Barone Paladino Pinot Grigio - £69.99Price on from Laithwaites.Popularity has done nothing to diminish the cachet of Pinot Grigio, the pre-eminent Italian white, enjoyed by wine lovers around the world for its crowd-pleasing, thirst-quenching qualities. It's grown in many countries, but its true home is Italy. Hugh Johnson says in his classic reference 'The World Atlas of Wine', that ''the advent of Sicilian table wine has been spectacular''. Barone Paladino demonstrates this with 'new world' freshness and flair. Grown in hills 300m up around the town of Gibellina, the elevation gives freshness to the fruit and moderates the intense Sicilian heat. The Barone was crafted by the very talented Mirella Lombardo in a new nearby winery owned by local entrepreneur Maurizio Biscardo. 2006 was a good vintage for Sicily while the most recent vintage has seen volumes down by 50% and accordingly, prices soaring. The message is clear - snap up this beauty now while you can! Pale gold with silver highlights. Ripe apple, almond and spice aromas. Crisp, mouthfilling apple, melon and almond flavours. The key to maximum enjoyment is to think Italian. Serve with a green pea and mushroom risotto, pan fried fish or your favourite creamy pasta dish.