Ruffino Orvieto Classico 2008

Mary and I opened a Ruffino Orvieto Classico, 2008 for lunch today. It was surprisingly good with crisp acidity and a wonderfully floral bouquet. At first it showed a strong hint of green apple but later it turned to a lush scent and taste of ripe pear. The finish was long and opulent. Most surprising was the subtle taste of honey and hints of lemon zest which were complimented by great balance and structure. We had found the 2007 vintage rather bitter and unappealing. What a nice surprise on a snowy winter's day. Oh, and it's very affordable at around $10.00. I highly recommend this wine for nice light dishes.  

Ruffino Orvieto Classico is 50% Procanico, 30% Grechetto, 10% Verdello, and 10% Canailol Bianco.  Vinification is all stainless steel.  No oak here.   

This wine begs for fish dishes such as scallops, shrimp, flounder in butter sauce, etc.  Its crisp acidity does wonders for all fish based recipes.  We actually had it today with a home made guacamole dip made from fresh avocado.   It was superb and complemented the oily base of the avocado. We normally have this wine on a warm, summer's day but it showed itself well during mid-winter.  This is clearly the sign of a versatile and pleasing wine. 

I hope you enjoy this wine as much as we did.  Give it a try.