Had to switch strategies because of where I live ¶ I can usually get what I want but it takes some leg work so specific reccos work well because im picking up whatever is easily available to me that has been mentioned here and my OL friends. Thanks for the input so far!
One of the many exciting recent developments in California is the range of quality wines being made from Italian white varieties. On the more precise side, Briceland’s Arneis, ESJ’s Heart of Gold (59% Vermentino), Folk Machine Tocai Friulano, and Ryme’s Vermentino Hers are good options. For richer or skin-contact styles, Cowan’s Ribolla Giala and Fiano, Ryme’s Vermentino His, Ribolla Giala, and Fiano, and Forlorn Hope’s Ribolla Giala are good wines.
The BEST way to sift through Italy’s white wines is to find a good merchant who can walk you through them. Mix a case up of most of the previously mentioned whites - one bottle of each and go through them. I think you would be shocked at how many interesting whites are produced in Italy.
Just remember one thing - make sure you are getting fresh vintages. While many Italian whites do age - I have a rule of thumb to always purchase whites from Italy that are no more than one year old. 2014 should be the rule of thumb for now, and when the '15s come out this summer - try many of those. Eventually, you will see which ones develop and which ones need to be drunk young.
Know anything about the jermann dreams? Lcb has some recent ones. They have tunina but they are older 08,06,05 and even if ct notes dodnt suggest thouse might beover the hill, which they do, I dont trust the lcb that much…
I think Jermann Dreams is generally a very nice wine, but not necessarily worth full retail. I might take a shot at the '08 for the price PLCB is charging. I probably wouldn’t be thrilled paying over $50 for more recent vintages.
For the generic wine consumer in a generic part of the country, who can’t hope to find any of the weird stuff for sale locally [either in local shops or at local restaurants], my recommendation would be to blindly order just about any Prosecco for a dry white, and just about any Moscato d’Asti for a sweet white.
For instance, almost every Total Wine seems to have both the Zardetto Prosecco and the Paolo Saracco Moscato d’Asti:
Unless something drastic has changed with those labels, they’re both world-class values, and outstanding introductions to what Italy can do with white wines, and of course excellent food wines.
I think the biggest problem now, for newcomers to wine, and especially to Italian wine, is the explosion in fake labels being created by the Export/Import marketeering/bankster transnational kleptoconglomerates.
Goodness only knows what kind of juice might be in a hypothetical “Turning-Cake” Prosecco or a “Cup-Leaf” Moscato d’Asti.
And it’s not just the grocery stores - we’re seeing these fake labels everywhere now.
I know of at least one local shop, right next to some of the most famous restaurants in the state, which is 100% fake labels [at least as far as I can tell].
But the idiotic hipsters don’t seem to care, as long as there is a smattering of hideously “ironic” hipster artwork on the fake label.
Calling Prosecco and Moscato d’Asti the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quality Italian whites would almost be understating the situation. The PLCB carries plenty of more interesting options, including quite a few of the ones suggested here. I enjoy good Prosecco and Moscato, but they hardly qualify as exploration for almost anyone who is really into wine. Plus, I find Zardetto extremely boring.
Kevin I saw that but 2010 seems…old and add 5 years for lcb storage…
Found some chiara elsewhere as well as several of the wines discussed so far. Ill post notes as the wines come in.