One of the major benefits of my job is tasting a bunch of great vino.  I bumped into my friend Ned the other day, a card-carrying Italian Wine Geek who represents one of my favorite wine importers, Vinity Wine Company.  He had this gorgeous single vineyard Rinaldi with him- it was a masterpiece of a wine, and quite possibly, a perfect Dolcetto.

This wine is a single-vineyard Dolcetto d’Alba Rinaldi calls “Roussot.”  It is refined, elegant, queenly even.  Beautiful soft tannins, lush blackberry fruit and a long, bright, mineral finish. This is a classic Dolcetto, a seductive and powerful example of Piemonte’s real elegance.

Another perk to my job- sitting at Vincenti Ristorante’s bar at the end of the day.  This Dolcetto was perfect with Chef Nicola Mastronardi’s piatto del giorno: canederli.  These are the lightest, fluffiest, most delicate dumplings you could ever imagine.  Dusted with crispy pork and drowning in brown-butter-fried sage sauce, you literally cannot resist these soft little angels.  This and a sip of Dolcetto.  Life is good.