Randall Grahm is one of the Wine Curmudgeon's favorite winemakers, and not just because he used to make great cheap wine. Today, the slimmed down version of Bonny Doon makes great $20 and $25 wine, delivering more value than many wines that cost $10 and $20 more than that.
The Dolcetto (about $22) is a prime example. It’s an Italian grape that isn’t much grown in this country, but in Italy, it’s the grape of Piedmont. There, it produces dry, earthy, fruity wines with less acid than many of the Italian wines we’re used to in the U.S. Grahm’s version of Dolcetto has brighter fruit than the Italian version, yet retains the grape’s earthiness. Frankly, I don’t know how he does it.
Serve this with any Italian-style meal (save seafood) or roast meats. It’s probably too pricey for Monday night spaghetti and meatballs, but it would be good.
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