The Italian mob appears to be getting into the burgeoning wine market with its own off-label vino. The problem is they mafia vintners is that they not only rejected oak-aging, but apparently wine itself. The Italian government has seized over 70 million litres of cheap wine containing acid, manure and fertilizer. It appears that the wine could kill you. This brings a new meaning to the traditional toast to live “one hundred years” or “Per cent’anni.”
The wine appears to come from Southern Italy around Taranto and companies run by the local Sacra Corona Unita mafia. The “finish” is a real killer.
This scandal follows another recall of mozzarella in Italy containing dioxin.
For the full story, click here.
I must confess that I gravitated toward the California Pinot Noirs on this trip. I was born with both a tendency toward risk aversion and wine saturation.
🙂 JT,
I would love to have been with on THAT jaunt – better yet you with me on a similar one in Boston’s North End – my old stompin’ ground!
http://www.martignetti.com/
p.s. I have yet to see the after effects in the grocery/drug stores up here, although, unlike you I haven’t been to MY local sommelier/wine dealer.
Hope you got some good deals!!!
Ironically, I went to the wine store this weekend and found a huge sale on all Italian wine. Hmmmmmm.
Let’s have a toast with one of my favorite wine quotes of all time:
From the movie Jerk. In the scene, Marie and Navin (Bernadette Peters and Steve Martin) are having dinner celebrating his new success and having just asked the waiter to remove Marie’s appetizer of Escargot because the plate was covered with disgusting snails – this brief dialogue occurs:
Waiter: Would monsieur care for another bottle of Chateau Latour?
Navin: Ah yes, but no more 1966. Lets splurge! Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you’ve got – this year! No more of this old stuff.
Vince:
I bow to our resident master of the pun!
Bada Bing Vincent and All!
Okay … one final entry to help ameliorate my transgression:
‘Chateau Latrine’
Eyyyyyy, Vinnie, you’re a freaken genius? 😉 😉
The rest we can discuss… 🙂
Or perhaps … ‘Wine-from-the-Can’
JT, Binx, our has very adroitly picked up on the Economy Class
‘No Frills’ concept of Wine-in-a Box – I’m jus’ sayin’…
Bix101, you have entered the realm of blogging legend with that one!
Perhaps there is much more to the etymology of the term ‘sh*t faced’ when drinking to excess.
ROFLMA 🙂
We have the Super Tuscan appellation which are quite pleasant and now
the Super Fund Tuscan – not so much.
Indeed, this “finish” could be final.
Now, I’ll be more discerning when I see “earthy undertones’
in the description.
Good point. Though I could swear that I have had this wine on countless occasions.
The price is right.
It’s hard to tell whether this is tainted wine or not wine at all. In either case, I assume the company is liable for any harm (is this products liability?); in the not-wine-at-all case, is it also fraud?