2003 Paolo Scavino Dolcetto d’Alba

Keep those big Barolos you’ve been waiting all summer to drink under wraps for later in the fall. Right now is the time for an interesting easygoing red, like Dolcetto d’Alba. The 2003 from Enrico Scavino (his label reads Paolo Scavino, his father) is a beautiful mouthful. Deep crimson with loads of sweet fruit and a whiff of raspberry and white pepper in the nose, this is a wine the Piedmontese drink with pasta, carne cruda (raw hand-chopped veal) or a little salame. Its firm, chiseled quality and bracing acidity make it tremendously food-friendly. Crisp rather than soft, this Dolcetto exhibits a wonderful balance. That’s no surprise; it comes from one of Barolo’s best vintners. Scavino’s 2003 Scavino Dolcetto d’Alba is a great introduction to the wines of Piedmont at an affordable price.

-- S. Irene Virbila

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Quick swirl

Region: Piedmont

Price: About $18

Style: Crisp and easygoing

Food it goes with: Salame, pasta with meat sauce, roast chicken

Where you find it: Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463; John & Pete’s Fine Wines in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080; Wally’s in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606; Wine Country in Long Beach, (562) 597-8303; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454; (800) 76WINEX.