VALUE OF THE MONTH FROM ITALY

Tenuta la pergola

by Dixon Brooke

From the first taste of their gently prickly Arneis from a pitcher at an outdoor table of a hole-in-the-wall trattoria in northern Italy, Kermit and I knew we had found something special with Tenuta La Pergola. After visiting to sample all their wines, we confirmed that we had stumbled upon a rare gem: a winery continuing to produce—with pride, even—the rustic, old-school style of Italian table wine that has become so out of fashion. This is of course exactly what we were looking for. A collaboration was born that produced our Rosso Monferrato blend, which hopefully many of you have gotten to know. We teamed up with La Pergola again this past year to create the Monferrato’s little brother, a wine we christened Il Goccetto, loosely translated as “little nip.” It is an eclectic blend of Brachetto and Croatina. Whereas most Brachetto in northern Italy is made in a sweet, often sparkling style, this little number is vinified dry. It is a light-bodied, aromatic, refreshing table red. If you are familiar with Grignolino, Il Goccetto has a little more body, tannin, and personality. Il Goccetto is something to drink when you’re in the mood for a lighter red, or even a rosato, and it definitely takes a chill nicely. It is perfect with antipasti of all sorts, pizza, pasta, frittatas, panini, fresh berries, and countless other things. We hope it makes your springtime even tastier.

2011 VINO ROSSO “IL GOCCETTO”
BLENDED BY KERMIT LYNCH