Rosa dell'Olmo Barbera d'Asti, 2023

If you have $5.99 to splurge on wine at Trader Joe's, you will probably find the best values among the Italian imports. And of the $5.99 Italian bottles I have tried recently, this Barbera d'Asti is the one that satisfies me the most.

Bright ruby, reasonably deep. Fresh fruit in abundance: cherries, plums, red berries. Also spice, minerals and a good measure of black pepper. What pleases me the most is the smooth texture that is rare among wines at this price level. For every day use with pizza or pasta, this Barbera gives me exactly what I want.