ALL About Blood of Judas Wine

What is Blood of Judas Wine?

Sangue de Guida is one of the most famous wines of the Oltrepo Pavese, a renowned wine region located in the South of Milan. This is where the Blood of Judas wine got its name. The name means Judas Blood which is a perfect name for Halloween.

One of the reasons they called that name is because of its ruby red color. Moreover, they gave it that name because of the legend surrounding it. Besides that, it is a sweet, red wine from Lombardia, Italy.

Keep reading to find out more about the Sangue di Guida wine.

Where to Buy Blood of Judas Wine

There are several outlets where you can buy the Blood of Judas wine. This includes online wines and spirits stores such as the ABC. When you visit the online store, look for a wine labeled Giorgi Costarosa Sangue di Guida.

The outlet has the “Sourced & Certified” badge meaning it is legit. The wine comes in a 0.79 liquid quartz (750 milliliters) bottle. Alternatively, if you live in Orange/Michigan, you can pick up your Blood of Judas wine from the ABC store. Moreover, you can find Spanish and English wine markets.

What Makes Sangue de Guida so Unique?

Numerous factors make the Blood of Judas Italian wine unique. For example, they make it using Croatina, Uva Rara, Barbera, and Vespolina grapes which are special ingredients.

Besides that, the wine comes with a deep ruby red color with violet reflections. You will also love its intense fragrance of spices and alluring fresh fruit. Moreover, the wine is fruity and grapey.

Additionally, it has a rich texture and excellent acid with juicy purple and black fruits. In terms of style, it is something between dry Lambrusco and sweet Brachetto D’Acqui. It does not contain heavy sugar meaning it can make it to the dessert table or a spicy barbecue meal.

What about its taste? The Blood of Judas wine has a sweet, persistent, and full-bodied flavor. You can pair it with chocolate cakes or Halloween cookies; whatever works for you best!   

Why blood wine? Well, you might be asking yourself – whose blood is this? Is it like communion, or is it a forbidden drink? Take it easy!

The Italians gave the wine this name based on the way it blends. For example, when you mix Barbera, Croatina, and Uva Rara, you get the sweet Blood of Judas. However, if you modify it slightly by adding Bonarda in the place of Croatina or Uva Rara, you will end up with Gutturnio.

Gutturnio is drier and can be lightly bubbly. The general rule is that lower alcohol makes the wines sweeter except for fortified wines. Moreover, they refer to sweet, low, alcohol wines as ports. These are wines in which the manufacturers add alcohol artificially before the sugar ferments.

Sangue di Giuda fits the general rule. For example, it has 7-7.5% alcohol by volume. This implies that it has a balanced amount of smooth taste and sweetness.  

According to Wikipedia, Croatina and Bonarda varietals are the same actual grape. However, different regions call them other names, which has caused a bit of confusion.

Nevertheless, Blood of Jesus Italian Wine has a similar taste to Brachetto from Piedmont. On the other hand, Gutturnio is more reminiscent of the dry style of Buttafuoco.

Another thing that makes the wine unique is its manufacturing process. The winemaker claims that harvesting happens in the second week of September after vigilantly controlling the state of maturation.

After that, they perform de-stemming and crushing then maceration under controlled temperatures to keep a high sugar content. The step that follows is draining 60% of the free-drawn wine.

Then, they cool the must and store it in pressurized tanks. They also claim that they control the fermentation thermostatically and put it in bottles when it starts to spume.   

The Legend of Judas Resurrected

There are several interesting legends surrounding the Sangue di Guida wine. As mentioned earlier, the name’s literal meaning is “the Blood of Judas.” Please don’t confuse it with the blood of Jesus.

The Italians give blends and varietals different names based on the mix and how they make the varietals into wine. So, what are the legends behind the Blood of Judas wine?

First of all, it seems Judas regretted his betrayal act against Jesus. Therefore, the only way he could redeem himself was for the Lord to resurrect him and call him to perform a good act of penance.

Judas resurfaced in Broni, a small village in the Oltrepo. At the time of his reappearance, there was an epidemic destroying the local vineyards. Broni’s wise man had prophesied that they could save the vines using a blood sacrifice.

As a result, Judas chose to offer himself as the scapegoat. However, as the village head was about to thrust the knife into Judas, a dark force held him back. So he couldn’t complete the sacrifice.

Even so, the vineyards became lavish and fruitful again. Broni’s inhabitants thanked Judas by naming the sweet red wine they produced after him.        

Another legend claims that monks based in Lombardy used to make wine. After that, nuns would break into the cellar to make merry. This behavior did not please the monks, so they looked for a way to make it stop.

They decided to mark the barrels with the frightening expression “Sangue di Guida.” They hoped that this would help reduce the issue of wine disappearing from the cellar.

Besides that, another legend claims that friars gave the wine the name because they condemned its aphrodisiac and stimulating effects.  

What to Pair With Costa Rosa Wine

According to ABC, you can pair the wine with a dessert, fruit of hors d’oeuvres. Moreover, ladies appreciate this wine because of its sweet and fruity flavor. This is because it makes it an ideal accompaniment for pasta, cheeses, and white meats. Additionally, you can pair it with tea biscuits, salami, or hot and spicy food or barbecue.

Out!

So, if you were having any fears about the “Blood of Judas” wine, you have all the details you need. The next time you order this wine, you will enjoy every sip now that you understand its origins. Its taste is unmatched, and it pairs well with several meals making it a great wine to have at home or bring to a party.

What’s more, you can get the wine at a certified online supplier or local store. So, if you were looking for a sweet red wine with an Italian touch, the Blood of Judas wine is an excellent choice.