Simon di Brazzan, Malvasia

I want you to know that I fought for this wine. Well, “fought” is a little strong; I advocated for it in a vociferous way. Simon di Brazzan’s California importer wasn’t going to bring this Malvasia into the US, fearing it was too “niche,” especially in a COVID-ravaged market. Thankfully, after some cajoling, they reconsidered, so now it’s my job to explain how fortunate we are.The quality of Italian white wine in general has skyrocketed in recent years, and there’s been a lot of talk about which of Italy’s native varieties is going to break through to the big time: Verdicchio from the Marche? Carricante from Sicily? Timorasso from Piedmont? All are legitimate choices, but in Friuli-Venezia Giulia—unequivocally the white wine capital of Italy—there are two that are already there: Friulano and Malvasia. Both produce world-class white wines, and when I think about all-time great whites from Friuli, there’s a long list of magnificent Malvasias: Edi Kante. Doro Princic. Dario Raccaro. Venic