sarah multiple times. It's Sarah's favorite restaurant in Rome. I have to say, that hands down, this was the best meal that we ate in a restaurant in Rome. Although I was still recovering from the after effects of the flu, and really, felt like absolute shit, I suffered through it, and am glad I did. We had the best carciofi alla giudia, spaghetti all'amatriciana, and puntarelle that we ate in Rome, as well as truffled gnocchi and grilled squid. The waiters flat out thought we were crazy--we didn't finish the gnocchi (I literally couldn't eat anymore because my stomach was cramping in a terrible way and was close to turning, and Sarah was full), and we left some squid (again, I could not eat another bite, and neither could Sarah). This was the equivalent of not eating your vegetables, as far as they were concerned, and we were the "bad kids." To top it all off, I asked our awesome waiter (seriously, this place has the best service we encountered in a restaurant in Rome), if I could have some 0.50 Euro pieces so that Sarah could buy some of the disposable toothbrushes out of the dispenser in the bathroom. Yes, he thought we were hopping mad, I'm sure, but was super nice. The wine itself was a great accompaniment to everything we ate, with pungent green apple scents, tart lemony flavors, just a hint of mineral, and sharp acidity. This wine is built for seafood. 18 Euro is maybe a bit steep (another example of what would have probably been Frascati in a carafe probably sufficing), but this wine was inexpensive for a restaurant wine at the equivalent of 25$ US. C+/B-