2004 falanghina feudi di san gregorio
February 15, 2006
falanghina? that was a new one to me when i first tried it at NYC's Otto.
Otto has a fascinating italian wine list, and knowledgeable and friendly bartenders. put those two things together and you've got an opportunity to try a bunch of wines along with some good pasta and OK pizza. in fact, i go to Otto for the pasta, salumi, antipasti, and wine, and not for the pizza.
falanghina grows in campania for sure. it's a full-bodied white, and a nice change from the usual italian varieties that i normally drink. the 2004 falanghina from feudi di san gregorio has notes of banana and smoke. its golden yellow hue is very "pretty", if that's a reasonable descriptor for wine. it's got great acidity that makes you chew your tongue. a very nice food wine, and just heavy enough to play nice with the olive oil in tuna crudo.
the bottle is about 15 dollars at carlo russo in ho-ho-kus, and 12 at Bottle Kings in the area. the guys are carlo russo are really good, know their stuff, and are passionate about their products. they have a wine tasting every saturday afternoon, and, in my experience, they'll match prices of competitors when you're buying a case or are a familiar face.