Italian dolcetto has a French accent

The best red wines made in the Piedmont region of Italy are called barolo or barberesco, but they are too expensive for most folks to drink except on special occasions.

The average Italian drinks wine made from the dolcetto or barbera grapes. Most sell in the $12 to $20 range in this country, depending on where you live and your area's taxes.

The dolcetto grape produces a lighter style wine than barberas.

It is native to Italy and tastes dry and grapy. It is often compared to French Beaujolais because of its easy-drinking nature. The dolcetto is less fruity and drier than the Beaujolais and should be drunk very young, not cellared.

A dolcetto likely will have more tannins than a Beaujolais. These tannins and other factors make dolcetto a better food wine.

The wine-tasting group compared four dolcettos in a blind tasting.

Here is what we found:

-- 2003 Marchesi di Barolo Madonna di Como Dolcetto d'Alba at $14.99. This wine had a complex, almost balsamic aroma with notes of raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and a bit of smoke. The palate was not quite as good as the aroma. The wine was in good balance and did not taste as coarse as some dolcettos. The tasters ranked this wine first in the tasting.

-- 2002 L'Ardi Dolcetto d'Acqui at $11.99. This wine had an Old World earthy aroma with little fruit. In the mouth it was dry and tart with a hint of cherries on the end. It had gentle tannins and a short finish. This vintage is the first release for this wine in this country.

-- 2003 Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d'Alba at $22.99. This wine was drier than the others, with more mature fruit. The aroma reminded us of prunes and stewed fruit. On the palate, it dried out the mouth, screaming for food.

-- 2003 Andrea Oberto Dolcetto d'Alba at $14.99. This dusty aroma suggested cherries, raspberries and grapes -- Luden's wild cherry cough drops, one taster said. The wine had a nice texture in the mouth, and after the finish, the mouth was dry and ready for some food. All of these were good everyday food wines, but at $15, the Marchesi was an easy favorite.

Surfing the wine shelves

-- 2002 ForestVille Vineyard Zinfandel at $5.99. Jammy dark fruit and pepper made this wine a good buy for $6.

-- Mumm Napa Cuvee M at $18. Made from a blend of mainly chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, this bubbly had an aroma of honey, peaches, pears and vanilla oak. It had a creamy texture and a long finish.

-- 2002 Kenwood Pinot Noir at $17. This was a medium-bodied pinot with lots of plum, cherry and black cherry flavors with hints of cedar.

-- 2001 Napanook at $39. This wine was made in a Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon. The wine had a spicy aroma, with blueberries, cocoa and smoke. It was fruity on the palate with a silky texture.

-- 2000 Treana Red at $32. This wine was a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot. It had a dusty, leathery aroma with black currants and dark fruit. The finish was fruity and lengthy.

-- 2002 Reynolds NSW Shiraz at $8.99. An excellent value at this price, this wine had a spicy aroma with dark fruit and lots of oak. In the mouth, it was full-bodied with surprising complexity.

-- 2003 Rosemount Chardonnay at $10. This aroma offered peaches, honeydew melon and lemon. In the mouth, it had a creamy texture and more citrus flavors.

-- 2001 Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Reserve Zinfandel at $18. The winery added some petite syrah to the zinfandel to give it some backbone. The result was a smooth, easy-drinking zin with plenty of fruit and pepper.

-- 2001 Roriz Douro Reserva at $24. This Portuguese red wine was extraordinary at this price, full-bodied with spicy aromas, dark jammy fruits and plenty of oak. Nice chocolate flavors accented the plum and black cherry flavors on the palate.

-- 2002 Greg Norman Estates Victoria Chardonnay at $14. This wine's aroma showed a lot of soft fruit -- peaches, tangerines, honeydew melon and lemon. The wine on the palate was creamy with a soft finish.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.