We celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with good but affordable wines: A delicious Italian rosé sparkler and a six-year-old dry Mosel Riesling.
Scarpetta Timido Rosé Vino Spumante Brut ($14.99)
Scarpetta Timido Rosé Vino Spumante Brut is a crisp, dry, pale-pink sparkling wine from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy. Its dry, crisp flavor with subtle notes of berries made a great accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner, and it would be a fine partner with latkes, too. It is pale pink in color, clear and light, a pretty hue. Foamy bubbles at first fall back quickly,leaving few bubbles behind. Prickly carbonation remains, though, with subtle but pleasant strawberry aromas. Juicy strawberry and herbal notes appear behind tart acidity in a dry flavor, and linger in a long, minerally finish. 12% alcohol. U.S. importer: USA Wine West LLC, Sausalito, Calif. (Nov. 25, 2021)
FOOD MATCH: The winery suggests sipping it before or after a meal or serving it with salads, salumi plates, or grilled salmon; Wine-Searcher suggest meaty or oily fish.
WHEN TO DRINK: There’s no point in cellaring simple but fresh bubbly like this. Drink up while it’s young and fresh.
VALUE:
It’s a fine value in the mid-teens; Wine-Searcher.com shows a $16 average U.S. retail.
WEB LINK:
Here’s an English-language fact sheet on the Scarpetta website.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Scarpetta Timido on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find dozens of other wines from Scarpetta.
Vereinigte Hospitien 2015 “Schloss Saarfels” Mosel Riesling Trocken VCP Ortswein
Vereinigte Hospitien 2015 “Schloss Saarfels” Mosel Riesling shows a clear and very pale gold color. Its typical older Riesling aroma blends “petrol” and ripe apples. Dry and tart and medium-bodied on the palate, it wakes up the taste buds with bright acidity. White fruit, spice. and stony mineral notes last in a very long finish. Gains remarkable complexity as it warms in the glass. Don’t serve it too cold! 11.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Beverage Solution & Logistics Inc., Cleveland, Ohio., for The California Wine Club. (Nov. 25, 2021)
FOOD MATCH: This nicely aged, acidic and minerally Riesling was a delightful match across the range of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with plenty of plant-based sides.
WHEN TO DRINK: Good Riesling is an excellent choice for aging, and this one should last and perhaps improve for 10 years after the vintage; its sturdy modern screw cap sets aside any concern about cork taint.
VALUE:
The California Wine Club charged $26 to reorder this wine from its International Series when it was in stock.
WEB LINK:
Here’s a fact sheet from California Wine Club’s International Series.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Sadly, Vereinigte Hospitien 2015 “Schloss Saarfels” is no longer available in the U.S. It was a selection from The California Wine Club’s International Series in 2017. Check in with The International Series for other finds from small, artisanal wineries around the world.
For excellent alternatives, browse Wine-Searcher for scores of Mosel Rieslings with vendors and prices.
