Bocale Spoleto Trebbiano

Bocale Spoleto Trebbiano is a Massachusetts white wine made from Trebbiano, a grape better known in Italy, where it produces light, high-acid whites. The label doesn't give a vintage, ABV or tasting notes, so what follows is the profile typical of the grape. Expect a pale straw color, a light to medium body and a dry, clean palate. Trebbiano usually shows lemon, green apple and pear, sometimes with a trace of almond or white blossom. Acidity is usually the main feature, with low tannin because the grape is white and thin-skinned. Most Trebbiano is made without oak and in stainless steel. If that holds here, the wine should taste crisp and unoaked, and the finish is usually short to moderate and mineral or lightly bitter, like almond skin. The wine's brightness and modest weight suit simple, savory food. Fried calamari, shrimp scampi, grilled white fish and clam dishes all work, because the acidity does the job of a squeeze of lemon. It also goes well with lightly dressed salads, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and melon, and pasta in olive oil, garlic and herbs, or in a light cream-free sauce. Heavy tomato-meat sauces and strongly spiced dishes will overpower a wine in this style. Younger, leaner Trebbiano often does best with salty, fried or briny foods. Serve it well chilled, at about 45 to 50°F, which keeps the acidity lively and the fruit fresh. About two hours in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes in an ice bath, gets it there. It doesn't need decanting. Pour it straight from the bottle into a standard white wine glass or a Chardonnay-sized tulip. A glass with a moderate bowl and a narrower rim will concentrate the citrus and orchard-fruit aromas without letting the wine warm too fast. Treat this as a drink-now bottle. Light, unoaked Trebbiano is made for freshness, and it rarely gains anything from extended cellaring. For the best fruit and acidity, open it within a year or two of purchase and finish the bottle within a day or two of opening, keeping it corked in the refrigerator between pours.