|
Short and sweet
Here's a convenient truth: Global warming, global schwarming, whatever the cause of it is, it's still too darn hot. With the temperatures hereabouts rising well into the 90s lately (that's the 30s to the rest of the world), and little relief in sight, it's no coincidence that I've been tasting a disproportionate amount of cool, refreshing summer wines, from sparkly Prosecco to crisp, cold rosé.
This is no time for roast beef and Barolo, so we turn instead to the refreshers, two cooling draughts that I call short (for their very low alcohol content) and sweet for their fresh-fruit sugars that, happily, come across as crisp and refreshing as fresh fruit juice. The white wine, Moscato d'Asti ("Mos-CAH-toe DAHS-tee"), is a cousin of the familiar Asti Spumante (nowadays usually seen as just-plain Asti). It's made from the Moscato (Muscat) grape, an ancient and widespread variety that's exceptionally aromatic - usually showing distinct and characteristic scents of peaches, apricots and grapefruit - and almost invariably made sweet and fizzy, although it can range from the light prickly carbonation that the Italians call "frizzante" to a more bubbly carbonation ("spumante"). Moscato rarely comes with a Champagne-style cork and wire cage, but is generally produced in a heavyweight bottle with a tight-fitting cork that expands into a cone shape when it comes out of the bottle. Today's red is a rare bird, produced and exported in relatively limited quantities, but if you have an adventurous spirit, it's well worth seeking out. Brachetto d'Acqui ("Bra-KET-toe Dah-KEE") is made from the Brachetto grape in the Monferrato region, just down the road from Barolo and Barbaresco. Like Moscato, it's usually frizzante or spumante, but it's not usually as sweet, qualifying as "semi-secco" or "half-dry," a light sweetness that barely shows against crisp acidity and sparkling bubbles. Its signature aroma is strawberries, juicy and fresh, although I admire it as much for an unusual complexity that adds in pleasant medicinal and herbal notes and a light bitterness that remind me of Campari and similar aperitifs. (Candor compels me to confess that my long-suffering bride does not share my affection for Brachetto. She likens it to a warm, flat Coke. You have been warned.) As noted, both Brachetto and Moscato are very low-alcohol wines, usually produced at 5.5 percent alcohol, well below half the strength of typical table wines, which makes it easy to quaff them as a cooling summer aperitif. They do still contain alcohol, though, so if you're driving, take care. They're most often drunk cold, without meals, as summer cocktails, but in pursuit of my theory that slightly sweet, fizzy wines go exceptionally well with fiery fare, I poured both with a hot-and-spicy Western Chinese cool salad, "hacked" chicken with cucumbers, and thought both served reasonably well.
Clear, fairly light cherry red; a quick froth drops back, leaving a few bubbles around the rim. Subtle but pleasant cranberry aromas carry over to a tart-sweet red-berry flavor with prickly carbonation and a distinct, pleasant herbal-bitter character in the finish. It reminds me more than a little of a Campari and soda, and I like that. Lightweight 5.5% alcohol makes it a winner for summer sipping, and subtle complexity elevates it well above mere "pop" summer wines. U.S. importer: VIAS Imports, NYC (July 28, 2006)
Here's the importer's fact sheet on Marenco Brachetto: http://www.viaswine.com/regioni/schedaProdotto.asp?vino=171
Find the wine online on Wine-Searcher.com:
This clear, pale-gold wine pours with a frothy mousse that soon falls back, leaving no visible bubble stream but a sense of prickly carbonation on the tongue. Fresh grapefruit and peach aromas lead into a sweet peach flavor that evokes peach nectar, but it's light-bodied, and crisp acidity keeps it refreshing. A soft drink for grown-ups, relatively low (5.5%) alcohol invites quaffing. U.S. importer: Boisset America, Bardstown, Ky. (July 28, 2006) The Flash-heavy Batasiolo Website is available in your choice of Italian, English, German, Portuguese or Spanish: http://www.batasiolo.com/index.htm
The winery Website provides a world-wide list of distributors:
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE:
Today's article is cross-posted in our Netscape WineLovers Community, where we also welcome comments and questions. To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE  Why choose The California Wine Club? These days it seems there are as many wine clubs to choose from, as there are pretty labels on the shelves of your local wine shop. If you've been thinking about joining a wine club or sending a wine club gift, you just may be wondering what makes The California Wine Club different from all the rest. Why CWC is America's oldest and most trusted wine club ...
Join for yourself, or send a gift. Each month is $32.95 plus shipping, and includes two bottles of award-winning wine and our entertaining magazine, Uncorked. Cancel any time, and as always, if you're not happy we will gladly refund your money. Call 1-800-777-4443 or visit http://www.cawineclub.com/?Partner_ID=winelovers. Mention today's Wine Advisor and we'll send you three bottles for the price of two in your very first shipment. This week on WineLoversPage.com Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope you'll enjoy:
• Italian Wine Guide: Brachetto
• Bucko's Wine Reports: Summer 2006 Releases
• Hot topics in our WineLovers Discussion Groups
Wine novice seeks help...
Poll: Do you drink wine for your health? Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Fruit bomb! (July 28, 2006)
• A rosé is a rosé ... not! (July 26, 2006)
• Zork! (July 24, 2006)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Spiced duck for Pinot (July 27, 2006)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, July 31, 2006
|
Marenco 2004 "Pineto" Brachetto d'Acqui ($19.99)
Batasiolo 2004 "Bosc d'la Rei" Moscato d'Asti ($13)
