Non-Costly Italian White

One of my major complaints has always been the lack of inexpensive (read cheap) Italian white wines.  Italy does a great job on reds but the whites always seem to leave something to be desired, or a lot to be desired.  The French do a great job on less expensive whites and so do the Spanish, but the Italians don't seem to follow suit.

Tonight's wine was a 2008 Castlevero Cortese from the Piemonte region of northwest Italy.   Very pale, green gold color in the glass, little aroma, but fresh and lively on the tongue.  Light, pleasant, non thought provoking and refreshing.  In the end it just tasted like wine without any character at all.  It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just there.  It washed down about two dozen steamer clams in a garlic and butter sauce and did it with style and a refreshing quality.    For $11 it was probably overpriced, but when the temperature is nearing 100 degrees and heat index is topping out at 110 degrees an inoffensive, light, somewhat innocuous wine fills the bill.  11.5% alcohol.