It was a Wednesday afternoon at my desk with two classic French whites: Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé 2011 (a famed Loire Valley sauvignon blanc) and Christian Moreau Chablis 2011 (an equally esteemed chardonnay from Burgundy). Chef Lou Rook had the great idea to send some beautiful oysters from Prince Edward Island to challenge these two wines. Pouilly-Fumé was stunning with the simple oyster, and the Chablis was dead-on amazing when the oyster was dipped in mignonette. The bivalve’s aroma combined perfectly with the fragrance of both wines. There is a reason why classic pairings become classic. It was certainly a great day at the office.

— Glenn Bardgett, member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and wine director at Annie Gunn’s

— illustration by Vidhya Nagarajan

Dolcetto has frequently been called the “Beaujolais of Italy,” which has bothered me for years, because it’s totally inaccurate and unfair to France’s Beaujolais. Here are three exciting and dramatically different views of this beautiful red grape.

Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d’Alba, 2010, Piedmont, Italy At first sip, this wine seemed unusual for a Dolcetto, a typically easy and fruity grape. But what initially appeared to be “way too big” turned out to be a lengthy and powerful version of this shy variety. This large and voluptuous style was amazing for its intensity at around $20.

Palmina Dolcetto, 2010, Santa Barbara County, Calif. As a Santa Barbara Dolcetto virgin, my anticipation was a solid Missouri “Show Me!” After swirling and sniffing, the lusciously round and soft tannins were captivating. There was even a very vague sense of wood – unusual if a Dolcetto is from Italy, but who knows what an American Dolcetto should be? Different from its Old World cousins, this great wine was delicious $20 yumminess with a half-minute finish.

Pio Cesare Dolcetto d’Alba 2011, Piedmont, Italy Then Pio came to play. While ordering multiple courses at Charlie Gitto’s in Chesterfield, my guess that this would be “just right” with pasta, salad, chicken and pizza was confirmed. I’m not claiming that this $25 red is the perfect wine for all food, but it was for one night.