Grignolino? (Fabio won’t say ;)), Barbaresco, Italy

A hazy, sequinned raspberry fizzler worth waiting on bated breath for! In addition to making bizarrely expressive wines in the high & hidden hills of northern Italy, buzzy natural vigneron Fabio Gea also makes MERRY MISCHIEF. Is this juicy, floral & totally exuberant pet-nat made from gringolino? Nebbiolo? Dolcetto, even? All are good guesses as that’s what Fabio grows on his teeny 1.8-hectare land, but like Austin Powers he’s an international man of mystery and he will NOT tell us, prefering to let the liquid speak for iteslef. Whatever grape it is though, it comes from young vines grown in clay-limestone soils and maceration is a gentle half-day affair. In ‘Grignosca’ there’s a touch of residual sweetness, which Fabio says will help you ‘drink this in the morning and fight a shark.’ But we think this happy ancestral bubbly will instead inspire you to make friends with Shark. Share seaweed salad from your favourite vegetarian diner with Shark. Laugh about Katy Perry’s Left Shark at the Super Bowl 11 years ago with Shark. Take Shark to Hanlan Point’s clothing optional beach, scaring everyone away and claiming it for yourselves! OK but as for smells and textures, ‘Grignosca’ will remind you of Jones strawberry-lime soda, watermelon greek salad, Ikea lingonberry, muddling orange peels with love for the friend who likes an old fashioned, leftover brisket at midnight, indelible glitter, a good 80s perm & a motel bubble bath. If you don’t drink this alongside your cappuccino & focaccia toast breakfast before a meandering adventure, it would also make a bloody good pick to pair with a screening of “Jaws.”