Dry spell's over.

Wine, at last!  Thud picked the wine for this evenings meal - a nice Chianti Classico he had picked up at Marks & Spencer.  The 2012 Castello Della Paneretta, Chianti Classico Riserva (Firenze) came recommended by Thud, as he had had it several times before and had liked it considerably.
One of the reasons Thud likes this wine is in some part due to a tiny bit of secondary fermentation in the wine.  And this particular bottle did not disappoint Thud, or me for that matter, as there was indeed a little effervescence in the wine.  Quite appealing, and more than a little fun.
This deep ruby hued wine had a wonderful nose of cherries and herbs.  With a mixed red berry compote vibe on the palate and tannins that were softer than expected, the bottle didn't last long (between four people), as it paired well with the pasta dish Thud had prepared for dinner.  A very nice tipple with which to end my wine-drought.

Tenuta di Forci.

I'm sad.  Last night I finished the last bottle of wine that I brought back from Lucca.  The Tenuta di Forci, 2011 Rosso (DOC Colline Lucchesi) was a wonderful wine.  This light to medium bodied red, a blend of 65% Sangiovese, 30% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino, was young, fruity (plum and cherry) and beautifully floral.  Purchased at La Grotta dell' Anfiteatro, on via Anfiteatro, Lucca, for €6.50 (about $8.00) this was a delightful wine that paired brilliantly with the pseudo-Italian dinner on my plate.  I wish I'd bought another, but weight restrictions...blah, blah, blah!  So sad.
I really like Italian wine labels.  They are very straight forward, but informative - I always learn something new from them.  Searches online for the definition of 'tenuta' mostly give 'estate' as a translation of the Italian, but I best like the definition below, which I borrowed from Do Bianchi.  (Thank you, Dr. Parzens.)
"Tenuta, a [land] holding or property, past participle of the Italian tenere, from the Latin teneo, meaning to hold, have, or keep.  Tenuta is a term that you see applied across northern and central Italy. Its relation to the pre-industrial age, when land ownership denoted nobility, is clear."
I love, have always loved, and will always love, Italian wines.