Erbaluce & SMG: Marriage Counselors
My significant other and I have a problem. Our palates are incompatible.
I like crisp, delicate white wines. She likes reds.
I appreciate nuanced red wines. She likes big reds.
I'm wowed by unique wines with uncommon characteristics. She likes really big reds.
Can this marriage be saved?
Thanks to the 1-2, Friday-Saturday punch of Orsolani's (imported by Bonny Doon) Erbaluce and Guardian Peak SMG, I am happy to report that our palates have kissed and made out up. Marital bliss has returned. For now.
My palate's turn
It all began Friday evening. I crouched down and peered into the wine fridge, longing for a white with zing and minerality. I couldn't grab the object of my desire - a bottle of Il Circo "La Funambola" Erbaluce di Caluso (2004, $18). I knew that if the missus caught me selecting a wimpy white wine for our Friday happy hour, she would veto the decision immediately. So I got smart and created a diversion: "Hey, Honey. Isn't that a stray bottle of Staglin Cabernet over there under the coffee table?" In 0.02 seconds, I had popped the cork and poured two glasses of La Funambola. She returned to the kitchen and frowned upon seeing a glass of white wine waiting for her. Again, I went for distraction: "You know, this is a pretty interesting wine. It's an obscure white grape from Italy's Piedmont." The frown was now joined by a piercing glare. "Oooh. Look at the label. It's pretty cool - isn't it." At this point, I realized she was having none of it. We compromised. We would go with Erbaluce on Friday and a wine of her choosing on Saturday. My palate quaked in fear at the impending assault by a big fat red.
To my surprise, she enjoyed (or at least faked very well) the Erbaluce. La Funambola offers scents of lemon zest, white pear, along with intriguing herbal notes. And, of course, it possesses minerality of the 'mineral water' variety. In the mouth, this wine is fresh and crisp. Yet this youthful Erbaluce also drapes the tongue in rich flavors of Golden Delicious apple and Bartlett Pear. This was what appealed to m'lady's palate. My only regret is that I don't have a second bottle stashed away, taking a three-year snooze. I'm quite curious to see how Erbaluce would evolve over a few years.
Her palate's turn
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