It is, after all, the third child in Piemonte’s holy grape trinity. Dolcetto seems to stand in the shadow of the region’s champion grape Nebbiolo, the grape responsible for the noble Barolo, and Barbaresco, the populist queen to Barolo’s king. In a global market pockmarked with trends, there seems to be not enough room for Dolcetto to share in Piedmont’s glory. And yet, Dolcetto–a grape more acidic and thus more food-friendly than its name suggests–packs a dark purple punch of black cherries, black plums, black raspberries licorice and spice. It makes a special wine.

I’d like to help give Dolcetto a shot at its own fifteen minutes—and hopefully longer. I’m not alone. The recent Huffington Post piece “A Grape That Could Use Some Love: Dolcetto” suggests that people are beginning to dig this little gem from Piedmont. Even though non-Italians have overlooked Dolcetto’s potential, the best producers of Piedmont have not. Ruggeri Corsini makes an approachable and lovely rendition that can be enjoyed daily; Sandrone and Aldo Conterno both make world-class contemporary interpretations; and the classics style is upheld by greats like Bartolo Mascarello, who makes Dolcetto like it has always been made. And these Dolcettos are all great-tasting, food-happy, entry-level value wines, as well as coming from iconic producers.

Each style offers something new according to the typicity of its estate and the style of the producer, but this variety helps to underscore the range of options available to drinkers curious enough to explore. Open your minds, hearts, and glasses to this underappreciated sweetheart. Its subtle fruits will entertain your palate with new flavors that you never knew you loved.

While it’s true that your palate adjusts to the nuances inherent in so many of the world’s finest wines, there are many exquisite tastes available that don’t break the bank and still provide a thought-provoking and intensely pleasurable experience.  Modern technology has in many ways changed the nature of the wine industry, but it can never change or supersede the nature of the grape, or the craft it takes to produce a bottle of brilliance.

The late Bartolo Mascarello was a staunch adherent to traditionalism in Piemonte – his Barolo is heralded as a true Old World wine and his estate, now being run by his daughter Maria Theresa, carries on his philosophies and practices.  In addition to world-class Barolo, Mascarello also produces delicious and delightful Barberas and a Dolcetto that exemplifies the centuries of accumulated knowledge and craft.  Mascarello’s winemaking is an art form that you can taste.

When they handed me the Mascarello Dolcetto 2010 on Friday and asked me to write this week’s Go-To-Wine Tuesday blot post, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.  I love this wine. While still very young and powerful right out of the bottle, almost black in its concentration and classic structure, this Dolcetto revs up the dark fruit to give way to violets and the slightest hint of licorice.  I popped the cork late Friday evening and had two glasses over a late dinner with my book (I’m re-reading Robinson Crusoe). I found myself savoring every sip and cherishing each taste as a simple luxury.

Revisiting the bottle on Saturday afternoon, I was equally as pleased, and though it had sat fully open after a day on the shelf, it had lost none of its vibrancy, still  showing plenty of zing and structure.  This bottle is elegant and easy and delightfully delicious, and I can honestly say I prefer it to some much more expensive bottles.

There are wines that are made to be consumed, to be cherished, to be shared with good friends, with family, with our own sense of pleasure, and they need not cost $50 or hundreds of dollars a bottle.  There are wines that present us with a taste of that world, the finer things in life, and to have that quality in a wine at under thirty bucks, is immeasurable.

Made from the Dolcetto vine in the Northwestern Italian wine region of Bussia in the Langhe, “Dolcetto” means “little sweet one,” but the name doesn’t necessarily mean that the wine carries large sugar levels.  The grape is black and can be tannic and fruity with moderate levels of acidity.  This bottle from 2010 is still young, and you can definitely get a case of these wines and let them age.  Overall, this is a very light and easy drinking dry red that can be enjoyed among friends and conversation, or you can pair this wine with pizza or pasta may work very well.  Knowing that I have a bottle from Aldo Conterno, a wine family whose wine making history spans back many years and incorporates many of the old world wine techniques, I can trust and expect that the care and dedication to the vinification process is always of best quality and high standards.

