Illustration by Dan Page

It’s no fluke that the top-selling European red in Ontario, Mezzo­mondo Salento Negroamaro, is from southern Italy. While the region has been known for its raisiny, soupy reds, a seismic shift in attitude and flavour is underway, and higher prices haven’t yet taken hold. Southern Italy is now one of the best value regions in the world. Take the best-selling pick below, a hearty red packed with flavours that bridge the New and Old Worlds. It has structure and personality, and it costs less than $9, happily fuelling dorm pizza parties and backyard barbecues.

The maker is a friendly 38-year-old named Scipione Giuliani, who acquired his wine sense at his grandfather’s vineyard, where he started working at the age of six. “There’s no room for old habits, only for quality wine,” he says. Giuliani broadened his knowledge by studying oenology in Italy and working in France and Spain. He’s now a global leader in the mass-market wine business: at Mondo del Vino, one of the largest producers in Italy, he’s in charge of Mezzomondo, based in Apulia, and he also presides over Montalto, a successful Sicilian brand. He tailors his wines to appeal to North American tastes: soft, fruity flavours with a dash of mocha from new oak barrels (which his grandfather surely never used). But the under­pinnings are pure Italian: leather accents and a sour edge that cries out for pasta. This authenticity comes from grapes that have grown in southern Italy for 2,000 years. Producers are using these varieties to forge their entry into the global market. Negroamaro—which translates loosely as “black bitter”—is a complex-tasting variety grown in Apulia, along with a bruiser of a grape called primitivo. In Abruzzi, monte­pulciano and sangiovese vines are turning out dark, brooding reds, and in Sicily, there is the shiraz-like nero d’avola. The southern half of Italy is awash in vineyards, creating great economies of scale. Combine that with the arrival of such worldly winemakers as Giuliani, and you have the recipe for a massive commercial success that should have every New World region worried.

Mezzomondo 2007 Salento Negroamaro
$8.85 | Apulia | 87 points
Selling 60,000 cases a year in Ontario, this wine has the weight and flavour depth of a $20 bottle. Sporting a complex nose of cocoa, sour red fruit (pomegranate or cranberry) and leather, it’s medium-full bodied and richly textured, with firm, dry tannin. Very good length. Also available in a 1.5-litre bottle for $15.95. LCBO 588962

UNDER $10
Bosco Eclipse 2005 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
$8 | Abruzzi | 85 points
Mature and pale coloured, this is a traditional Italian rendition with cedar, licorice, leather, dried fruit and pine needle. It’s medium weight and a touch sour, with an open knit and a hint of cocoa resonating on the finish. Good length. LCBO 328294

Casal Thaulero 2007 Sangiovese
$7.15 | Terre di Chieti, Abruzzi | 85 points
Loads of flavour for the money, but a metallic note drops the rating. The nose features blackberry, cocoa and dusty oak. Medium-full bodied and surprisingly deeply flavoured, with firm acidity, then a coarse finish. LCBO 588996

Farnese 2007 Daunia Sangiovese
$7.55 | Abruzzi | 85 points
Sangiovese, the central grape of chianti, puts on weight in Abruzzi’s warmer climate. This has a soft nose with a touch of vanilla, blackberry and cedar. It’s medium weight, fairly soft and approachable, with a dusting of tannin. Good length. LCBO 512327

Farnese 2007 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
$7.55 | Abruzzi | 86 points
Yet another impressive value. The deeply coloured montepulciano grape thrives in the coastal hills above the Adriatic Sea. The Farnese winery takes an Australian approach to winemaking, emphasizing ripe blackberry and plum slathered in licorice and vanilla. This wine is full-bodied, soft and dense, with a dusty, tannic finish. Also in a 1.5-litre bottle for $12.65. LCBO 621912

Mezzomondo 2008 Merlot Rosato
$8.95 | Venetia | 86 points
Although from Italy’s northeast—not the deep south—this new listing from Giuliani’s Mezzo­mondo offers the same great value. Salmon pink with a mild nose of cherry candy, watermelon and tea leaf, it’s mid-weight, warm and fairly creamy, with a dry, tart and bitter cranberry and pepper finish. Good depth for the money. May 8. LCBO 125781

Montalto 2007 Nero d’Avola Cabernet Sauvignon
$9.95 | Sicily | 87 points
Sicily produces oceans of wine from French varietals blended with native grapes. Here, cabernet adds muscle to the soft nero d’avola and boosts the aromatics with complex aromas of currants, chocolate and mint. Medium weight, with cabernet’s tannic grip. Very good length. LCBO 621151

Ogio 2007 Primitivo
$8.85 | Apulia | 85 points
Primitivo is genetically related to zinfandel, but Ogio bears little resemblance to the bramble berry flavour of California’s versions. It’s all southern Italy: an open-knit, sweet-and-sour red with cranberry, herbs and leather. Quite smooth, yet bitter on the finish. LCBO 86421

OVER $10
Mastroleo 2004 Salice Salentino
$15.95 | Apulia | 87 points
Based on negroamaro and the floral malvasia nero, the Salice Salentino is rustic but complex, with sour plum, evergreen, leather and earthy notes. Medium bodied, with a sweet-and-sour palate. Tannin has softened with age. Now to 2011. Vintages. LCBO 121632

Rivera 2004 Il Falcone Riserva
$21.95 | Castel del Monte, Apulia | 90 points
This dark red is full of swarthy southern warmth, with a rich nose of dates, chocolate, dried hay and walnuts, as well as a soft, thick texture. There’s almost a molasses ambience. Rich dried fruit on the finish. Excellent length. 2010 to 2012. Vintages. LCBO 945154