Tuesday I was cooking, dinner was a pork roast with squash, pepper, tomatoes,etc (kind of pork with ratatouille) . Cooking wine was the 2007 Domaine de la Louvetrie "Amphibolite Nature" Muscadet. I liked this more than previous couple of vintages. Light hint of petillance, saline and minerals. Citrus and apple, but more about stones than fruit. Holds up well and a glass Thursday is lively. Very nice B+
Dinner wine was the 2006 Viticcio Bere (Toscana IGT), a blend of Sangiovese and Bdx varieties. Soft, innocuous, with red cherry and plum fruit, a little edge of cocoa. Soft, ripe tannins, a pleasant enough red wine that is easy enough to drink, but not anything I'd go looking for (A friend got this at the Zachys $5 sale, I traded a couple of my $5 bottles for 2 of these, so I'm not complaining) B-
Thursday I was on again, did a vermouth/oil marinade on some halibut steaks before grilling the fish, some squash, and some Japanese eggplant. Wine was the 2007 Cascina d'Ambra Ischia Bianco. Billed as the equivalent of a good Muscadet, and I can see the resemblence in the salinity and minerality. A bit more fruit driven than the Louvetrie Muscadet, but still with a nice flinty/rocky edge. Fruit is a bit rounder, honeydews and peaches, backed by a good acidic spine. Good value at $12ish. B/B+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.