Les Cretes Torrette (2009) Val d' Aosta

A beautiful lite Italian red from Les Cretes, the largest privately held vineyard and winery operation in the sparsely populated Aosta Valley. Located close to Mont Blanc and surrounded on three sides by the Italian, French, and Swiss Alps, the winery produces about 250,000 bottle a year. Known mostly for their Chardonnays, Les Cretes' Torrette is a dry, red made from 70% Petit Rouge (an indigenous varietal) and 30% of other regional varietals such as Mayolet, Tinurier, and Comalin. Fragrant nose of cherry-berry. Fermented and aged in stainless for eight months. Well-balanced acidity. Clean and smooth on the finish. A nice grape.

Masseria Li Veli "Orion" Salento IGT (2007) Puglia

A rock-solid Italian red wine from Masseria Li Veli, a small (86 acres of vines) Puglian winery located in the the heart of the Salento region. The winery, which produces the region's principal native varietals, including Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Aleatico, has been owned by the Falvo family since the late 1990's. Their "Orion" is 100% Primitivo (thought to be a clone of the Zinfandel grape) that is vinifed and aged for six months in steel. Intense nose of cherry and spice. Rich, full mouthfeel. Nice finish. Refreshingly un-oaked. Terrific with grilled meat. Inexpensive.

Case Ibidini Insolia (2009) Sicilia

A very drinkable Italian white wine from Case Ibidini, a second label offering from Valle dell'Acate, a rising star in the Italian wine world. The Case Ibidini range consists of several inexpensive varietally labeled wines intended for everyday consumption. The name Ibidini (pronounced 'bidini) refers to the name of the Hellenic settlers who populated eastern Sicily nearly 2,000 years ago. The wine is 100% Insolia, a native Sicilian grape, that is aged for four months in stainless steel tanks and another two to three months in the bottle. Deep straw-yellow color. Fragrant floral and citrus nose. Refreshing acidity.

Muammar Gaddafi; Tyrant, Bedouin, Italian Wine Lover

Recently, the Italian Cellar had an opportunity to discuss proper wine storage techniques with toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has been on the run since August when an uprising against him forced him from power. "I had to flee in a hurry," the bedraggled former dictator said. "I had to leave behind most of my pornography, my Condelezza Rice photo album, and most of my cellar. Unfortunately, most of the wines I took with me were Barolo's and Barbaresco's; varietals that need long-term aging. I brought very little ready to drink wine," he said sadly. To avoid capture, it has been reported that Gaddafi is traveling in a convoy and using only a tent as shelter. "Not ideal conditions for the handling and storage of wine," he said. "Light, humidity, and temperature can have a profound effect on them. The god damn sun is relentless here," he exclaimed. "I fear it's adversely reacting with the wines phenolic compounds and creating potential wines faults." Gaddafi reminded us that wine will prematurely develop if stored in an environment that has large temperature variations; particularly if they occur frequently. "Wine should never be stored where the temperature is too warm or too cold," he said. "Moderate humidity levels between 55 and 75 percent should also be maintained." When asked how he maintains proper temperature and humidity for his beloved wines given his current domestic arrangements, Gaddafi laughed. "I'm reminded of that old Sam Kinison bit........YOU LIVE IN A FU**ING DESERT!!! Boy, I loved that guy," said Gaddafi. Sensing the National Transitional Council forces were closing in, the Colonel apologized for cutting our chat short. "I must be going. Ah, the life of a deposed dictator," he shrugged.

Mamete Prevostini Botonero (2009) Lombardy

A young, fresh Nebbiolo from Mamete Prevostini, a small Lombardian winery located in the Valtellina Valley near Lake Como. Prevostini produces about 160,000 bottles of wine a year on 18 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards. All of Prevostini's red wines are made exclusively from the Nebbiolo (or as it's called in Lombardia's Valtellina; the Chiavennasca) grape. The 2009 Botonero I enjoyed was very different from the Nebbiolo based wines of Piemonte. With only a 5 day maceration and six months in stainless steel, the wine was more Pinot Noir-like in character. Brick red color. Good acidity. Light structure and body. Strong nose of strawberries. Like a Pinot, the wine would pair well with seafood. Synthetic cork.

Marramiero Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Anima / Marramiero Pecorino (2009) Abruzzo

Two knock-out Italian whites from Marramiero, a small Abruzzian winemaker with coastal vineyards near Pescara. Both the Trebbiano and the Pecorino have similar taste profiles; floral, peachy, with a hint of minerality. Both are vinified and aged entirely in stainless. Vibrant acidity. Terrific values. Delicious.

The Fennhatten Cocktail

Below is a recipe for a terrific cocktail that I enjoyed on vacation while dining at the Salt of the Earth restaurant in Fennville, Michigan:

1.5 oz Makers Mark

1.5 oz Southern Comfort

.5 oz Michigan Cherry Liqueur

Orange twist

Serve on the rocks.

Bonci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi "Carpaneto" (2009) Marche

A wonderful summer white from Vallerosa Bonci, a small (35 hectare) multi-generational Marchesian winery bordering the valley of the Esino river. Verdicchio is only grown in the Marche region. There are two different appellations for Verdicchio; Castelli di Jesi, located close to the Adriatic, and Matelica, located more inland. I prefer the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, because I feel the wine benefits from growing near the sea. As a result, its a perfect companion with seafood. Keeping with the sea theme, I purchased the Bonci Verdicchio on a family vacation at the seashore from the Wine Sellers of Saugatuck, a nice wine shop that thankfully doesn't sell many Michigan wines. The wine is a single vineyard variety; with the grapes grown on Bonci's Carpaneto vineyard. Sparkling straw yellow/greenish color. Nice citrus/lemon nose. Crisp acidity. Synthetic cork.

Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani Vigna Tecc (2009) Piedmont

A suffrutescent effort from Matteo Sardagna, the great-grandson of the estates namesake, Luigi Einaudi; the first president of the Italian Republic from 1948-55. Dolcetto, the everyday wine of the "Giuseppe sei botti" of Piedmont, is a wine that goes with everything; its light tannin structure and fresh acidity makes it an excellent all-around red. Einaudi produces more than a dozen varietals, including 3 levels of Dolcetto's; the Classico, which uses grapes from all of the poderi; the Vigna Tecc, which uses selected grapes from the oldest crus; and the Filari, which uses grapes from the very best plants. The 2009 Vigna Tecc, named for one of the four hills on the estate, is as smooth as Luigi was handsome. The wine is ruby-red in color, with a soft black cherry/violet nose, and in my opinion, unnecessarily oaked.

Argiano Non Confunditur (2007) Tuscany

A lusty Italian red from Argiano, a historic (established in 1581) Montalcino estate now owned by the Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano. (yikes!) The wines name; Non Confunditur, is a Latin term that is written on the Argiano's crest and was the motto of the estates former owners, the Lovateli Gaetani d'Aragona family. (double-yikes!) The wine is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, and 20% Syrah. Each of the four different varietals are fermented in separate tanks in order to preserve their individual characteristics. Before blending, each wine is aged for several months in both second passage French barriques and large Slovenian oak casks. The blended wine is then aged for an additional four months in the bottle before release. Deep ruby-red color. Strong berry/spicy aroma. Rich mouthfeel. Smooth finish. The estates wine maker is Dane, Hans Vinding Diers. (triple-yikes!)