Everyday: “This smells like the best pear ever,” I said last night after sniffing the Saracco Moscato d’Asti 2010 ($18). “Actually, it smells better than the best pear ever,” someone chimed in. True that, and it tastes pretty fantabulous as well. Seriously fresh, perfectly sweet and enticingly fizzy, this is a signature rendition of this grape. We had it with a lemon tart, and the match was stunning, but this gem should work with most any fruit dessert. And at 6-percent alcohol, it makes a spectacular late-afternoon outdoor quaffer.
Occasion: Used to be, Barolos required a buttload of cellar time before showing well. That’s still often the case, but the 2006 Vietti Castiglione Barolo ($45) is drinking beautifully right about now. The firm tannins indicate that it will age just fine, but the nose — redolent of the kind of violets one usually gets more from Tuscan than Piemontese reds — followed by cherry-berry fruit, dust amd minerality, a mix that yields backbone and balance. The finish is formidable and pleasurable. Try this firm, focused nebbiolo with grilled meat (white or red) or pizza.
mmmm …. Moscato! The best way to keep a marriage happy and healthy!