An Italian red — from Baja

One of the joys of wine discovery is exploring how grapes taste differently in different parts of the world. Case in point, the 2011 Bodegas de Santo Tomás Barbera, made in Mexico from an Italian varietal. — Howard Lipin

As wine-growing areas go, you wouldn’t think Baja’s Santo Tomás Valley would have anything in common with Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. But they are both home to nebbiolo and barbera grapes and — this is key — they’re both shrouded in fog in the morning.

This billowing moisture envelops the vineyards and helps cool down the grapes, driving acidity up (good acidity is essential to a wine’s vibrancy). In Baja, that fog is particularly needed to balance those hot, dusty days.

In my early drinking years, I had bad Italian barbera (bar-bear-ah) that turned me off from the grape. The quality has improved markedly over the years, but for now, I’m going to stick with a barbera made closer to home.

The 2011 Bodegas de Santo Tomás Barbera has exceptional acidity that’s rounded out by a richness that comes from spending 12 months in French oak barrels. Its cherry, plummy aromas and cocoa and cinnamon flavors linger on the palate long after you’re done sipping. It’s a wine that can stand up to hearty meat dishes, but I’d also break out some dark chocolate and have it with dessert.

Founded in 1888 in the valley just south of Ensenada, Santo Tomás is an icon in Mexican winemaking. And yet, its wines taste up-to-the-minute modern, and its bottle labels are light-years ahead of other wineries’, with consumer-friendly information that goes beyond marketing speak. The barbera is truly a New World wine made from an Old World grape.

Region: Santo Tomás Valley

Price: $25-$28

Style: Lively and plush, medium- to full-bodied red.

Pair with: We’ll let the impressive Santo Tomás label guide us here — “Typical Mexican dish: huitlacoche (black mushroom) quesadillas; Everyday dish: meatballs in chipotle sauce; Elegant dish: Filet w/ green pepper.”

Buy it here: Krisp Market, downtown San Diego, (619) 232-6367, krispsd.com; 57 Degrees, Mission Hills, (619) 234-5757, fiftysevendegrees.com; The Wine Bank, downtown San Diego, (619) 234-7487;sdwinebank.com; The WineSellar & Brasserie, Sorrento Mesa, (858) 450-9557 or winesellar.com

Looking for a white? I first discovered arneis (ar-nez), one of the signature white grapes of Piedmont, at the fabulous Ponzi Tasting Room in Oregon’s Willamette Valley about 15 years ago, and it immediately became my favorite Italian white varietal. Tropical, layered, lively and full-bodied, it’s sadly hard to find in the U.S. or Italy. Palmina, in Lompoc, produces a terrific arneis, but you’ll probably be more apt to findVietti’s Roero Arneis on the shelves. The Wine Connection, in Del Mar, has had it for $22.99. Vietti, by the way, is one of Piedmont’s premier producers, and its arneis inspired the Ponzis to try growing it.

Source:TheSanDiegoUnionTribune