Weekend Wine: Imported "Herculean" Wine

Ercole. Pronounce it as air-koh-lay. It is Italian for Hercules, and believe me, it is a Herculean effort on the part of Piemontese importer “The Piedmont Guy” from Washington state. These wines are available in red, white, and rosé.

We enjoyed the Ercole white with Mexican-style street corn and Japanese Kewpie mayo. (Photo by Emily Marshall)

They come in one-liter screw-top bottles and depending on where you get them, they run around $15. Remember, a normal size bottle of wine is ¾ of a liter, so $15 for a liter is equal to $11.25 a regular bottle. It is an absolutely perfect representation of what the Italians can produce for such an insanely low price. The primary reason for the value is that the wines are produced by a generations-old cooperativo in Monferrato. Profit-sharing pays dividends to everyone.

The red and rosé are primarily Barbera, one of the world’s great red grapes. The white is made mostly from Cortese, the grapes of Gavi, as well as a hint of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I buy the white by the case. The picture is of a recent meal we had with caprese salad and grilled corn served Mexican-style with Japanese Kewpie mayo. Their red is the second-best bargain with its gnarly minerality and perfect ability to complement grilled meats. These are well worth a search!