Showing posts with label Pelaverga Piccolo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pelaverga Piccolo. Show all posts

Monday, September 5, 2011

LAMBRUSCO AND PELAVERGA BIANCO AT TERRONI


Two Italians at Terroni

My wife and I often find ourselves at Terroni in Los Angeles for Sunday afternoon lunches.  Normally a little crowded for our taste at dinner time, the restaurant is usually almost empty for a late Sunday lunch.

We chose a red and a white wine, the Lambrusco for me and a white for Denise which we don't see very often on wine lists.

Lancillotto Barbolini Lambrusco Grasparossa Emilia-Romagna NV

My red is made from the Grasparossa clone of the Lambrusco grape, grown in the Castelvetro region of Emilia-Romagna.  Fizzy and foamy when poured, the bubbles diminished somewhat but were still present at the end of the meal, a spicy salami sandwich.

Even chilled, the delightfully grapey nose and big, fruity juice flavor is simply wonderful, especially on a warm afternoon.  Dark berries and black cherry abound on the palate, and it's a beautiful mate for the panini.

Castello di Verduno Pelaverga Bianco Bellis Perennis 2009
Denise opted for a white wine, a Pelaverga Bianco from Castello di Verduno in Piemonte.  The winery - along with a hotel and restaurant - are actually located in a castle.  The Pelaverga Piccolo grape is rare, and is usually used to make red wine.  This wine - from vineyards in Verduno - is vinified as a white wine and given the name "Bellis Perennis," which is the botanical name for an Italian daisy.

While that's a beautiful image, it might well have been named after some Italian rocks.  That's what leads the way on the nose and the palate: minerals, minerals and more minerals.  It tastes of wet rocks and green apple with some tart lemon peel.  Great acidity and an amazing flintiness really refreshes and reminds Denise of "stones in a stream on a hot summer day."  It's a great match for the summertime ciccio, a pizza foldover which is like a Caprese salad pizza sandwich, served cold.


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