Wine of the Week: 2008 Li Veli Passamante Salento Rosso

Eighty-year-old Negroamaro vines definitely qualify as “old vines,” but this rich, full-bodied Salento Rosso from Puglia in southern Italy tastes fresh and youthful. A deep ruby red, the 2008 Li Veli Passamante has soft tannins and flavors of dark cherries and earth. It also has more finesse than many Negroamaros -- no surprise, since it was made by Paolo Trappolini from Avignonesi, the famed Vino Nobile di Montpulciano estate in Tuscany.

This sturdy Pugliese wine is a great barbecue wine. Pour it with ribs, burgers, grilled sausages and meaty chops. It really needs red meat; vegetables need not apply.

Region: Puglia, Italy

Price: About $15

Style: rich and full-bodied

What it goes with: barbecue, burgers, grilled sausages and chops

Where to find it: CitySip in Echo Park, (213) 483-9463, https://www.citysipla.com; OC Wine Mart in Irvine, (949) 250-0033, https://www.ocwinemartirvine.com; Plonk Wine Merchants in Beverly Hills, (310) 277-5665, https://www.plonkwinemerchants.com; Versai Wine Bar in Yorba Linda, (714) 993-3676, https://www.versaithewinebar.com; and Whole Foods at many locations.

FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of this article included the wrong image of this week’s Wine of the Week.