It is the dog days of Summer, but we have something to beat the heat. This Saturday will be pouring an intriguing line up of Italian wines that will tantalize the brain and sooth the spirit. These are no common pizza wines. We have a crisp Tocai, A horsey Tuscan blend, a monkish Schiava and a sparling Bonarda. Come and get refreshed.

2010 Sferracavallo, Pinot Grigio, Umbria $10
This Pinot Gris comes from hillside vineyards with chalky limestone and volcanic soil that surround Orvietto. The wine is crisp, fresh with a good spicy note.

2011 Bastianich Friulano Adriatico $18
100% (Tocai) Friulano
Friuli-Venezia Giulia lies in the far northeast corner of Italy. Bastianich’s vineyards there sit in two distinct zones. The original vineyard in Buttrio/Premariacco is influenced by the warmth of the sea and is famous for producing wines of great power. The second property, in Cividale del Friuli, is influenced by the bora, or north wind. With cooler nights, the wines are much more aromatic. Both areas share similar soil, ponca, the crumbly sandstone gives the wines their signature mineral backbone. The Adriatico is medium bodied with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral flavor and zesty, mouthwatering acidity.

2010 San Felice Cantrada $10
50% Merlot, 40% Sangiovesse, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
This red wine was created for the Contrade of Siena to be served at their traditional banquets during the days of the Palio (a yearly horse race). Fresh, and fruity, the Contrada is a robust Tuscan food wine with scents of ripe cherries and violet, soft tannins and big bright fruit combined with a balanced acidity.

2010 Kalterersee Auslese ( Schiava) Alto Adige $17
Schiava (also known as Trollinger, Vernatsch or Kalterersee)
Novacella is an Augustinian monastery founded in 1147. Today the monks still make wine to support the monastery. This Northern alpine Italian red is light and fresh with aromas reminiscent of red summer fruits and cherry; succulent, gentle and fruity on the palate with soft, unobtrusive tannins, mild but refreshing acidity and a typical hint of almond on the finish.

2010 Castekki du Luzzano Bonarda Oltrepo Pavese Frizante $20
100% Croatina (Bonarda)
This Bonarda Frizzante is a sparkling red wine familiar in the north of Italy. The estate lies on a hill that borders the regions of Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. The wine possesses plenty of fruit, intense aromas of raspberry and a dry palate of great elegance. Fresh and unusual.