Red

L’Ardi Dolcetto D’Acqui
Grape: dolcetto
Region: Italy, Piedmont
Winemaker: Vigne Regali
Price: $11
A juicy but dry red with a good amount of fruit (cherries) that I like like I like a good straightforward chianti. Many call it a great pizza wine, and I can see that. It was also very good with the lemon vinaigrette on our salad; the fruit jumped out with the pairing.
Winemaker’s notes
Reviews

Silentium Crianza
Grape: tempranillo
Region: Spain, Ribera del Duero
Winemaker: Bodegas Castillejo de Robledo
Price: $20
When it’s good, this tempranillo is very very good — caramel-oak scented, flavors of cranberry, tobacco, hint of mint, dry, almost tart, with smooth tannins and emerging fruit. Perhaps my favorite red. That said, I once returned a case of the 2001 vintage (intended for Christmas gifts) after tasting two bottles that were turning bad. I’ve since had another 2001 (from another retailer) that inspired the above review… hmmm. Later vintages show up online — look for one.