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"Some people see it, but they don't know about it; they get a little nervous— all they know is they want a Cab," she said. "But someone who comes in with an expectation to be open-minded, and not someone asking 'Where are the Super Tuscans and the Barolos?' will see it as a cool, novel item." Though its envelope—the haute bohe- mian Gramercy Park Hotel—is swanky, the restaurant is a low-key affair with the feel of an undiscovered neighbor- hood joint. Indeed, says Nicholson, Meyers had the down-home trattorias of Rome and Lazio in mind when he fashioned the space and the menu. Nicholson says "there's a lot of space on the menu" for pairing with a wine like San Leonardo. Pastas with a spicy profile go well with the 2004, which she has on her list. "I appreciate that the wine has a rustic profile that goes with trattoria food and doesn't have to gussy it up." "This wine isn't for people who have their own cellars or who want a first-growth Bordeaux," she said. "But you don't have to be in France to have a really great Bordeaux. I know people turn their nose up at Merlot, but the Merlot here is phenomenal, and if there's one area of Italy I'm going to drink wine from, it's the northeast." Nicholson has some 200 bottle of Italian wines on her list and says San Leonardo has a permanent place there. "My philosophy is to try to highlight the obscure . . . it's an extension of who I am. Tuscany has no problem selling wine: San Leonardo helps give a broad picture of who and what Italy really is." Tasting Bordeaux Blends from the Italian Alps Imagine pristine vineyards in a narrow Alpine valley with a breathtaking backdrop of snow- covered mountains. The river Adige, the second longest in Italy, runs through it. But none of this is new: Vineyards have been planted here since Roman times. It is in this area that Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, planted here since the 19th century, are the area's leading red varieties, but the wines they produce are different animals from French or Californian versions. Here are my notes on the unique qualities in the wines of San Leonardo. —Meridith May San Leonardo 2006 Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (SRP $67.99) A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. Lovely entry of cherries and blackberries soaked in rosewater. Just the right astringency on the palate to claim its terroir and Old Worldiness. Vibrant and earthy, its coffee- dusted finish, with a dot of vanilla, envelops the fruit. Terre di San Leonardo 2007 Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (SRP $21.99) A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Carmine-hued, exotically pitched plums with coriander, jasmine and sandalwood; backnotes of new leather form structure and a barely ripe cherried-tobacco finish. San Leonardo is imported by Vias Imports Ltd.; www.viaswine.com. Across The AtlantaThe Betti Brothers Bring Italy to the Southeast Hailing from Tuscany, the brothers Betti—Marco, Alessandro and Gianni—have imported their own brand of Italian cooking to Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood at Antica Posta. The Atlanta outpost of their home restaurant in San Casciano, Italy, relies on simple, fresh ingredients, the hallmark of Tuscan cuisine, and respects, rather than reinvents, the cooking tradition. Here, San Leonardo earns a place along the rustic dishes that cry out for a robust and spicy wine. Alessandro Betti and his brother Gianni at Antica Posta in Atlanta. 104 / the tasting panel / october 201 1 PHOTO: DOUG BROWN PHOTO: ERIK LESSER