Page 16 - Italian American Herald - December 2019

16 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER 2019 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD VINI D’ITALIA
Making a list, checking it twice
Make it a white Christmas with these 20 wines worth seeking out
By Frank Cipparone
There’s no need to have a blue Christmas even if snow isn’t in the forecast. You’ll be doing all right with a
collection of whites that can lift the spirits and elevate the Feast of Seven Fishes, or la cena di vigilia if you prefer.
With that in mind, I’ve put together another “20/20 “wish list – 20 white wines under $20 – and added a few slightly above that price. It’s Christmas and Santa knows you’ve been good this year, so treat yourself to some vino, turn up the holiday music and start frying the smelts and steaming clams and mussels for the pasta.
Pala “I Fiore” Nuragus di Sardinia $$$ (PA) Upbeat, fresh and light, persuades you to keep on drinking. Works as an aperitif
or with most seafood and vegetable- based dishes.
Abbazia di Novacella Kerner! $$$ (WW) The kind of wine you get from Italy’s Alpine border – exhilaratingly aromatic and fresh, somewhat like a dry Riesling. (AltoAdige)
Balestri Valda Soave Classico $$ (CAN) Classic old-school Soave. No bells and whistles, just good wine with a pleasant, mellow aftertaste. (Veneto)
Mauro Sebaste Gavi $$$ (TW) The three “C’s” – cool, clean, crisp – match well with the two “P’s” – pasta with pesto, especially classic Ligurian or mint/pistachio. (Piedmont)
Zyme “From Black to White” $$$$ (CAN) Not a magician’s trick, just three really obscure grapes in a well-blended balancing act of mouth-watering acidity and a refreshing texture that wraps around the tongue. (Veneto)
Tra Monti “Vigna Rocca” Albana Secco!
$$ (PA) Don’t be put off by the color of this naturally made “orange” beauty fermented in clay amphorae, an ancient approach that’s a modern alternative to flabby, overblown wines. (Emilia Romagna)
Anselmi “San Vicenzo”! $$$ (WW) Consistently good, and well-priced for
such excellent quality. This rich and flavorful Garganega from the Veneto is a few steps above others.
Sartarelli “Tralivio” Verdecchio di Castelli di Jesi! $$ (CAN) Could serve as the prototype for Verdicchio. Full and fruity with plenty of zip to match crudo, sardines, or meaty fish. (Marche)
Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio $$ (WW) Industrially produced Pinot Grigio can be as flat as Kansas. The best come from privately
run wineries in Trentino, where Lageder leads the way with his energizing Pinots.
Vittorio Bera “Arcese” $$ (CAN) A weird and wonderful blend of Piedmont’s five white grapes that has the persistent mouth-puckering, boozy feel of a spicy, slightly fizzy hard driving apple cider.
Marco De Bartoli “Sole e
Vento” $$$ (CAN) You can’t go wrong with any of this producer’s wines, and this marriage of Grillo and Zibibbo is as Sicilian as it gets.
Collavini Friulano Collio $$ (PA) Friuli’s premier white grape has flavors of peach
and melons, medium body and acidity, and Chardonnay-like roundness that will stand up to more intense seafood preparations.
St. Michael Eppen Pinot Grigio Alto Adige $$ (WW) Ripe and rich without being overdone. Smooth but not bland. Crisp and lively enough to keep it lively sip (or gulp!) after sip.
Leonildo Pieropan Soave Classico!
$$$ (WW) Not your mass-produced and overhyped 1970s Soave. One word describes it – elegant, in an understated, unfussy way. (Veneto)
Tenuta Roveglia “Limne” Lugana $$ (PA) A “big” wine whose lush fruit flavors complemented by bracing acidity make it an adaptable food partner. (Veneto)
Tenuta Stregate “Svelato” Falanghina di Sannio $$ (PA) Campania’s hills are the home of uncomplicated whites – this is one
of them, a true coastal wine.
Rocca Felice Roero Arneis $$ (TW) The
typical lemony acidity of Arneis makes for a mid-meal palate cleanser, and its underlying smoky quality begs for grilled or roasted seafood. (Piedmont)
Terenzuolo “Vignabasse” Vermentino!
$$ (PA) Juicy white fruit flavors packing a salty bite are ideal with shellfish or baccala salad. (Tuscany)
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco!
$$$$ (PA) Carricante, the mountain’s native grape, has an appealing range of uniquely Sicilian scents and flavors.
Fontana di Papa Roma Bianco $ (WW) Simple and direct blend of Lazio’s Malvasia, Trebbiano Verde and Bellone.
If your taste runs to red wine with seafood, don’t let anyone tell you that’s a no-no. Some recipes call for them, like cioppino or a hardy fish stew, as long as they’re not heavy or highly alcohol. Some examples are Firriato “Sino” Frappato $$ (PA); Casale del Giglio Cesanese! $$ (PA); Argiolas “Perdera” Monica di Sardinia $$ (PA); and Valle dell’Acate Frappato $$$ (PA). There’s also rosato, the middle ground
between white and red that’s more than just a summer quencher: Di Giovanni Rose
di Nerello Mascalese $$ (WW); Fattoria Sardi Toscana Rose $$$ (WW); Ippolito “Mabilia” Ciro Gaglioppo! $$ (WW); Bisson Ciliegiolo Rose Golfo di Tigullio! $$ (CAN); Illuminati “Campirosa” Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo $ (CAN). And don’t forget Prosecco or Lambrusco, popular and affordable sparklers that can add some buzz and holiday cheer to your table. IAH
KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS
WW Wine Works, New Jersey TW Total Wine, New Jersey
and Delaware
PA Pennsylvania Fine Wine CAN Canal’s, Mount Ephraim,
New Jersey
! Denotes excellent quality
$ – Under $10 $$ – $10-$15 $$$ – $15-$20 $$$$ – Over $20