Moscato Rosa

            A member of the Muscat family that is a specialty of Trentino-Alto Adige. Some call it a color variant of Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, but it is listed as a separate variety in VIVC.

            It is usually vinified as a sweet wine, which Jancis Robinson notes has “assumed almost cult status.” Franz Haas, who produces this example, says that the low-yielding vines must be planted in a windy area to avoid botrytis. Very high sugar levels allow production of a dessert wine from grapes that are neither harvested late nor dried. Haas leaves the wine on the skins for only a few days to avoid astringency, then interrupts the fermentation by refrigeration and transfers the wine to stainless steel for six months before bottling.

            Production is limited, and the wine is quite expensive (I paid $49 for my half-bottle). But it certainly provides a wonderful experience for your money. The aroma of candied fruit is quite enticing, with very many sniffers reporting the scent of roses – to me a somewhat fanciful perception suggested by the name. The color, too -- a clear, deep cherry-red -- is quite attractive. And these sensory promises are more than fulfilled by the flavor itself. The winemaker’s promotional material describes “a fascinating interplay between acidity, sweetness and tannin,” and for once this is not just hype. There is a great deal of depth and complexity to the flavor. Cherry stood out to me, as well as some unidentifiable savory note, and others report tasting orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and, of course, roses. It’s a wine that can truly be called interesting.

            Food pairing: Haas recommends chocolate, others suggest blue cheese. I agree with those who consider it a “meditation wine” that is best appreciated without food.

Carricante

            A fairly acidic white grape grown on the slopes of Mt. Etna. The Etna Bianco DOC requires a minimum of 60 percent of this grape.

            This wine from Tenuta di Fessina is medium yellow in color and has a rather full body and, of course, marked acidity. The somewhat blunt flavor is citrusy in character with mineral overtones.

            Food pairing: A good partner for pasta with pesto, ripe cherry tomatoes and wilted arugula. Also matched up well with grilled salmon, and I imagine would do likewise with other flavorful fishes.

Molinara

            This pale red grape of the Veneto is usually encountered as part of a Valpolicello blend with Corvino Veronese and Rondinella.

            AziendaAgricola Ca'Rugate uses Molinara to produce this rosé spumante. It gets a couple of days of skin contact that imparts a salmon or coral color and is fermented in stainless steel. The following spring, the still wine is bottled with additional yeast for a second fermentation and ages for two years before the spent yeast is disgorged. The result is a foamy wine with a character that is more yeasty than grapy, and I think just about anyone tasting it with closed eyes would think it is a soft crémant-style wine from white grapes.

            Food pairing: Merchant Astor Wines says its “ripe black cherry” flavor complements grilled or smoked fish. We had it with grilled tuna and a sauce of roasted green peppers and garlic, but the expected red-fruit flavors were not prominent and it was a bit overpowered. With its festive bubbliness, it would be good with seafood or vegetable hors d’ouevres.

Courbu Petit

            A grape of the Madiran region of southwestern France whose name “little curved [one]” is thought to refer to the shape of the small berries or the vine itself. It is grown on both sides of the Pyrenees and supposedly is blended into the Txakoli wines of the Basque region, though on its own, dry or sweet, it produces wine nothing like those nervy whites.

            This bottle from well-known grower Alain Brumont is built for power and has a character as exotic as its AOC name, Pacherenc du Vic Bilh. Fermented and raised in oak, it was still going strong four years after the vintage, no doubt partly because of its 14 percent ABV. Almost greasy in texture and deep yellow in color, it has a flavor profile to match: citrus in quantities to overcome the oak and a note that more than one taster has referred to as toast.

            Food pairing: Chicken is often recommended, so I made Martha Stewart’s chicken burritos with goat cheese, raw spinach and a cooked mixture of corn, onion and jalapeno. Didn’t faze this wine. Despite its inland origins, I’d have to think smoked salmon would pair well, particularly if served on toast.

Melon

            This grape is also known as Melon de Bourgogne, due to its origins in Burgundy. According to the Loire Valley Wine Bureau, it was eradicated there as early as the 16^th century as growers found success with other varieties (good move). The Dutch planted it as a distilling grape around the Atlantic trading port of Nantes, and it was one of the few varieties to survive the winter of 1708-9, the coldest in Europe in the past 500 years. It now produces the region’s signature wine, Muscadet, to the extent that the grape itself often goes by that name.

            This bottle from Sauvion, one of the area’s major producers, is typical. The wine’s predominant characteristic is brininess, befitting its seaside origins, and it is dry, somewhat high in acid and a bit prickly as well, adding to the overall impression of freshness. Keeping the wine on its lees (sur lie) over the winter, brings out more fruit, usually described as apple, pear and citrus.

            Food pairing: Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book recommends mussels, and that’s what we drank it with: mussels steamed over onions, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and parsley. Quite satisfactory. Another classic recommendation is oysters.

Fiano Aromatico

            A different grape from the well-known Fiano associated with the area near Avellino in Campania. This one comes from Puglia and apparently is going into Italy’s national variety catalog as Minutolo, as it’s identified on this bottle.

            The grape does bear some resemblance to the “other” Fiano in its Muscat-like character. My bottle from Cantine Polvanera was vinified in stainless steel and was good summer drinking: fresh but not sharp, stony (or maybe that was steely), yet very entertaining to the palate. One blogger’s initial impression was “an explosive mix of Meyer lemon, lime zest, vanilla bean, quince and apricot jam.” Wish my taste buds worked like that. But I do agree there’s pear and lime to be tasted within a restrained but quite floral flavor that explains the “aromatico” name.

            Food pairing: My retailer said the wine was “ideal for anything with pesto,” and we had on hand Lorrie’s homemade pesto and some fresh scallops. Very enjoyable, though next time I think I would try a grilled fish with herbs that would allow the wine to shine through a bit more.

Raboso Veronese

            A grape that hails from the area around Treviso north of Venice. Researchers at the University of Padova report that DNA analysis shows the grape to be the offspring of Raboso Piave, a powerfully tannic red grape, and Marzemina Bianca.

            Raboso Veronese is often used to produce red wine, but the well-known Prosecco producer Zardetto uses it to make this sparkling rosé. Probably its most remarkable characteristic is its color, often described as raspberry but to my eye more like salmon. On the palate, you might remark the carbonation before the faintly cherryish or strawberryish flavor. It’s medium dry at 16 g/l residual sugar, with plenty of acidity for balance.

            Food pairing: Whatever you’re passing around before the barbecue. It’s mainly a pretty, bubbly wine to create a festive atmosphere.