CORKAGE

My eyes are being opened to the non-Chardonnay whites of the world, yes, me, white Burgundy fiend that I am.  I'm learning how to keep it simple, sip something, enjoy the moment, not take every bottle so frickin' seriously.  I was just poured the 2006 Verdicchio dei Castello di Jesi "Conscio," from Angelo Accadia.  Italian white from the Marche region.  It was at Locanda Portofino in Santa Monica, with a little bit of nice pasta.  The wine was fresh, bright, and like a big barrel of nuts -- chestnuts, walnuts, nuts I've never heard of but must exist -- with a phenomenal and unspritzy acidity.  I guess it's a simple, straightforward wine, but those nuts just give it that bit of exoticness, and sense of place, that make any wine worth its salt (salt?). Anyway, I just kept sipping.   Under twenty bucks in a wine store.  36 bucks by the bottle at Osteria Mozza, I just checked on the internet.  Probably about the same at Locanda, although I didn't notice, and available by the glass.  Whatever, it's a great value.  Run don't walk.  Happy 4th.