The People's Palate with Rich Mauro

Beginning in the early 1990’s, the popularity of Merlot wines from California grew almost exponentially among American consumers. According to The Wine Institute, just over 15,000 tons were crushed in 1990 and over 292,000 tons were crushed in 2004! American consumers were drawn to the wine’s easy drinking, approachable profile.

But then Sideways (the movie) happened. With this Pinot Noir-centric movie’s disparaging of Merlot, suddenly the associated wines became suspect, even though some of the great wines of the world are made of predominately of merlot. But reports of Merlot’s death were exaggerated. While production has fluctuated over the ensuing decade, Merlot remains the second most popular California red wine.

Much of that is soft, admittedly bland swill. But here I’m concerned with introducing discerning consumers to quality choices. At an everyday price, the 2012 William Hill Central Coast ($17) is a solid value, with tasty bright red berry fruit, an earthy note and satiny texture.

Interestingly, my recent tastings did not include any wines in the $20-$30 range. But I did find two just over $30 a bottle that should entice you. The 2010 Clos du Val Napa Valley ($35) is balanced and elegant, focused on cherry fruit. It is buttressed with a significant amount of cabernet sauvignon and dollops of petite verdot and cabernet franc. If you prefer super ripeness, you’ll think this lean and shy. I appreciate its firmness and freshness.

In contrast, the 2011 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley ($34) is more luscious and supple. It is blended with small amounts of cabernet sauvignon, petite verdot and cabernet franc, making it rich in dark cherries and brown spices.

For a few dollars more, the 2009 Grgich Hills Napa Valley ($42) is attractive for its complex mix of sweet red and black fruit, with coffee, herbal and cedar notes. It’s quite tasty and rich, though somewhat lean in style, with a touch of heat in the finish.

But I was really impressed with these excellent wines from the fifteen-year-old Buty winery in Washington State. The 2010 “Merlot-Cabernet Franc” ($40), using fruit from the Conner Lee Vineyard and Champoux Vineyard and blended with 42% cabernet franc, offers a mix of well focused dark berry fruit accented with herbs, brown spices and bittersweet chocolate delivered in a silky, elegant frame.

The 2011 “Merlot Cabernet-Franc” Conner Lee Vineyard ($45), blended with 33% cabernet franc, shows nice balance of red and black fruits steadied with crisp but lush acidity and accented with earthy, savory and spice notes. Both beckon you to drink them now but will develop for the next five to ten years.

These are all very good wines. Still, if you want to experience the heights of what West Coast Merlot can achieve, your journey should begin with Duckhorn Vineyards. Duckhorn produced its first wines in 1978 and quickly established a reputation as one of California’s best Merlot producers. Over the years, they have developed a style both for their Cabernets and Merlots that generally has been described as hard or tough when young, certainly rich and full-bodied, with generous fruit and ample tannins calling for aging 5-10+ years. Doesn’t sound like the stereotype of the soft, quaffable Merlot, does it? The only downside is this level of quality comes at a price. Duckhorn wines occupy the upper stratosphere of wine pricing. But the following new releases will reward the investment.

• 2010 Napa Valley ($54) represents the craft of blending – in this case several prized vineyards to express the essence of Napa Valley – yielding a structured wine with powerful black fruits, prominent oak and strong tannins.

• 2010 Carneros ($70) from vineyards in the southern end of the valley that benefit from the cooling influence of the San Pablo Bay, is tighter and more tannic, a bit earthy, but with sweeter, brighter cherry and plum.

• 2010 Atlas Peak ($70) shows the elements of mountain grown fruit – wild berry, currant and cola, firm tannins yet velvety palate, substantial weight and rich finish.

• 2010 Three Palms Vineyard ($90) on the northeast side of the valley floor, is Duckhorn’s flagship wine made since 1978. Its signature is to begin life hard, tight and tough, gradually yielding succulent currant and cherry fruit and developing herb and mocha notes rewarding patience with richness and complexity.

• 2010 Rector Creek Vineyard ($90), located near Yountville, was the most immediately satisfying for its more approachable tannins, softer texture, luscious berry and cherry fruit, and creamy oak.

• 2009 Stout Vineyard ($85), from a vineyard on Howell Mountain, is another one with hard tannins and a tough facade. Yet, it is really rich in black and red fruits, toasty oak and a polished palate.

