2011 Masseria Li Veli Verdeca. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times / December 13, 2012) |
Here's an interesting white wine from Puglia, the region that forms the "heel" of Italy's "boot." Made from an ancient grape variety called Verdeca with a small percentage of Fiano Minutolo (don't you just love these Italian grape names?), it has a delightful nose of flowers and white peaches. It's richly fruity, but that's balanced with a tart acidity and a bit of minerality. Made by the Falvo family, who are best known for their beautiful Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and vin santo from Tuscany, Masseria Li Veli's Verdeca is a stunner for a white wine from Italy's south.
Serve it well-chilled, with peel 'n' eat shrimp, steamed Dungeness crab, or a more delicate seafood pasta or risotto. This could be the one for crab cakes too.
Region: Valle d'Itria, Puglia, Italy
Price: $16 to $19
Style: Crisp and floral
What it goes with: Peel 'n' eat shrimp, seafood pasta and risotto, lobster and crab
Where to find it: BestWinesOnline.com, (888) 817-8880, http://www.bestwinesonline.com; Du Vin Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 855-1161, http://www.du-vin.com; and K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, http://www.klwines.com.
