That would be Grangia. My new favorite house white is a bone-dry, mineral-laced bit of ever-so-slight effervescence from Piedmontese Favorita grapes, a version of Vermentino, made by the house of Elvio Tintero. Here’s the amazing part – $8 per bottle. I picked up a case of this in Berkeley, at the mighty Kermit Lynch.
I’ll admit it is an acquired taste. Salty, with a nose of cactus, pear and even banana (!), it smooths out into something haunting and crystalline, with spectacular aromatics and a white pepper finish. At 11.5% alcohol, it makes wickedly easy sipping. The perfect antidote to over-oaked chardonnay.
Yes, I did say $8.
