Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Even wine can get boring at times, especially when tasting yet another fresh and fruity chardonnay, or off-dry Riesling, or tannic cabernet. That’s when Italy beckons.
Italy, France and Spain lead the world in land planted to grapevines. But Italy’s winemaking history dates back to pre-Roman days, when the Greeks named it Oenotria — the land of trained vines. But what’s really cool about Italy is that today, when the world is awash in wines made from the so-called International varieties (chardonnay, merlot and cabernet, in particular), Italian winemakers are still deeply committed to making wines from rare, and rarely tasted, indigenous grapes.
Among Italy’s top 20 grapes (by total planted acreage), only merlot is what you might call non-indigenous. Among the rest are some familiar faces to be sure: sangiovese, barbera, trebbiano. But the real excitement is to be found among the hundreds — yes hundreds — of wine grape varieties that are not on that top 20 list. They bring scents and flavors to the table that are unique in the world, and by and large found only in limited places, even in Italy.
Gianpietro Ottolini was born in a small town in the Alps of Lombardia, on the shore of Lake Lugano. He first visited Seattle in 1991, fell in love, got married, studied English and embarked on a career in wine. For the next 12 years he sold wine in the greater Seattle market. Then, Ottolini explains, a return to Italy in 2004 led him to “search for new products that Italy, or Europe could offer to the American public. I knew there was so much more to discover and offer from the Italian viticultural scene.”
His carefully assembled portfolio of unusual Italian wines is the result of that search. Distributed locally by Elliott Bay, both the whites and the reds, at all prices, display exceptional individuality, glorious aromatics, and a panoply of sometimes mysterious, often palate-stretching flavors. The selections mentioned here offer a sure cure for anyone feeling a bit jaded or burned out on wine.

  •     Tizzano Pignoletto Frizzante ($11). This lightly sparkling wine (frizzante is about half the pressure of spumante, or full-scale Italian bubbly) is made in the Colli Bolognesi, the hills around Bologna. It’s quite dry and citrusy, with a pleasing nutty note in the finish. At just 11.5 percent alcohol, it’s a fine choice for parties. Serve with mild cheeses or prosciutto. Pignoletto, by the way, is the name of the grape.
  •     Cecilia 2006 Elba Bianco ($13). Elba is the island where Napoleon spent some captive time; perhaps he enjoyed a bottle or two of this refreshing white wine, a blend of trebbiano and vermentino. Elegant and scented with whiffs of pepper and herb, this will appeal to those who like to taste mineral — as in stone — rather than wood, as in barrel. Once again the alcohol is kept at a moderate 12.5 percent yet the flavors are full and lingering, with grace notes of almond and mint.
  •     Olivini 2006 Lugana ($13). From the Lake Garda region in the mountainous north of Italy, this is the local name for the same grape as trebbiano di Soave. Here is a more substantial version than most, which shows fleshy flavors of peach, apricot and nectarine. It was vinified completely in stainless steel, and has just a little bit of citrus rind bitterness in the back, a marker for many Italian white wines.
  •     Cave des Onze 2006 Muller-Thurgau ($14). The Vallée d’Aoste is the home of this co-op, in the northwest corner of the country. This might pass for an Alsatian gewürztraminer. It’s that fragrantly floral. What gives it away as Muller-Thurgau is the thick, fleshy fruit, providing a hefty underpinning for all the sweet flower smells. Why not try it with a cassoulet or spicy pork dish?
  •     Terenzi Cesanese del Piglio 2004 “Velobra” ($14). Don’t let the tongue-twister of a name keep you away from this marvelous, sweet-scented and spicy red wine. Cesanese is the red grape, Piglio the town in Lazio (southeast of Rome) where this particular wine is made. Terenzi is the producer and Velobra either a specific vineyard or a proprietary name. In any event, it’s loaded with sweet tobacco scents and rich flavors of licorice, fig and prune. If you’ve ever had a ripasso wine from Italy, this tastes quite similar.
  •     Masseria Frattasi 2004 Aglianico di Caudium ($20). Aglianico is a dark, southern Italian red grape (Taurasi is its best-known producer). Here it is grown biodynamically and displays a gorgeous bouquet of spice and violets, retaining an elegance not always found in these wines, which can be tannic and rough. This is a lovely bottle and hits just 13 percent alcohol.

Nothing in my previous experience, including many travels to Italy, prepared me for this next bottle. I should explain that I’m a lover of both Italian grappa, the clear distillate of press wine that is often compared to rocket fuel, and a wide variety of aperitifs such as Campari and digestifs such as Punt e Mes. I don’t ever recall tasting a chinato before, but I shall never forget it.
Barolo Chinato from Livio Pavese ($34) comes in a tall 500 ml. bottle that resembles a Canadian ice wine. But this is no ice wine! It’s a potent (16 percent alcohol) blend of Barolo wine, grappa, sugar and an infusion of tree bark, rhubarb root, and a number of other aromatic herbs. In color it resembles tawny Port, and its powerful aromas are off-putting to some tasters, who object to its medicinal smell.
I found chinato irresistible. Bitter and intense, it’s a witches’ brew of licorice, tobacco, cedar, cooked plums and a dozen other intriguing elements. It is meant to be sipped, and a little goes a long way. Palate re-tuned. Boredom ended. Rock on!

Pick of the week
Eola Hills 2006 Pinot Noir, $14. Eola Hills is one of a rare breed in Oregon — wineries making flavorful pinot noir priced so you can enjoy it anytime. With “premium” and “single vineyard” bottlings commonly priced at $50, $75 and even higher, this little $14 gem is a joy. Yes, it is still young, light, lean and tart, but it shows genuine varietal and regional character, and avoids the vegetal and overtly leathery qualities that afflict most of its budget-wine peers. Gentle flavors of raspberry and cherry are supported with juicy acids and hints of spice. In fact, I like this better than the winery’s $50 reserve. Go figure.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.