NOTE: Featured Image photo courtesy of Close du Val Winery

As my favorite wine, I naturally drink a lot of Zinfandel. One reason is it’s quite versatile with food. It is great with spicy foods like Italian and Indian. But it really shines with the barbecue and grilled foods especially enjoyable this time of year.

I mostly love Zinfandel because it captures the essence of exuberance and zest in a glass. Although it can be made in different styles, it typically is big and bold, with a brash texture and lively raspberry, cherry and blackberry fruit accented with spice (black pepper, sage) and a brash, even a little wild character often described as briar or bramble. It also represents great value, as most of even the best wines are under $50.

Some things to keep in mind, though: Zinfandel tends toward high alcohol. The wines in my tastings ranged from 14% to 15.5%. Interestingly, nearly every wine contained some amount of petite sirah, usually to add backbone. Most will drink well for up to five years. Finally, I enjoyed the wines more when they were slightly chilled to 55 or 60 degrees. Here are my recommendations listed roughly in order of preference:

OUTSTANDING

2010 Bella “Rocky Ridge Vineyard” Rockpile ($45) – From one of the best Zinfandel producers, this high elevation (1300 feet) vineyard has produced a fine Zin that also will age well. It is dramatic and intense with brambly raspberry, cherry and blackberry, also spice and anise; it manages to be full-bodied yet elegant.

EXCELLENT

2012 Dry Creek Vineyard “Old Vine” Dry Creek Valley ($30) – The average 90+ year-old vines yield a firm but luscious wine of concentrated, briary black cherry and blackberry fruit, with suggestions of sweetness and spice.

2010 Bella “Lily Hill Estate” Dry Creek Valley ($40) – This vineyard, originally planted in 1915, has produced a big, juicy wine of concentrated wild berries and spicy herbs, with woodsy notes and a lush but firm texture that suggests improvement over time.

2011 Amapola Creek “Monte Rosso Vineyard” Sonoma Valley “Vinas Antiguas” ($42) –This unfiltered and unfined wine shows the pedigree of its mountain source and 118-year-old dry farmed vines. It is dense, with cherry and blueberry fruit, licorice, pepper and spice notes, sleek texture, and noticeable but soft tannins.

2012 Dry Creek Vineyard “Heritage Vines” Dry Creek Valley ($19) –This is rustic, though easy going, expressive with wild berry, pepper, chocolate and spice, all buttressed with bright acidity and fresh tannins.

VERY GOOD

2012 Artezin Mendocino ($17) – Also rustic, this delights with lively raspberry and boysenberry, spicy herb, a soft mouthfeel but solid tannic structure.

2011 Frank Family Napa Valley ($37) – As with most Napa wineries, Frank Family is best known for Cabernet but I’ve always enjoyed the Zin and this is another winner. Its ripe cherry and raspberry fruit compliment anise, spicy herb, sweet oak and a suggestion of minerality.

2012 Rancho Zabaco “Sonoma Heritage Vines” Sonoma County ($15) – Over half of the grapes for this Zinfandel specialist’s wine come from the Dry Creek Valley. It is plump, with juicy black and red fruits, brown spices, firm and spicy in the finish. Excellent value.

2010 Grgich Hills “Estate Grown” Napa Valley ($35) – From the winery’s organic and biodynamic Miljenko’s Vineyard, this is ripe and juicy as cherry and raspberry join chocolate, licorice and spicy herb in a dense wine finishing with firm tannins and some heat.

2011 The Federalist Dry Creek Valley ($29) – Honoring our founding fathers and zinfandel’s distinctly American character, this one offers tart cherry and spicy herb, balanced with brambly raspberry and blackberry and an intriguing char note.

2011 Artezin Dry Creek Valley ($25) – A solid Zin of juicy, ripe blackberries accented with earth and chocolate, weighty but balanced.

2010 Renwood “Premier Old Vine” Amador County ($20) –This one is loaded with jammy raspberry followed by spicy notes. Ample fruit nicely balances its firm structure.

2011 Four Vines ”Biker” Paso Robles ($18) – Another Zin specialist, zesty red fruits, spice and toasted herb flavors are its inviting calling cards.

2012 Pedroncelli “Mother Clone” Dry Creek Valley ($16) – After four generations in Sonoma, the Pedroncelli family still produces trustworthy Zins. This one’s peppery with black and tart red fruits, creamy and spicy notes, fresh acids and smooth tannins.

