L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano The close-out rack: great source for Italian wine gems I n the dim light of my garage, the bike sits in its winter sto- rage rack like a faithful church-goer waiting for Mass to begin. Stillness, silence, a sense of contemplation, fill the space. Lifting the bike from the rack, I place it on the ground, in solemn ritual. Cycling season has begun. Time now for base miles trai- ning - long, steady rides of mode- rate intensity - where riders esta- blish the aerobic base and stamina needed for the body to adapt to the rigors of cycling. In honesty, despite training, my cycling performance is no longer likely to improve. My best miles are behind me now. A realization that feels to be a good segue for talking about wines which, although no longer expected to im- prove with age, still have vitality and charm enough to provide plea- sure and good-drinking. A great source for finding still- wonderful wines reaching or just past their peak-drinking time, is the retail wine shop "close-out" sale. Among gems I've recently scored from close-out racks: 2008 Barbera d'Alba from a well-regar- ded producer of Barbaresco; 2011 Dolcetto d'Alba brought in-coun- try by one of my favorite impor- ters; and just a few days ago, a hard-to-find cru bottling from a re- markable producer in Veneto. When plucking such Italian wine gems from the close-out rack, the cost savings, when compared to regular retail pricing, can be asto- nishing: the aforementioned Bar- bera d'Alba was purchased at one- third the price of that producer's current vintages, a savings of ~65% . There are a few things to know when cruising for close-outs. For example, it's unlikely you'll find Italian wine close-outs in the Ita- lian wine aisle. Close-out racks tend to be located around the peri- meter of the store. Or at the ends of aisles. One of my favorite close- out racks is curiously located along the wall just outside of the store's bathrooms. Wine shops keeping an active online presence often list close-out wines on the store's web- site. Close-out rack wine invento- ries change, sometimes daily, so check often. When considering a close-out wine for purchase, carefully exa- mine the fill levels of bottles. Fill levels below the bottle's shoulders may indicate excessive evapora- tion and the wine may be off. If planning to purchase multiple bot- tles of the same wine on close-out offer, take into account the consi- stency of those fill levels: too much difference may indicate unacceptable bottle variation. I also suggest having a good read of the bottle label. Doing so can help identify information im- portant to your close-out purchase decision. Start by wondering, "Where did this wine come from?". In answering that que- stion, the more specific (read: lo- cal) appellation designations are generally better bets than very ge- neral origins. Next, consider the producer: well-known, respected, or totally unfamiliar? And what about the wine's vintage, does it make sense relative to the wine? For example, there is good reason for interest in an 8-year old San- giovese wine; an 8-year old rosé, not so much (excepting the likes of Bandol). Which importer brings the wine in-country? This is an important checkpoint, in my ex- perience. Even where I might not recognize the wine's producer, even if the appellation is general or obscure, etc., if the wine is im- ported by an importer I thoroughly trust, I'll often take a chance. To get a sense of whether the close-out "deal" is really a deal - and how much of a deal it might be – you may want to use your smartphone to conduct a quick comparative price search of the wine you are considering. I find both winesearcher.com and 1000corks.com to be reference points that give good guidance and local relevance. Where several bottles of the same wine appear on close-out of- fer, one may want to a consider a multi-bottle purchase. In such ca- ses, I might ask the wine staff, if I purchase the first bottle, might I taste it in-store as a pre-purchase check to buying additional bottles of that wine. Note that wine shops don't always have glass stemware for customer use. To avoid having to taste from a store-provided, thimble-sized plastic cup, it's a good idea to have your own ta- sting glass along when possible. Wines you may meet on close- out offer are very often wines in- tended for earlier drinking, i.e., wines not destined for long cel- lar-aging. That said, do stay alert to encounter the unexpected. I once found plenty of a decade-old Chianti Rufina cru bottling by a well-respected producer in one shop's close-out area. Needless to say, I went to find a shopping cart. Tasting Note De Forville Dolcetto d'Alba "Loreto" This cru bottling is a strapping wine of remarkable complexity for the variety. Aromas and fla- vors of red and black berries, fo- rest floor, and almond, finish plea- santly against a background of textured tannins. Enjoying a delightful aperitivo with an expensive wine for a fraction of the price is possible: try check the close out rack Close out rack wines can hold delightful discoveries and are worth browsing JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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