A tribute to the muttiness, wherever we find it

I'm a mutt. Norwegian and British on my mother's side, Sicilian and a touch of French on my father's. Leonardis probably came from Leon (in present-day Spain, so add Spanish), expelled in the 14th century because they were Jews. Maybe.

My family history is murky as well as mutty. My kids are even muttier with their German and Irish father — and their children muttier still.

If I did an ancestry analysis, I'm sure I could add to my mix. My food preferences reflect the mutt in me, though I doubt that the wonderful tastes of Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Korean and Thai food are “in my blood.” I grew up in the L.A. area; the family's favorite restaurant was La Fonda, dishes prepared by recent immigrants, so it's not surprising that I also have a great affection for Mexican food of all sorts, including the mutty TexMex and CalMex specialties.

You've probably noticed, though, that my everyday diet leans heavily Italian/ Italian American. Our weekly staples tend to be pasta, pizza, risotto and polenta, which are themselves rather mutty foods — at home, in some version, almost everywhere. My wine tastes are equally eclectic. And as I begin to explore the wines of, for example, Georgia and Croatia and Crete, I can only shake my head when someone asks me for my “favorite” wine. This week? This month? This year?

This fortnight's favorite (my every-other-week column gives me a chance to use “fortnight” — one of my favorite words) — a Sicilian frappato. I found it on the always-intriguing shelves of The Pip — the Poggio di Bortolone ($25). This estate was founded by the Cosenza family over two centuries ago and passed down through the generations. The vineyards consist of fewer than 40 acres of sandy soil that inhibits growth (but increases concentration), so the production is definitely small.

Frappato is a Sicilian native that complements the food of the region, like oily fish and flavorful fennel, tomatoes, and eggplant. Besides being concentrated with fruit flavors, frappato in general and this one in particular is wonderfully aromatic. Bright berries, roses, spices — all seem to waft out of the glass. It's a perfect companion to a simple weeknight dinner of tinned sardines, garlic, fresh oregano and lots of good olive oil over whole grain pasta.

And now that eggplant season approaches, I'm eager to try it with a longtime seasonal favorite — a bake of penne, tomato sauce, fontina, and sauteed eggplant. Now that we're headed into warm weather, I'd recommend a half-hour chill.

Besides being a great accompaniment to simple spring food, it's elegant enough to serve with a fancy dish or to give as a