Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG: Wine of Love … and Celebration By Marisa D'Vari

     We've all heard the story of Cleopatra's legendary powers of seduction over Julius Caesar and later, Mark Antony. Yet consider this. What if the tool of seduction wasn't Cleopatra's famed beauty, but her secret stash of a bright ruby red sparkling wine with a bouquet of roses and violets?

      Ancient historians write of a sweet, aromatic wine with the distinctive flavor of musk and a candied, floral aroma. Over the years, historians - and connoisseurs of gourmet cuisine and good wine - have lost track of this wine, now believed to be made from the Brachetto grape (grown in areas in small towns in the provinces of Allesandria and Asti, Italy).

      In the early years of the previous century, self-styled Brachettos made of moscato nero, malvasia, or aleatico grapes flooded the market unchecked. In 1992, the Consorzio di Tuela del Brachetto d'Acqui was founded to control the growth and development of the true Brachetto wine and in 1996, played a key role in obtaining DOCG (Designation of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) status.

      With its scintillating ruby red color and bouquet of rose petals and raspberries, this delicious, pleasantly sweet, effervescent wine is a natural to begin or end a romantic dinner, or break out for friends and family to enjoy for holiday parties and New Year's Eve. At only about 5.5% alcohol, Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG makes a great afternoon aperitif and pairs well with bitter chocolate, light sweets, fruit tarts, and Italian cookies such as Gli amaretti di Mombaruzzo, a traditional amaretti biscuit indigenous to the area.

      In America, many celebrity chefs are discovering this increasingly popular wine as an adjunct to their tasting menus. Terence Feury of the celebrated Striped Bass restaurant in Philadelphia paired Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui Vigneto La Rosa 1998 with white nectarine carpaccio with cherry Breton and brown-butter ice cream when he was invited to prepare dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in NYC. An unconventional, creative way to use the wine is to freeze it into a granita (frozen flavored ice) to refresh the palate between courses.

      According to the regulation of DOCG status of 1996, Brachetto d'Acqui must be produced from 100% brachetto grapes from the specified terroir. Brachetto grapes are harvested from the end of August to mid-September. The must soaks with the skins for two days in order to obtain the desired ruby color, then aged three months in the bottle. It should be drunk young to reveal its tantalizing scent of Bulgarian roses, must, and fruit.

      DOCG status serves to establish the finer quality and characteristics of Brachetto d'Acqui compared to the more generic Piedmonte Brachetto. At a price of under $20 dollars a bottle, you don't have to wait for the holidays to roll around to try it. Try popping the cork in the heat of summer when your thoughts turn to rose. Or even in the dead of winter, for its rose perfume and effervescence is sure to cheer you up and remind you that warm, sunny days are just around the corner.

     Marenco "Pineto" Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 2005, $20.00

Imported by VIAS, Inc. - 212 629 0200 - http://www.viaswine.com

     Honeyed notes of violets, honey, orange blossom and raspberry on the nose and palate, delicious.

     "Braida" di Giacomo Bologna Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 2005, $16.00

Imported by Vinifera Imports - 631 467 5907 - http://www.viniferaimports.com

     Lush, aromatic bouquet with hints of ripe red fruit and fragrant rose.

     Gatti Piero Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 2005, $9.99

Imported by Summa Vittis, Inc. - 707 933 0906 - http://www.summavitis.com

     Intense and aromatic, with notes of rose, strawberry, and wild cherry.

Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 2005, $16.00

Imported by Banfri Vintners - 516 626 9126 - http://www.banfivintners.com

     Dark wild cherry on the nose and palate, along with strawberry and roses. A perfect foil for bittersweet dark chocolate.

     Cantine Neirano Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG Dolce V.S.Q.P.R.D., $10.00

Imported by Biagio Cru & Estate Wines - 516 299 4344 - http://www.biagiocru.com

     Sweet and delicate, with accents of raspberry, rose, and wild cherry.

Or, you can try http://www.wine-searcher.com

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Marisa D'Vari is a certified sommelier and wine specialist who
speaks and writes about groovy grapes.