Geek Wines
These five picks may be esoteric, but they're also terrific.
Plus:
2008 Fratelli Alessandria Verduno Pelaverga ($23)
Piedmont's red Pelaverga—which means "branch peeler"—is delicate and fragrant.
2008 Weingut Zahel Schloss Schoenbrunn Wiener Gemischter Satz ($22)
It's white, Austrian and spicy, and it's pronounced geh-MISH-ter sats.
2007 York Creek Vineyards Mxb Red Wine ($24)
"Mixed blacks," from ancient California vineyards, blend Zinfandel with other varieties.
2007 Lang & Reed Two-Fourteen ($40)
An unusual Loire Valley Cabernet Franc clone is the source of this lush California red.
2005 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Savagnin ($25)
This nutty, oxidative French white is the work of a winemaker known as "the pope of Arbois."
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