The First Review...Sicilian Night

Tonight I had two different wines with the chicken piccata I made with friends. The first, which we drank while cooking, was called "Fuedo Arancio", a 2008 Nero D'Avola from Sicily. I know and love many of the different Nero D'Avolas, but this particular one is very inexpensive, (always a plus when you're a college student,) and simply...delicious. It was dry and a little on the strong side, which is what I love in a red wine. Needless to say I would recommend it to a friend. However, if you like your red wine a little sweeter, I would suggest the second wine I had, a Merlot, also from 2008, called "Ecco Domani". This flavorful red is also from Sicily (can you tell I have Sicilian ancestors and am a little biased?) but is completely different from the Nero D'Avola. Tasting this Merlot after the slightly spicy Fuedo Arancio was like drinking candy! Though it is not truly too sweet or fruity, the difference in the two wines is very obvious. The best part about both of these wines, besides the fact that they are both under $10, is enjoying them with friends over a home-cooked meal.

Welcome! Benvenuto!

Ciao and welcome to my new blog, Ready Set Vino! If you couldn't already tell, this blog will be all about wine! My name is Mariel Kennison, and I am currently a Journalism student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. My passions are writing, traveling, and of course vino! I am especially interested in Italian wines because I just recently studied abroad in Siena, Italy and fell in love with the wine and culture there.

My goal is to create a place where I can review wine, wine stores, vineyards and their owners, and share it all with you. I would also love to have your opinions on wine, so this is also a place for the wine-loving community to share favorite wines, places, and stories. Salute!