This past week I picked up a bottle from our store—Domenico Clerico Dolcetto Visadi. The producer is one of the best Barolo makers alive, and the wine derives from the deliciously food friendly Dolcetto grape.  I decided that this would be the centerpiece to meal I was putting together that evening, and for under $20 how could I refuse?

Surprisingly, the Domenico Clerico 2008 Dolcetto Vsadii was far more than a structure of sweet fruit and supple acidity. I found there was a particularly noticeable tannic structure that complemented my meal of tomato basil over Fusilli pasta and seasoned beef. The blending of high notes from red fresh cherries, rose, pomegranate, and plum blended incredibly with my sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, and garlic. Although my Montreal seasoning wasn’t traditionally Italian, I found Clerico’s Dolcetto production held with this slight twist. The tannic structure provided greater complexity and range to what is typical with a less full-bodied Dolcetto. Without a doubt, the acidity of this wine ultimately made the meal. I would recommend putting this bottling in your arsenal of solid beats for nights in. The meal reinforced that the Dolcetto, or “little sweet one,” is a rewardingly approachable food friendly wine.

When you want build a meal around Italian flavors but need a wine that can handle a few alternative deviations, understand that Domenico Clerico’s slightly modernist Dolcetto wine will allow you to take more international flavor risks without forcing your meal off of the Italian boot. And the pride of announcing that it’s under $20 a bottle only adds to the sweetness.

Step 1/Preferences: Ask your date his or her preference before you place the order. Never pick the cheapest or the most expensive wine; go for something in between.

Step 2/The Wines: I often like to start out with some Prosecco. It’s youthful, fresh and bubbly character is perfect match for conversation and appetizer, and its residual sugar makes it user-friendly; you really can’t go wrong. White wines offer lots of options for you and your date. For a fuller, low acid, creamy wine, look to California and Australia for some Chardonnay and Viognier. If you’re in the mood for an aromatic, expressive, lean wine with sassy acidiy and a natural affinity for food, head to France’s Loire Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc wines or to Germany for their dry Riesling. It’s expensive, but Burgundy’s take on Chardonnay is sexy, seductive, and elegant. Try Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Pinot Grigio from Italy for whites that fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. More expansive than whites are reds, and if you’re date favors wines from the ruby end of the spectrum, you might choose a full, warm and viscous, oak scented wine from California, Australia, or Spain. It’s tough to go wrong with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir. Out of these varietals, Pinot Noir would be the friendliest because of its gorgeous fruit, elegant stature and polished mouth feel. It’s definitely a great date wine, and it’s always a smart way to gauge the tastes of your partne,  because you can always hop up to a Merlot, a Cabernet, or Syrah—or dial it down with a Gamay from Beaujolais.

Spain’s Tempranillo, Grenache, Graciano and Mourvedre are full-bodied wines with higher alcohol and bolder fruit. The Provence and the Languedoc Roussillon region of south France give hearty, full wines with great value. Elegant reds require you to head to the Old World of France and Italy. Generally lighter in body, and higher in acidity and earthiness, these wines are great to pair with food. Italy’s Barbera and Dolcetto will satisfy your tastes for tart, berry fruit, a medium body and a low level of tannin, while the Cabernet Franc grape from the Loire Valley offers earthy fruit and fresh acidity. For optimal pairing with pasta, you don’t have to look any further than a nice, lean Chianti; its typical Sangiovese bite and dusty tannins make pasta sing.

Step 3/Confidence: No matter what you do, try to look confident when ordering wine, even if you are clueless. If lost, you can simply ask the waiter to choose a wine that would go nicely with your meal—there is no shame in asking for help. Above all, remember that drinking wine will help you learn and help you choose. Whether the date goes splendidly well or tanks epically well, you can always count on the wine to teach you something new and tasty.