L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano Five Fav Italian Wine Picks for the Picnic Basket I nspired by a few days of near 70 degree temperatures, I am geared up to shift focus from snow boots to picnics as fairer weather begins to make its way into my neck of the New England woods. Here are five favorite Italian wines picks sure to compliment any picnic basket. As much as I appreciate rosé wine styles, and although rosé is a perfectly sound candidate for picnics and summertime quaffing, I intentio- nally exclude it here as it would be just a tad cliché and decidedly uncreative to do otherwise. My first pick, Grignolino, is a grape variety grown in the region of Piemonte. It makes utterly enchanting wines in the loveliest shades of light red that are high in acid and deliver firm, grippy tannins. If it were one's intention to arrange the most delightful of picnics, I should recommend a bottle of Grignolino as a first step in the right direction. Grignolino is characteristically charming and light, redolent of small red berries, flowers and spice, with a characteristic note of white pepper. Typical of Italy's northeast especially Trentino-Alto Adige, Schiava, the name given to a group of unrelated grape varie- ties that includes Schiavas Grossa, Gentile and Grigia, makes lighter colored, lighter bodied wines, pleasantly fresh, with notes of tart red fruit, almond, and flowers. That Schiava wines make for uncom- plicated and easy drinking provi- des all the inspiration necessary to simply relax and enjoy them. Many folks appreciate Schiava wines served slightly chilled for refreshing summer drinking. Schiava wines also known by their German name of Vernatsch and you may see bottles labeled as such. If ever there was a wine for pairing with all the delectable odds and ends found inside a good picnic basket, Soave is likely it. Soave's Classico sub- zone, a historic production area, is restricted to Soave wines pro- duced in the volcanic soils around the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte. It produ- ces well-structured wines with ripe, focused fruit, delicate floral / almond scents, and mineral notes. The main varietal used in production of Soave Classico is Garganega. Smaller percentage addition of other allowable white varieties is permitted, Trebbiano di Soave, for example. Garganega contributes structure and density and as Garganega is not overly acidic, the lively Trebbiano di Soave when added can bring a certain tangy verve to the blend. Nosiola can be found growing in Veneto and Lombardy, but you will do well to enlist one of its wines from its main and better production area of Trentino Nosiola DOC. Dry versions (there are sweet versions made) are crisp and fresh and thus plea- santly drinkable. Notes of flowers, citrus and nut are typical as is a lick of sea salt on the fini- sh. Lithe, shy, easygoing, maybe even a bit quirky, Nosiola is a perfect summertime wine often overlooked in favor of more mundane selections. Lambrusco wines are not overtly sexy but rather whimsi- cally romantic and befitting of a picnic mood. Good authentic Lambrusco achieves a balance of dryness, fruitiness, acidity, tan- nins, and effervescence. Lambrusco, remember, refers not to a single grape variety but rather to a family of grapes, mainly from Emilia-Romagna, so we need to be specific when asking for them. I direct you first to the magnificent Lambrusco di Sorbara, light and vividly floral. Total picnic gear. On the other end of the spectrum, check out the fuller-bodied, dark cherry and plum character of Lambrusco Grasparossa, especially if your picnic menu includes heavier foods. If you're looking for the best of both worlds, Lambrusco Salamino delivers a good balance of Sorbara's elegance and Grasparossa's muscle. Keeping wines at the right temperature is important for out- door summertime consumption but is not at all problematic. I like to put both white and red wines alike inside the cooler. Whites can be drunk immedia- tely upon removal from the coo- ler and the reds, in warmer out- door weather, warm up to a sli- ghtly chilled serving temperature pronto. In fact, when serving reds during summertime, espe- cially outdoors, a little bit of chill is desired and absolutely refreshing. You'll find the five wine picks are wildly easy to drink, have fun personalities, and are good company to an eclectic variety of picnic eats. The wines are adaptable enough so as to handle any picnic vibe from a rough-and-ready-unpacking of the backpack after a hike to a sophisticated spread-the-table- cloth-on-the-ground affair. And, by the way, lest whatever gui- dance I have provided here prove to be embarrassingly incomplete: please don't forget to pack a corkscrew. Tasting Note: Pieropan Soave Classico Clean and massively fresh, a gentle perfume of flowers and marzipan. Pear fruit framed with notes of citrus and nut shows good intensity on the palate, nicely balanced by crisp acidity and the mineral finish. Grignolino, Schiava, Soave, Nosiola, and Lambrusco are five favorite Italian wines picks sure to compliment any picnic basket WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

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