Brachetto D'Acqui, NV. Sanmaurizio

You heard it here first. Brachetto D'Acqui is one of the greatest wines in the world. It is so unique, so incredibly delicious and so inexpensive that it has no equal. Like most people, you're probably skeptical, unless you've taste one before. But, once you taste it, like everybody who has, you will have no doubts. San Maurizio is a co-op in Piedmont's Langhe district, home to the greatest wines in Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco. It is composed of 160 winemakers, farming over 1,200 acres of grapes.

Brachetto is a red grape grown in D'Acqui, a subzone of Asti in Italy's Piedmont, where only this wine is made. Next door is its most famous neighbor where Moscato d'Asti is crafted. Why Moscato is way more famous than Brachetto is a mystery to us. Suffice to say that they are extremely similar, very delicious and their main difference is their color. They both have a light sweetness, a light effervescence, and very low alcohol. Most hover around 6-7% or about half of most table wines. Moscato has been around for 8,000 years, while Brachetto D'Acqui has been around for less than 50. It was invented in the 1970s by Arturo Bersano, a very respected producer of Barolo. He wanted to make a red version of Moscato, and Brachetto was the natural choice.

It could not have been better. The light, but penetrating flavors mixed with petillance, and the right amount of sweetness is just what is needed for a fruit platter or a cookie platter.

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