By Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Some newsworthy tidbits caught my eye this week. Tie them together and they lead us down a wine trail worth following.
On  www.winejudging.com, I found posted the results of one of the country’s largest competitions. This year, 4,235 wines were entered by 1,500 wineries. As is always the case there were beaucoup medals awarded — that’s part of the game. So let’s go straight to the top: the Sweepstake Awards, given in five different categories. These are the best of the best, and only seven wines out of the 4,235 earned one. One of the seven was Barnard Griffin’s 2007 Rosé of Sangiovese.
Sincere congratulations to winemaker Rob Griffin. This wine, by the way, will be released officially in a few weeks, and I wouldn’t wait too long to snap it up. But isn’t it interesting that it was a bone dry rosé of Sangiovese — an Italian grape that is the backbone of Chianti and other Tuscan wines, but remains an obscure footnote in America — that brought unanimous praise from the judges?
Tidbit No. 2:  I’ve become a regular reader of Michael Veseth’s blog (mvgrapeexpectations.blogspot.com/). Veseth, who is professor of International Political Economy at the University of Puget Sound, reported in his Jan. 11 entry on a study that analyzed 18 years of “Top 100” lists published by the Wine Spectator. The conclusion is that wines are getting both better and cheaper.
Veseth believes that globalization, which ties together grapes, winemakers and corporations from around the world, is the reason. “Globalization,” he writes, “has benefited American wine drinkers, who have a broader choice of quality wines at lower prices.”
This study dovetailed nicely with recent market research from The Nielsen Company, reported in the Wine Business Monthly. Although chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon remain the “Big Three” varietals in terms of both case and dollar sales, there is a broadening of consumer interest in exploring a much wider variety of wines from around the world.
In fourth place and quickly rising among the most popular varietal wines is pinot grigio, propelled especially by Italian versions of the wine. Italy is just about to pass Australia as the largest import category.
So, put all the pieces together and you see the pattern. Interest in Italian varietals. Even more interest in actual wines from Italy. And higher quality at a lower cost, even as consumers are willing to spend more on their everyday wines in order to enjoy affordable luxury.
This is good news, consumers! Despite all the weeping and wailing about the falling dollar, many excellent Italian wines remain quite affordable. If you are willing to put on your game face and go exploring, leaving behind the familiar comforts of chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, there are wonderful discoveries to be made. Here are some of my favorites.

From importer/distributor Grape Expectations
Guido Mazzarello 2006 Cortese Dell’Alto Monferrato, $9. This fresh, bright and lively white wine wraps its bone dry flavors in a delicate mix of lemon and almond. Great with pasta and clams.
Guido Mazzarello 2006 Barbera Del Monferrato, $9. The cortese’s red wine partner is this snappy barbera, with flavors of plum and pie cherry, hints of sandalwood and caramel and some grainy cracker.
Sabbie 2005 Morellino di Scansano, $10. Mostly sangiovese and very well-made, showing flavors of plum, balsamic, soy and smoke. It’s smooth and soft, supple and open, with a lovely mouthfeel.
Alberese 2005 “Pellegrone” Morellino di Scansano, $13. This has somewhat mature flavors marked by tobacco and leather, wrapped around soft black cherry/plum fruit. It’s lighter and more detailed than the Sabbie, with less mass, but the tannins are buffed to a fine polish.
Primosic 2005 “Rebulla” Ribolla Gialla BRDA, $15. Rebulla is Slovenian for Ribolla (if that helps). Brda is the vowel-challenged town where this Slovenian white wine is made. It offers astonishing minerality and crispness, with strong almond pastry (marzipan) flavors. I could drink this all night long.
Primosic 2006 “Belvedere” Tocai Friulano Collio, $15. Belvedere is the vineyard. It’s a bit like a Pinot Bianco, but heftier, and more detailed. It’s got a palate-cleaning mix of slate and citrus skin, lemon, melon and white pepper.

From Dalla Terra Winery Direct (distributed by Noble)
Ajello 2006 Majus Bianco Grillo Catarratto, $10.
Ajello 2006 Majus Rosso Nero d’Avola, $10.
These are terrific wines. The Bianco, made from the catarratto and grillo grapes, is loaded with Sicilian citrus, stone fruits and soft buttery acids. The Rosso captures the black cherry, licorice, cut tobacco and black tea flavors of the nero d’Avola grape.
Fattoria La Valentina 2005 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $13. This is the sort of tart, earthy, moderately low alcohol Italian red that surprises you with its complexity. Let it breathe and out come aromas of mushroom, wet earth and white pepper. The red fruit flavors suggest currant and pomegranate, and it’s a wine you can enjoy throughout a simple meal with no headache in the morning.
Aia Vecchia 2005 Lagone, $15. This tart, acidic red wine from Bolgheri is built like a SuperTuscan but priced like a simple table red. It’s 60 percent merlot, 30 percent cabernet franc and 10 percent sangiovese, ripened to a sleek 14 percent alcohol. Structure is what this elegant wine is all about, juicy red fruits set upon polished tannins.

Pick of the week
Masciarelli 2004 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $8. This is what all cheap red wines wish they could be — light but fully flavorful, with nothing watery or thin about it. Pie cherries, hints of leather, soft tannins and just the right balancing acids make this an exceptional food wine.