Books appeal to wine buffs and novices

By CHRIS SHERMAN
Published May 15, 2007

New wine books worth looking at include California Wine Country (Sunset; $19.95) and The Art of Terroir (Chronicle Books; $24.95).

Wine Country is slick-finished to avert wine-spill stains, offers 275 descriptions of wineries to visit, as far south as Baja, Mexico, plus numerous suggestions on where to eat and stay.

George Rose, a nationally renowned photographer and vice president of public relations at Kendall-Jackson Winery, has used his picture-taking talents to produce The Art of Terroir, with wine writer Rod Smith. It's alluring enough to make one want to take off for the wine country.

Upcoming food and wine benefits

- Taste of Pinellas, June 1-3, Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg, to benefit All Children's Hospital. Information: www.allkids.org.

Three-day outdoor festival with foods from local restaurants with music by Peter Frampton, the Neville Brothers, .38 Special and Ziggy Marley. Admission is free, with charges for food.

- Fork Fight, 1 to 11 p.m. June 11, Tampa Waterside Marriott Hotel, to benefit America's Second Harvest of Tampa Bay food bank. Tickets cost $150. Information: (813) 254-1190, ext. 101.

A five-course dinner will be prepared by top local chefs and paired with fine wines.

WINE OF THE WEEK

Voga Italia pinot grigio, 2005

You won't confuse this wine with a chorus of husky Russian boatmen. The name is not Volga but Voga, as in yoga.

The cool tubular bottle is the biggest redesign in wine packaging since the bag in a box, but it's much hipper. The New Zealanders won points for screw caps on white wine, but the Italians ran the bottle down a fashion runway and came up with a sleek column of glass with a black plastic cap. And it's more efficient in the fridge.

But what's inside? Better than average pinot grigio. This is basic lightweight PG from the Veneto, the Corona of wine, made for hot days and icy buckets. Yet it's clean and polished, with a bit of crisp lemon and a round, friendly feel. Fine with lunch, a light dinner and anytime in between.

Voga also has a better grade of pinot noir and a sleek red blend called Quattro.

Popularity and advertising have pushed pinot grigio's price too high, so this is a deal. Given the overcharging for fancy glass liquor bottles, a chic design for a sawbuck is welcome.

Availability: Approximately $10 in select stores.

[Last modified May 15, 2007, 17:19:11]