Primaterra Primitivo Puglia

Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
Variety: Primitivo (Zinfandel)
Price: $12-$17
Where I purchased it: Costco ($14)

The label claims this wine is "strong, vigorous, with a lot of personality," but if you're imagining it to be anything like the California Zinfandels you've had in the past, you'll be surprised. While you won't find real Italian table wines (vino da tavola) in the States — as the third-class of wines in the country, they're essentially reserved for domestic consumption — this wine will give you a pretty good idea of what you're likely to drink when you visit Italy, minus the slight hint of carbonation that's the trademark of fresh, local wines.

Almost nothing stands out about this wine, either good or bad. It starts off fairly sweet, and doesn't linger on the palatte very long. A slight hint of dryness on the finish is the only indication of the variety's relationship to its robust Zinfandel cousins, but it's gone in a flash. The aftertaste is pleasant and sweet with predominant berry flavors.

Good for: Pretty wide range of foods, though it's the kind of red you'd probably want to pull out with some grilled food like chicken or burgers. Good match for spicy red sauces as well. Light enough that you could drink it on its own.

Buy it again?: Probably not. There's nothing wrong with it, but there are cheaper French and Italian table wines that come to play with a little more in the way of personality. But I wouldn't kick it out of bed, either.