Monte Volpe

Winemaker Greg Graziano is prolific: he can’t stop making wine from every varietal he finds, except he won’t touch Chardonnay or anything Bordeaux with a ten-foot pitchfork. His family hails from the Piedmont region of Italy, and as he says, grapes are in my blood. The Monte Volpe label (one of three produced by Graziano), graces wines made from varietals found in Italy and imported by Greg’s family or friends who were wearing disguises at the time.

Pinot Grigio’s ascendancy in popularity speaks volumes about its versatility and refreshingly satisfying quaffability in warm climes and seasons. No exception, this Pinot Grigio exhibits the classic floral nose and tempting acidity of its Italian brethren. So delicious, with ripe peaches, fig and a sassy hint of citrus, the wine finishes dry and palate-cleansing with hints of limestone, pistachios and almonds.

Made from fruit grown on the warm benchlands above the Russian River in the interior of Mendocino County, the wine was 100% barrel fermented in French Burgundy oak and left sur lie for 6 months, giving it a pleasant touch of silkiness to accompany the crisp acidity. Greg has been making Pinot Grigio for longer than anyone else in California, and let’s just say this wine clearly shows off his deftness with the varietal. It is a must with grilled monkfish or seabass finished with citrusy olive oils, and would be superb with tiger prawns or almond-encrusted scallops dusted with wasabi, lime and coriander.

(13.5% alcohol; $14)

Reviewed June 28, 2006 by Laura Ness.