1998 Voerzio Dolcetto d'Alba

[hotwine]

With veggie pizza and spinach & tomato salad, drizzled with olive oil (the only salad dressing I care for these days). Delightful Barbera, one of those wines of which you think, "Where has this stuff been all of my life?" 12.5% ABV and $15.99 at the discounter. Should have bought a case instead of just a halfie.

[Innkeeper]

Thought Dolcetto was different from Barbara!

[hotwine]

It is, IK. Two different grapes, although grown in the same region of the Piedmont. I tend to lump everything produced in that region as "Barbera", but that's not even close to being accurate, since there are at least 10 different grape varieties grown there.

[Innkeeper]

We have a Dolcetto in the bin that we picked up at Convito Italiano in April. The only purchase there that made it home! We don't do pizza at this point, and are looking for something appropriate to eat with it!

[hotwine]

We've taken a liking to little Freshetta frozen pizzas, esp. the Mozarella & Basil, and the Southwestern Style, the latter with lots of veggies. Sometimes, we'll make up a veggie pizza ourselves; that's about the limit of our pizza indulgence. Would normally choose a Barbera d'Alba with any of those, but the Dolcetto worked great.

[Thomas]

Dolcetto is usually nice with roasted or grilled vegetables.

[winedope1]

I'm thinking grilled pizza on my tiny porch with fresh mozzarella and grilled veggies. Easy and quick to do and you control what goes on/in it.

[hotwine]

Got caught in a horrendous downpour this afternoon while working at the ranch.... must have dumped three inches in an hour. Still raining like hell as I left, sliding in the mud on the gravel lane (Yeah, right. Where's the gravel?) It stopped only 15 miles from the ranch, like flipping a switch. Spent the next 100 miles thinking of supper with another Dolcutto. Poured about a pint of rainwater out of each boot when I finally got home and went straight to the cellar for another bottle. The cat didn't like the "squish, squish" as I walked by and high-tailed it for the tractor shed. Nice Alba, which is already nearly gone.