2003 Romano Clelia Fiano di Avellino ‘Colli di Lapio’

Wine has been made in the Campania region near Rome ever since Romans developed a taste for the beverage -- basically forever. Fiano di Avellino, made entirely from the Fiano grape, is a fascinating white wine. Intensely aromatic with a chiseled minerality when young, it’s also one of the few Italian whites that can age. Give it a few years and a great Fiano di Avellino will soften into voluptuousness.

Clelia Romano is one of the best producers in this tiny appellation and “Colli di Lapio” is her special cru. Straw yellow in color, the 2003 has accents of citrus and anise, and a scent of white peaches and tangerine pith. This Fiano’s bright snap of acidity makes it a brilliant match with chilled shellfish, grilled shrimp and other summer seafood.

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Quick swirl

Region: Campania, Italy

Price: About $25

Style: Aromatic and minerally

Food it goes with: Raw chilled seafood, grilled shrimp

Where you find it: Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, (805) 966-9463; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454; (800) 76WINEX; Wine House in Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731.