Reader Nicole wrote us with a question after our Corkage Week post on dos and don’ts: if one is going to a restaurant that features a geographic-based wine list (in her example, she chose an LA spot that has only Italian wines) and she wants to bring her own bottle, is it impolite to bring a wine that is regionally off-topic? She’d like to bring a Cali Cab.

In all honesty, we’re not sure how to answer this question so we think this is the perfect time for a poll (and please leave comments, since there are so many nuances to this topic!).

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Personally, we think that it could go any of these three ways. Clearly bringing a Cali Cab would be following the “don’t bring a wine that’s already on the list” tip, so that’s a plus. But the restaurant clearly has a strong POV (Italian wine with Italian food) so maybe somehow they’d be offended to see a non-Italian wine come through their doors.

However, if you were to bring a bottle of Italian wine that wasn’t extremely special…maybe they’d be more offended, since they spent so much time selecting an array of Italian wines appropriate for the food they serve that it might seem a slap in the face for one to drop in with something that is more or less the equivalent of wine they already serve.

Mostly, we lean to the rights of the customer: you’re paying, so you should get to do what makes you happiest (but be aware that these issues might crop up!).

What do you think?

This is going to be a brief post. It’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, and the theme from Lenn Thompson is a good one: to choose a wine that gets you back to your roots as a wine drinker and wine lover. Sort of ‘the wine that changed your life,’ if you will. Read more…

We have a knack for picking Italian wines that score really horribly in the press. This one gets an 82 from the Wine Spectator — but we love it nonetheless. It’s a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah that hails from a biodynamic estate outside of Lucca. It couldn’t be from anywhere else, unlike the 98 point yielding Super Tuscan blends that we’ve on occsasion mistaken for California iterations of Bordeaux varieties. This will probably end up in our six-pack prize of wines that will not make the Spectator top 100…$37 for 82 points (how’s that for transparency?)

Simon from Larchmont Wine & Spirits comes to the rescue, giving us temporary relief from the slight blogger’s block we’ve been experiencing this week. This wine sounds delicious. Think we’ll go pick up a bottle right now to go with our dinner tonight. See ya later! (Oh, it’s $15.99 and call Simon to order at 323-856-8699…)

Simon says:

Another fantastic summer-friendly wine gets the nod this month. At first glance you may wonder why a sparkling red should receive such a designation, but this luscious, yet dry Lambrusco is a wonderful companion to almost any picnic/barbeque fare or pastas one can imagine. Salumi, prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano, burgers, tagliatelle alla bolognese etc. all seem so much more delicious while you slurp down some of this refreshing, frothy red.*

It’s low in alchohol, really only slightly sparkling, so definitely not to be feared…

Once a wine regarded with what might be charitably characterized as disdain, Lambrusco is occasionally sublime when in the hands of the right producer. The Lini family from the Po Valley in Emilia Romagna in north central Italy has been fashioning wines from this area since 1910, and their experience shows here. The wine is stuffed with ripe fruit, has ample bright acidity which lends the wine its refreshing character and is just simply delicious.

*Remember, for best results, Chill this down…