2011 Coup de Grâce Red Wine Lodi ($28) – intense old-vine character with spicy black and red berry fruit, licorice, earth, and full-bodied texture; not for the faint-hearted

OTHER GOOD ZINS WORTH YOUR ATTENTION

 
2012 Edmeades Mendocino ($20) – fermented with native yeast, briary red and black berries, hints of creamy oak, earth, and tobacco, lively acidity and ample tannins

2012 Zin-phomaniac Old Vines Lodi ($17) – The racy label beckons you but the wine delivers. Sourced from vineyards ranging from 20 to 75 years old, it’s very full-bodied, suggesting sweetness, with dark cherry, caramel and spice.

2012 Murphy-Goode Liar’s Dice Sonoma County ($21) – a welcoming blend of Dry Creek and Alexander Valley fruit offering jammy raspberry and black cherry with just a touch of spice

2012 Decoy Sonoma County ($25) – part of the Duckhorn portfolio, quite aromatic bright red berry tones, exuberant acidity finishing with a chalky note

2012 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Sonoma County ($25) – a fine blend of old vine Russian River and Alexander Valley fruit, bright red cherry and cranberry with smoky and spicy notes, fairly tannic

2012 Caricature Old Vine Lodi ($17) – from the LangeTwins fifth generation Lodi farm, including some 100-year-old vines, spicy blackberry and boysenberry, with creamy, smoky notes

2011 Renwood Fiddletown Amador County ($25) – a rustic style, woodsy notes but quite ripe and peppery with a hint of anise, finishes tannic

2012 Kendall-Jackson “Vintner’s Reserve” Mendocino ($17) – brambly raspberry, plump and juicy blueberry, finishing with some grip

2012 Four Vines “Truant” California ($12) – juicy blue fruits, plump, easy drinking with good depth

(Featured image courtesy of Sequoia Grove Vineyard.)

Chardonnay has something like a 30 year record as America’s favorite white wine. Its deserved reputation for greatness undoubtedly is at least partly responsible for that popularity. Another likely reason consumers have been so drawn to the wine is it can be made in different styles to appeal to different tastes and occasions.

Many wineries attempt to emulate the richness and depth of Burgundy, the benchmark for the grape. Thankfully, at least as many produce lighter, fresher, fruitier versions that can easily keep fans drinking their favorite wine throughout the heat of the summer.

These Chardonnays typically offer the grape’s ripe fruit flavors – usually citrus, apple, pear, or tropical, and sometimes melon or fig – but in a more easy drinking style and less of the spicy or toasty oak, honey, butter, cream, vanilla, butterscotch or hazelnut.

The key to the most successful examples is balancing use of oak barrels and secondary malolactic fermentation to compliment ripe fruit with good acidity. Judicious use of oak means less oak period but also less new oakand less time in barrel. Most are whole cluster pressed to preserve the freshness of the juice. Many only partially undergo the malolactic that softens and rounds out the juice.

I have tasted over three dozen Chardonnays in the last few months and have selected the following seventeen worth your attention.

Some, like the 2012 Four Vines “Naked” ($12), actually eschew oak altogether fermenting the juice in stainless steel tanks and aging the wine in bottle. Its bright, a bit sweet citrusy Santa Barbara County fruit shines through without inhibition. Only ten percent of the Sonoma County fruit that comprises the 2012 Decoy ($20) spent time in barrel, complimenting its slightly sweet citrus, pear and spice notes. The just fifteen percent of barrel time seen by the 2012 Pedroncelli “Signature Collection” ($14) disappears behind its lively lemon/lime and tropical Dry Creek Valley fruit.

The following wines successfully use just slightly more barrel treatment. The 2013 CrossBarn (by Paul Hobbs) Sonoma Coast ($25) – with its hazelnut and butter notes, racy citrus, apple and pineapple – is a real treat. At everyday prices, the 2011 Souverain North Coast ($13) – with just enough oak to balance the sweet fruit cocktail flavors –delivers refreshing drinking. The 2012 Murphy Goode California ($14) is juicy, viscous and like tasting lemon cream pie. The 2012 Rodney Strong Sonoma County ($17) quite aromatic, with fresh citrus orange, a juicy crisp finish, and an intriguing touch of licorice.

