Wine Review: Opici Homemade Barbarone Red Wine

Review: I recall Opici Homemade Red wine from the big, classic, 4 litre glass jugs from some years back.

And sure enough, one of my children gave me just such a jug recently as a birthday present. Now I'll apply it the same tasting standards that I've used with such astronomically-priced wines as Dom Perignon and Mollydooker Velvet Glove. The acid test for a jug wine - part of what I call my "take one for the team" series.

The Opici story itself began when prohibition was repealed in 1933, when Joseph Opici persuaded a former supplier from California to ship him one railroad car full of wine. Joseph invested $1500, and the Opicis were in the wine business. In 1934, Joseph founded the American Beverage Distribution Company, based in New Jersey. Today, in addition to the California-based labels, the Opici Import Company represents wines and spirits from Italy, France, Spain, Australia, and Estonia.

As a brand, Opici Homemade Style Barberone Red is a unique wine, designed to pay homage to the art of home winemaking. "Barberone" is a dialectic word for a vineyard worker. Years ago, the vineyard workers would receive grapes as part of their compensation. These grapes were used to make a hearty, full-flavored rich "home" blend.

In the glass, Opici Homemade Red shows as a deep dusty red - it is not opaque, but translucent throughout the glass. Aromas are bold, hearty, sweet - a sort of beef stew of red wine. Chewy, fat, old stewed plums, heavily compoted.

On the palate, a sweet rich middle comes to the foreground first - it's those stewed plums again. Sweet, but nicely balanced with just a bit of lifting acids. It is a simple flavor with a simple fade into a tannic-free, quick finish. An alcohol heat (not surprising, given the alcohol level of 14%) brings the plum essence along for more of a ride than you might expect from such a "practically free" wine. Satisfying.

Opici feels almost like a meal unto itself. Almost a lightly-sweet port. Still, I would recommend it with a big, tomato-y, hearty meal - something that will stand up to the big, fullsome middle, the light sweetness and the alcohol punch. On that basis, a full three stars out of five on the Spirit of Wine scale. That makes this an awesome value for a jug wine.

If you keep your expectations reasonably in check, you are likely to be much more that satisfied with Opici Homemade Red.