Wine of the Week: 2011 Masseria Li Veli Verdeca

Here’s an interesting white wine from Puglia, the region that forms the “heel” of Italy’s “boot.” Made from an ancient grape variety called Verdeca with a small percentage of Fiano Minutolo (don’t you just love these Italian grape names?), it has a delightful nose of flowers and white peaches. It’s richly fruity, but that’s balanced with a tart acidity and a bit of minerality. Made by the Falvo family, who are best known for their beautiful Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and vin santo from Tuscany, Masseria Li Veli’s Verdeca is a stunner for a white wine from Italy’s south.

Serve it well-chilled, with peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, steamed Dungeness crab, or a more delicate seafood pasta or risotto. This could be the one for crab cakes too.

Region: Valle d’Itria, Puglia, Italy

Price: $16 to $19

Style: Crisp and floral

What it goes with: Peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, seafood pasta and risotto, lobster and crab

Where to find it: BestWinesOnline.com, (888) 817-8880, https://www.bestwinesonline.com; Du Vin Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 855-1161, https://www.du-vin.com; and K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, https://www.klwines.com.

[email protected]