The 2012 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley ($28) takes a different approach. While the wine is barrel aged and fermented, more than two-thirds of those barrels are neutral oak. And significantly, the wine did not go through the secondary malolactic fermentation that would have softened its crisp citrus, apple and pear flavors.

And the 2012 Artesa Carneros ($20) strikes a middle ground with half stainless steel, half oak and half malolactic yielding a fresh and juicy wine, featuring lively tropical and orange fruits broadened by lightly creamy notes. With a similar approach, the 2012 Wente “Morning Fog” Livermore Valley ($15) achieves a pleasantly fruit forward style.

As much as I came to prefer the lighter touch in my tastings, I also found several wines that underwent full malolactic fermentation and were treated with significant oak during both fermentation and aging (though spare on the new oak) but deftly walk the line between richness and freshness, making them fine choices for current drinking. Despite the abbreviated notes, they all are very good wines.

• 2011 Matanzas Creek Sonoma County ($26) succulent
• 2012 Kendall-Jackson “Grand Reserve”($22) dramatic fruit impact
• 2011 J. Lohr “Highlands Bench” Santa Lucia Highlands ($25) focused, deep fruit
• 2012 Byron Santa Barbara County ($17) spicy lemon cream
• 2012 La Crema Sonoma Coast ($23) ripe white peach
• 2012 Alta Maria Santa Maria Valley ($28) brisk but full fruited
• 2012 Wente “Riva Ranch” Arroya Seco ($22) mixed citrus/tropical fruits

Think Pink for Summer!

DRY pink wines seem to be gaining appreciation in this country. Of course, sweet “blush” wines have been popular for years. Europeans, on the other hand, have known for a long time the joy of drinking a good pink wine. The most common term is Rosé (French) but you may also see Rosato (Italian) and Rosado (Spanish).

I’m talking about wines that are dry or occasionally only slightly sweet. Expect bright, fresh fruit aromas and flavors of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, or cranberry. Some even exhibit a red-like level of intensity, body and complexity. But the best always display fresh fruit aromas and flavors that approximate the profile of their red siblings but drink more like white wines. Because of their freshness and lively fruit, pinks are always best drunk young, so look for the most recent vintages available.

There are essentially three ways to make a pink wine. The most common method is to crush red grapes and leave the juice in contact with the grape skins (the source of a wine’s color) only briefly. The second technique is a process called “saignée” in which a certain amount of juice is “bled off” shortly after red grapes are crushed. The third approach involves blending white and red wines to the desired effect.

Among devotees, France is the prime source. There is a dizzying array of French Rosés from all over the country but most notably the south – places like Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, Bandol, Cotes-du-Rhone, and Tavel. But just about every other wine producing country also has gotten into the act.

For instance, I came across a nice 2013 Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valley Signature Collection “Dry Rosé of Zinfandel” ($12). This 87 year-old winery has produced a flavorful rose at a fair price. From Spain, the 2013 Cune Rioja Rosado ($14), made from the dominant local red grape, tempranillo, was fresh and flavorful with tasty strawberry and raspberry notes.

And from Esporão, Portugal’s leading family winery since 1267, I have two recommended Rosados. The 2013 “Alandra” at $7 won’t break the bank and shows amazing depth of fruit (dark berries and cherries) for this price. It is a blend of indigenous arogonez and touriga nacional with syrah. The 2013 “Vinha da Defesa” ($15), which blends arogonez and syrah, offers fresh, fruity aromas and a touch of wild strawberries on the palate.

Finally, from South Africa the 2013 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé ($12) not surprisingly is made from 100% cabernet sauvignon. It is a bit bigger than your typical rosé, yet is still refreshing with cherry and currant fruit.

Light Reds Have Their Place, Too

Like most folks, I drink a lot less red wine during warm weather months. But there are lighter reds that can be plenty satisfying this time of year. And don’t be afraid to chill them down a bit.

German Pinot Noir. You might think Germany is an unlikely place to look for what we call Pinot Noir and they call Spatburgunder. But try the four wines below and that attitude may change. While Riesling is justifiably the great wine import of Germany, the estates below (located in the Baden region) are considered among the best producers of German Pinot Noir. While a bit pricey and hard to find, these are light and fresh but flavorful and worthy of your attention.

