First off, I’ve always liked dolcetto. A lot.  It’s not readily available at every corner grocer, giving it a certain sense of uniqueness, and its usually priced really fairly without the big name varietal markup.  Plus, its undeniably Italian!

The name dolcetto always reminds me of dessert and the root word dolce does mean “sweet”.  Indeed,  the italian meaning of dolcetto is “little sweet one,” but don’t be fooled, this isn’t a syrupy sweet wine.

I like to think of dolcetto as this is the Italian equivalent of a good Beaujolais.  Light, a bit tart, best consumed on the young side, and is easy to drink with or without food.  In Piedmont, Italy, residents are proud to call this their table wine of choice and is what they drink most of.  In Washington, it seems incredible to think of a wine like this for $5-$7 and functioning as a table wine.

This single vineyard wine from 30+ year old vines is deep purple, evidenced by the dark drippings on the label in the picture.  An easy drinker, its tartness mellowed out after the first glass and contributed to a very enjoyable and lively holiday gathering.

I look forward to more dolcetto in 2009!

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