Today’s metaphysical question: How does Ricccardo Cotarella produce a wine of this quality, ship it to the U.S., overcome the high euro, and sell it for about $10? Most California wineries that do cheap wine can’t even come close to this.

In other words, Riccardo Cotarella is still a genius.

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I have been drinking Falesco wines for almost 10 years, and I have never been disappointed, whether it’s the red, white or pink. This vintage of the white, the Bianco ($12, purchased, available at Central Market), is made with verdicchio and vermentino. They have produced a wine low in alcohol with tell-tale Italian acid and just enough fruit to appeal to American palates. Think of it as tart with a touch of lime, but fresh and clean and pretty close to fabulous. Highly recommended, and certainly in the $10 Hall of Fame.

Chill this and drink it on its own, with salads, or most any kind of chicken. Fried chicken, in fact, would be quite a nice pairing.