• 2011 Franz Keller “Franz Anton” Schwartzer Adler ($42): bright red cherry, slightly earthy and smoky; bright fruit in the forefront with soft tannin
• 2011Franz Keller Schwartzer Adler ($25): more complex with dark cherry, brown spices, oak, earth and mushroom notes but drinks with crisp red cherry
• 2010 Bernhard Huber Malterdinger ($38): deep, sweet berry fruit is up front; earthy note joins a very fresh palate and a nicely bitter touch in the finish
• 2010 Salwey Trocken ($22): plump dark red fruits blend with bitter herbs and earthy flourishes all drinking juicy and fresh

My recent tastings have revealed a handful of other good choices.

2010 CUNE Rioja Crianza ($14). This young wine comes from one of Spain’s older wineries (founded in 1879). Dominated by tempranillo with small amounts of local grapes mazuelo and garnacha, fermentation in stainless steel with just one year of oak aging, yields fresh, bright red berries with some earth and elegant, yet lively balance.

2012 Pedroncelli Sangiovese Alto Vineyards ($16). This nearly 90 year old winery was a pioneer of grape growing in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley and is still family owned. Harkening to their Italian heritage this Tuscan-style wine offer dark cherry, forest, herb and light spice in a welcoming and easy drinking frame.

2010 Mulderbosch “Faithful Hound” ($18). This Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc, and malbec is soft but complex with forest and tobacco notes but also generous fruit assisted by stainless steel fermentation and barrel maturation. 

2011 Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast ($13). Souverain consistently produces some of California’s mostreliable wine values and this Cab (buttressed with dollops of four other grapes) is no exception. Fresh red fruits meld with cocoa for a juicy, satisfying drink.

 

 

2012 Caricature Cabernet Sauvignon ($17). Caricature is a fun label of lighthearted wines produced by LangeTwins Family Winery in the Lodi region east of the Bay Area. The area is known for producing flavorful grapes at low prices. Bright red cherry and red currant join cedar notes in a light and tangy drink.

 

2012 Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon ($12). This is a label produced by the Indelicato Family, who has an over 80-year history of winegrowing in California. Committed to sustainable winegrowing in their Monterey and Lodi vineyards, they have produced a wine with fairly deep berry fruit that is soft but fresh and tangy with sweet fruit.

 

2011 Kendall-Jackson “Vintner’s Reserve” Summation ($17). Kendall-Jackson has grown over the last three decades into one of California’s largest wine producers but quality hasn’t suffered. The Vintner’s Reserve line still regularly offer good value. Summation is the red blend and this one is one-third syrah and one-third zinfandel, with dollops of at least five other grapes. Expect really nice black fruits with a whiff of smoke and a hint of wood wrapped in a smooth texture.

 

2011 Caricature Red Blend ($17). This blend is mostly cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel, which contributes vibrant cherry, prune and currant fruit while some oak aging imparts caramel notes. It all glides light and tangy over the palate, finishing refreshingly slightly bitter.

 

These red wines are delightfully crisp, fruity, and fragrant. And they are easy drinking and natural matches for the lighter foods of summer, as well as grilled and barbecued. For generally reasonable prices, these wines also provide a refreshing combination of acidity and in many cases moderate alcohol – perfect for warm weather. Enjoy!

 

What I like most about spring and summer is the blossoming of aromas and how that signals the awakening of life after the slumber of winter.  And a cool, light, crisp, refreshing white wine is just the compliment for the warmer weather. Below are a variety of recommendations from my tastings over the past several months.

German Riesling. My favorite white wine any time of year is German Riesling. These wines typically are enticingly aromatic with bracing acidity and typically green apple, citrus and stone fruit flavors. Most intriguing, there often is a distinctive mineral component. It produces aromatic wines of high acid and, unusual for a white wine, potentially long life. The fragrant, flowery aromas lead into fresh green apple, pear and occasionally peach, apricot, pineapple, or mineral flavors are delivered with bracing acidity. The wines below provide some blanced sweetness.

• 2012 Bischofliche “Ayler Kupp” Kabinett ($23) – a single vineyard wine from the Mosel is fresh, fruitful and satisfying, with just a hint of sweetness.
• 2012 Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium “Graacher Himmelreich” Kabinett ($23) – similar to the Ayler but more pronounced apple.
• 2012 Schloss Vollrads Spatlese ($31) – from a storied estate in the Rheingau, this one is sweeter but delightfully fresh with minerality.
• 2012 “Fritz Willi” (by Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium, $12) – a good entry-level wine is another successful effort by a venerable winery to produce a wine labeled in a more consumer friendly manner. It is made from grapses sourced from the Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst, Bernkasteler Badstube, Trittenheimer Apotheke and Falkensteiner Hofberg vineyards in the Mosel and Saar valleys.

