Truth be told, I didn’t really want to write this blog entry. There’s this gem of a wine bar in Lake Worth that, after more than three years, still flies just below the radar. And after a recent visit for a tasting event, I had the feeling the regulars want to keep it that way.

Dolce Vita, at 9 N. J. Street, is a family owned wine bar that also features cheeses, chocolates and beer. Son Asher White was the face behind the bar, savoring the sound of each cork he popped and each bottle he gracefully poured into a decanter and into our wine glasses.

Owner Asher White (left) enjoys the rapt attention of tasters gathered at the bar.

Fellow Swirl Girl “Dry” Gwen and I attended the $20 tasting on a Friday night featuring wines of Burgundy, as well as a bottle of an Oregon Pinot Noir.

Bottles are simply displayed across the walls and behind the bar, which comfortably seated six. With standing room for about 10 more patrons, the atmosphere was boisterous, yet still an intimate setting for making new friends.

As I sipped the first pour (which wasn’t your typical 2 ounces, but instead a half-glass), a 2006 Louis Latour Grand Ardeche ($14) from the west side of the Rhone Valley in France, I chatted with an older couple from Atlanta, who have been wintering in Lake Worth for more than 20 years. This Chardonnay had a citrus aroma and medium intensity, as well as a citrus flavor up front with hints of vanilla. I detected oak on the smooth, medium-length finish.

The next wine was a 2007 Belle Vallee Whole Cluster Pinot Noir ($29) from Willamette Valley in Oregon. Willamette is a prime growing area for the Pinot grape. White explained “whole cluster” means whole clusters of grapes are fermented, which includes stem pieces, and this style is used in producing Beaujolais.

Upon further research in the Total Wine & More’s Guide to Wine, I learned the grapes are not crushed when they arrive at the vinification center, but instead are placed in the vat whole. The vats are closed to air, so the first part of fermentation takes place within the skins of the grapes (known as carbonic maceration) and does not produce much tannins, hence the fruity, soft taste that is synonymous with Beaujolais.

And that is exactly what the Belle Vallee offered. The color was a light ruby, the aroma was of pronounced strawberry, and the taste was light strawberry and cherry, with a short finish. This was far from my favorite, being a lover of more bold wines than this.

Up next was a 2002 Santenay 1er Cru Les Graves ($69), which is from Cote d’Or in Burgundy, France. This Pinot Noir was aged in oak for 12-16 months, which was evident in its soft smoky, earthy flavor. I detected what I thought was soft cherry finish that lingered deliciously.

I was talking with other guests and missed the final tasting of a 2005 Mercurey Les Montots from Domaine A. et P. de Villaine ($51). “Dry” Gwen, wise enough to converse closer to where the pours were taking place, shared her notes. This Pinot is oak-aged for a minimum of one year, and she tasted a nice balance of oak and fruit, particularly leaning toward cherry. It was smooth and had a medium body and medium-long finish.

White tries to keep Dolce Vita stocked with wines from the world's major producing regions.

The Mercurey Web site says it will open up gradually with age, revealing its complexity after only five to seven years, but it can age and develop for 15-20 years. Interestingly, the vineyard uses organic agricultural methods and has been certified since 1986.

White’s goal for his wine tastings, which occur every Friday at 7:30 p.m., is not necessarily to feature any specific region or grape, but to choose wines with flavors that flow seamlessly from one bottle to the next.

He explained he tries to keep the wine bar stocked with wines from all the major producing regions, as well as a wide range of flavors. “I try to find wines that are a very good expression of what that grape should taste like coming from any given region,” he said.

As we said our goodbyes, one guest described the gathering as such: “It’s an eclectic group that gathers, young and old, having serious, intellectual conversations in one corner; and in others, acting silly. [Dolce Vita] is where I learned wine, and it’s where I’m bringing that special bottle to celebrate my 50th birthday.”

I’ll toast to that.

– (Earthy) Jennifer