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What makes wine different from just about any other beverage? I submit that the fruit of the vine offers such an intriguing blend of history, geography, science and so many other things that it catches our imagination in a way that most other drinks can't do. Wine brings an extra dimension to the table because it inspires us to flights of fancy.

Best of all, the wine doesn't need to be particularly rare, sought-after or expensive. Even the most everyday wine can brings back memories of a happy journey, a literary allusion, a familiar face or even a yet-to-be- realized dream.

Don't stop me if I've used this example before, but one wine that invariably brings back warm memories for me is a pleasant, not overly pricey Italian red - Lungarotti Rubesco from Torgiano in Umbria - that has spanned the quarter-of-a-century that I've been seriously involved in wine.

It must have been around 1980 when I first learned of Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano, a Sangiovese-Canaiolo blend, highlighting it in my well- thumbed early edition of Hugh Johnson's pocket wine encyclopedia because its three-star rating was enclosed in a box, the graphic symbol that Johnson then used to highlight wines he considered particularly good values.

I sought it out, liked it ... and then, in a happy coincidence, was later invited to visit Torgiano as a judge in a 1982 wine competition sponsored by the Lungarotti family, who own the winery, not to mention a fine hotel, a highly rated restaurant, a small but elegant wine museum and, as it turned out, most of the rest of the little village of Torgiano, which lies a few kilometers away from Perugia in Umbria's softly rolling hills.

It was my first experience in international wine judging and, in fact, my first trip to Europe undertaken entirely for wine-related purposes.
It was a delightful experience in a golden autumn, with ripe Sangiovese grapes ready to be harvested ... or tasted, in judicious samplings, by a wide-eyed young wine tourist.

And to this day, I can't open a bottle of Rubesco without those memories flooding back, in full Technicolor with stereophonic sound. You just don't get that effect with a glass of Pepsi or iced tea.

My report on the recently released Lungarotti 2001 Rubesco comes with a story: In a recent edition, I mentioned in passing that a bottle of the 2000 had been disappointing and possibly damaged. Someone at the U.S. importer, Paterno, caught this brief reference and fired off a bottle of the 2001, urging me to give it another try. While I don't usually accept free samples, this personal contact seemed more sociable than commercial, so I made an exception, uncorked it and tried it. I'm pleased to report that this bottle was fine ... and so were the memories.

Today's second tasting, also an Italian-style Sangiovese, incorporates a few memories of its own: The non-vintage Mosby "Lucca" is 100 percent Sangiovese, a blend of Tuscan fruit and California personality, from a winery in Buellton, Calif., a village featured in the movie Sideways, which coincidentally won Golden Globe awards (best movie-comedy, and best screenplay) last night. It has been my pleasure to visit Mosby on a couple of occasions, and again, I can't open a bottle of this producer's wine without seeing its Central Coast setting and friendly faces in my mind's eye. And for me, this can't help but enhance the wine.

FOOD MATCH: Like the Chianti that it somewhat resembles, Rubesco is food-friendly and compatible with a range of fare, from stereotypical red-sauced Italian-American classics to our choice, free-range chicken fricaseed with lots of green peppers and onions.

VALUE: Appropriate at this mid-teens price, which has held steady in this market since at least the 1997 vintage.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's tart and fruity, and most enjoyable while that juicy fruit is fresh. It should hold for several years on the wine rack or in the cellar, but I'd recommend enjoying it in the next year or two before it begins to fade.

PRONUNCIATION:
Lungarotti = "LOON-gah-ROH-tee"
Rubesco = "Roo-BESS-coe"
Torgiano = "Tor-JAH-noe"

WEB LINK: Lungarotti's Website, available in Italian and English, requires Flash and begins here: http://www.lungarotti.it/

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:  Find vendors and compare prices for Lungarotti wines on Wine-Searcher.com.

If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

 
Robin Garr is the creator of the WineLover's Page.
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