Pignoletto

            The Pignoletto grape is known as “the king of the Colli Bolognese wine zone,” according to the excellent blog Fringe Wine, one of the most comprehensive sources of information about obscure grape varieties that I’ve found on the Web. But it’s little known and less consumed outside Emilia-Romagna, which is known in the U.S. mainly for Lambrusco and wine from international varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot and the rest of the familiar crowd.

            One young producer, Alberto Tedeschi, is making a name for himself with his wines from two rented vineyards planted with this grape. His Spungola Bellaria, named after the two vineyards, is a quite distinctive wine. As he explains in this interview with importer Louis Dressner, Tedeschi produces it as an organic, natural wine because “I don't even know how to work with chemicals; I've never tried!”

            The thick-skinned grapes are pressed and the juice is left outside overnight. Fermentation begins in stainless steel, and then the juice is transferred to 500-liter old oak casks, where it stays on the lees for 12 months. This results in what’s known as “orange wine,” and it’s really quite flavorful for a white. The question is, is it a flavor that you will enjoy? For me, “interesting” comes closer than “enjoyable.” It has elements of sour orange, apple cider, vanilla and nuts. But the main takeaway is the oxidized character, and while this is intentional and natural – I’m sure that centuries ago a lot of white wines tasted like this – I can’t get past my prejudice that oxidized white wine is wine gone bad.

            Food pairing: We had it with salmon and pesto. The wine certainly stood up to it, but not particularly harmoniously. Tedeschi himself suggests bacalla, a stew made from salt cod, or else chicken, turkey, “something spicy” or less-fatty meats.