'Sforza Grigio!
The unlovely days of the mid-70's trattoria bestowed on us the encounter with cheap soave as our reference point for Italian whites (and even cheaper 'chianti' for the red!). A decade or two later and those same restaurants were draining the lake of inferior pinot grigio whilst assuring us of its authenticity. Little wonder, then, that we turned to the New World to find that antipodean and latin american growers were producing stunning results from this grape, often, ironically, with Italian flying winemakers.
Back in Italy, mid-price examples of 'the grey' are at best just about adequate when well-chilled on a hot day.
So it is a rare and delightful treat to come across Stella Alpina's version from the far north of Italy. This offers a wine that is an aristocrat: suave, debonair and displaying impeccable breeding. A full yet crisp mouthfeel gives way to a cocktail of fruit flavours. Ultimately, perhaps, too sophisticated to drink on its own, it will find a food partner in its class and marry perfectly; a plainly roasted free-range chicken, or wild salmon fillets in a beurre blanc,
The name means 'alpine star' and a star it is in every respect.