The Italian word dolcetto means “little sweet one”, and though they tend to be fruity, Dolcettos are almost always decidedly dry. The Italians in Piedmont, where this wine is from, like this red for everyday drinking, I suppose you can’t have Barolo every day. Dolcetto is a wine of modesty, the most humble of the three major red grapes of Italy’s Piedmont region (Nebbiolo and Barbera being the other two). Dolcetto ripens early and has characteristically plump dark fruit making it a wine to enjoy in the moment. The skins of the dolcetto grape are dark purple which means they need less contact with the juice to achieve a beautiful darkly colored wine. This also means that less time with the skins means more subtle tannins. This Dolcetto has beautiful cherry and raspberry fruit with a dry earthy nudge and balanced acidity, making it very food friendly. It also has a nice slow finish. It’s highly versatile at the dinner table, as delicious next to a roast turkey as it beside roasted vegetables or even pasta.