With Americans coast to coast becoming more adventurous in their dining, certain food friendly wines once rarely seen outside their regions of origin are finding their way onto wine lists and shop shelves. Where Merlot and Chardonnay were once the default, trends show that consumers are becoming continuously more savvy of myriad wine choices that may better enhance their favorite dishes. A recent study by Wine and Spirits magazine has found that Champagne sales are soaring, thanks to the realization that bubbly is many a food's best companion. Grenache based wines such as Cotes du Rhone and many Languedoc offerings, too, have seen a boost thanks to their versatility at the table. While we still find ourselves in the era of hedonism in the wine world, where the lush and the bold garner most of the praise, there is certainly a developing undercurrent of folks who understand that the wine at the table should not always be the center of attention.

Adventurous eaters have long known Italy as a go-to country for food friendly wine. Even while being served from straw covered bottles, Chianti, with its natural high acidity and light body, was a popular choice for restaurants keen to offer a red with maximum pairing potential. In these more metropolitan, sophisticated times, the shopkeeper who does not stock a full array of food friendly Barberas, Montepulcianos and Sangioveses is rightfully considered amiss. There is a grape missing from this list, I'm afraid; a northern Italian workhouse which has only recently made an appearance on the domestic stage. Great with food, reasonably priced and a lovely quaff, Dolcetto is a grape whose time has come.

In its native region of Piedmont, Dolcetto has traditionally been a grape of convenience. Earlier ripening and darker skinned than most of its contemporaries, Dolcetto is the ideal choice for Piedmontese farmers who, while still focused on the more prestigious but finicky Nebbiolo, are happy to have a grape to fill in those gaps where the "better grape" won't grow. Called "the little sweet one," Dolcetto's relatively low acidity and abundant but soft tannins make it a refreshing counterpoint to the region's more well known Barberas, Barolos and Barbarescos.

Though to be fair, most Dolcettos may be considered "low acid" only in comparison to its northern Italian brothers. Indeed, Dolcetto when done well is quite bracing, with just enough acidity to balance out the tannins, but not so much as to make the wine sour. Flavors, as in all wine, are variable, but most Dolcettos possess a lovely almond and cherry palate and an ironically tart finish. Because of the darkness of the skins, Dolcetto is always identifiable for its deep ruby color, but despite this, it takes a chill as well as any rose. While most is best consumed within a year or two of its release, some (most notably the offerings of Bruno Giacosa and Marchesi di Gresy) may age gracefully for several years. Unlike those blockbusters that score the big points, most useful really for their extraordinary alcohol contents, Dolcetto is one of the more versatile wines you are likely to find. Its light to medium body will not be overpowering to your heavier fish dishes, and the ample but soft tannins give it plenty of power to deal with your finer cuts of red meat. Dolcetto's tart finish and good acidity make it a perfect match with oily, cheesy foods such as lasagna or pizza, with the sharp cherry fruit meshing nicely with the creaminess of mozzarella.

For the home gourmand, having a bottle or two of Dolcetto around the house is never a bad idea; one can never be sure what may turn up at the farmer's market, and it's nice to know that there is a wine at home that's up for almost any task. Here are a few of our favorites, in order from lightest to heaviest. We hope you will pick one up and enhance your next home cooked meal.

Mangia!

The Wine Specialist