Chenin Blanc. Native to the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc also is a personal favorite and has found a few hospitable locales in California. There, it is usually produced in a fruity, slightly sweet style, though a few brave souls (like Dry Creek Vineyard) make a dry style inspired by the fine wines of the Loire Valley Savennieres. The 2013 Dry Creek Vineyard ($12) made with grapes from Clarksburg near Sacramento, is always a reliable choice. This stainless steel fermented wine is quite fragrant with peach, melon, apple and citrus.

South Africa also is quickly becoming a reliable source of good Chenin Blanc, as the 2011 Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc “Steen op Hout” ($14) demonstrates. Although this wine saw some time in barrel, it is fresh, fruity, and bright, with deep apple, pear and cashew in nose and zesty acidity and tropical fruit mouth.

California Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio. There may be no better summer wine than a crisp, refreshing Pinot Gris. Just in time for the warmer weather. Pinot Gris, the so-called “grey pinot,” also can be a fine choice this time of year. It reaches its epitome in Alsace and can be quite fine in Oregon but I found the 2013 MacMurray Estate Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Gris ($20), the first bottling under the winery’s new label, to have enticingly rich flavors of pear, baked apple, dried fig and white peach. It is fermented in stainless steel and one-quarter is aged on the lees.

Pinot Grigio, usually suggesting a lighter Italian style, is the best known type among Americans. At half the price, the 2013 Belle Ambiance California Pinot Grigio ($10) is typical of the style, as it tends to fresh citrus and melon carried in a brisk, yet easygoing frame.

Spain. Native grapes from Spain’s northwest region of Rías Baixas and the northern region of Rioja, which is better known for its red wines, make for light hearted, zesty summer sippers. The 2013 Cune “Monopole” Rioja ($15) is produced using local viura, the major white grape of the region, which, like its namesake macbeo in Penedes, is noted for its aromatics and acidity.

From Rías Baixas, the 2013 Terras Gauda “O Rosal” ($24) is a blend dominated by albariño (the most important white grape of that region), with additions of loureiro and caiño blanco (which had almost disappeared from the region but was recovered by Terras Gauda in the 1990s). all from the O Rosal Valley, this blend produces a wine with crisp and lively fresh citrus, orange and peach deepened with an earthy touch.

Italy. While Italy is justly famous for its red wines, there also is a plethora of interesting white wines. Much of that interest, as with Spain, comes from the indigenous grapes. Someday I need to write a whole article on Italy’s whites but for now here are a few nice ones from Italy’s northeast.

From the northeastern province Friuli near Venice, the 2012 Masi Masianco ($15) is a unique, enticing blend of mostly pinot grigio and some indigenous verduzzo produced using the traditional winemaking method of drying the grapes before fermentation (known as appassimento) to increase concentration and intensity. crisp citrus, honey Lemon, peach, dried apricot, honey, touch of spice, honey and cantaloupe melon

Prosecco, with its light, frothy flavors has achieved significant popularity in recent years. It comes from an unlikely area in the Veneto, in the hills just north of Venice and is made using the native glera grape. Affordable and eminently drinkable (typically lower alcohol), it is a versatile for many occasions. I recently enjoyed the Prosecco from La Marca ($17) from a 40-year-old cooperative representing 5,000 local winegrowers who farm more than 17,000 acres. Its clean, refreshing style and delicate, apple fruit are quite appealing. Another good option, the Piccini Prosecco ($16) also was very nice, with a profile of white flowers, white peaches, and pears.

Speaking of Italian bubbly, you may not be aware the “Metodo Classico” (the Champagne Method) bubbly made in the Franciacorta region in the foothills of the Alps not far from Lake Garda is some of the best sparkling wine in the world. Franciacorta also uses the traditional Champagne grapes pinot noir and chardonnay. The Berlucchi family gets credit for initiating the practice in the 1970’s. Their 2006 Berlucchi Franciacorta ‘61 Brut ($35) – 100% chardonnay and bottle aged five years – is crisp, elegant and refined. The ’61 refers to 1961 as the year the brand was founded.  With apple and pear fragrances and velvety texture, this wine displays lovely depth and a zesty acidity.