Wine Lovers' Page: Two for pizza and more

Today's Wine Tasting Note

Two for pizza and more Pizza

Regarding pizza as one of nature's most nearly perfect foods, I've never thought of the term "pizza wine" as a pejorative. Pizza's luscious mix of molten, creamy cheese, sweet-tart tomato sauce and crisp, breadlike crust are enough to make a meal in itself; and if you keep the cheese and heavier toppings under control, it's arguably not just nutritious but healthful. The wine should be Italian, of course, and a dry red, crisp enough to cleanse, soft enough to quaff. Chianti and Valpolicella, two good names somewhat devalued by modern mass-market labels, regain their historic stature when you choose good examples ... and you don't have to drink them with pizza.

Melini 1996 Borghi d'Elsa Chianti ($9.49)
Clear ruby with a distinct orange hue. Spicy aromas, cinnamon and allspice, over fresh red fruit. Crisp and tart flavor, consistent with the nose, simple and quaffable. Not a contemplative wine, but fine for washing down ... well, you know. U.S. importer: Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd., NYC. (Feb. 5, 1999)

FOOD MATCH: Sausage pizza.

Boscaini 1997 San Ciriaco Valpolicella Classico ($14.99)
Dark garnet, with an appetizing sour-cherry and strawberry aroma that leads into a juicy, tart red-fruit flavor that's clean, zippy and lasting. A very appealing wine. U.S. importer: Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NYC. (Feb. 7, 1999)

FOOD MATCH: Anchovy and black-olive pizza.

These wines were featured in The 30 Second Wine Advisor, my free weekly E-mail bulletin of quick wine tips, advice and tasting notes. Click here to join the E-mail list!

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All my wine-tasting reports 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.

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