Enotria

I was on a competition tasting panel that had this wine, and at first we didn’t know what to do with it. It was not in a flight of dessert wines, but it was clearly as sweet as you would want in that category. Yet it was also bright and refreshing, behaving like a dry white in some ways. In other words, this could pass for a dessert wine on the chemistry, but winemaker Greg Graziano didn’t enter it in the competition that way.

The reason is, the wine has only 10 percent alcohol, so you can drink it without getting bombed. (Your diet may go out the window, but you won’t be thinking about that.) It smells tropical with some pink grapefruit and spun sugar, and you get all the aromas as flavors. The abundant sweetness stays aloft without cloying, and the finish is surprisingly refreshing. If you’re a fan of Muscat (“Moscato” in Italian), then you may want to try this just to get the know the grape better. If you like Thai food or hot and sour dishes from China, pair them with this and feel your mouth light up.

Reviewed December 14, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.