Wine Shopping With The Wife

I usually make my own selections while shopping the wine aisles. However, I like it when my wife is with me and she takes part in the process. She has great taste, a brilliant palate, a keen eye, and an incredible sense of which wines will be a hit at home. I have a tendency to get stuck in a rut, as enjoyable as my wine rut is, and Denise brings a different perspective to the table.

Recently, while having lunch at Joan's On Third in Los Angeles, she drifted over to the small shelf of wines near our table. One of her selections was a non-vintage, fizzy wine from Liguria, in northwestern Italy. The region is named Colline Savonesi, while the grape that makes up this wonderfully refreshing wine is the Lumassina. Alcohol is quite low, just 11% abv, and the price tag says $28. That’s a bit more than I like to spend on a "fun" wine, but this one offered some complexity and scored well at a party. Punta Crena wines are imported by Kermit Lynch. 

This wine is almost clear in the glass. The bubbles come up quickly and disappear soon, too. The nose is yeasty and earthy, with a big mineral aspect. It’s rather like an off-the-beaten-path Champagne. The palate shows Meyer lemon, zest, and that yeasty note. It’s a festive wine, and a tasty one, too, with plenty of pairing appeal. 

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