WANT FOURPLAY?

Run for cover everyone, it’s the attack of the tarty clichés. Anyway, for a change of pace, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Italian producers, Dievole, arguably the oldest winery in continuing existence in Italy, and perhaps the world. The first two vintners for Dievole began renting property in 1090 A.D. Over 900 years later, Dievole knows that to move into the future, you need a strong sense of the past.

Recently I tasted their supercool new Sicilian wine, the Fourplay Bianco 2006 ($10.49). Here is a blend unique to the market – a marriage of 4 native Sicilian grape varieties (Grillo, Insolia, Cataratto and Grecanico) evenly split, to create a wonderful, medium-bodied white that would be perfect for shrimp scampi or fruit de mer.

The color is comparable to Golden Delicious apple skin, and the aromas are fresh cut fruit salad consisting of banana, starfruit, lemon, orange, papaya and mango. There is a glycerol and lemon verbena taste up front, with finishing notes of tropical fruits, ginger and lemongrass. The acidity is balanced, and the finish lingers on and on. Try a bottle!