For a foodie, especially a Slashfoodie, one of the best things about winter is that it signifies a changing of the guard, so to speak, when it comes to produce. Apples, pears and citrus replace the berries and melons of summer, opening up a whole new season of possibilities. Capogiro Gelato expresses all these possibilities with their seasonally changing menu, now geared up for winter. I was fortunate enough to sample some of the flavors from their summer line earlier this year and, this week, had the opportunity to indulge in a few of their winter offerings, as well.

While they still have their classic Italian and chocolate flavors available, Capogiro's holiday table menu is extensive, including Apple Cider with Clove Sorbetto, Castagne (Chestnut) Gelato, Cannella di Saigon (Cinnamon) and Melograno (Pomegranate). The flavors I tried were Zucca (Lancaster County Neck Pumpkin), Apple Cider with Clove, Sweet Potato with Pecan Praline, Meyer Lemon with Vodka, Moro (Blood Orange) and Pure King Leo Stracciatella.

If I could just pick out which one was the best, this whole thing would be a lot simpler, but they were all outstanding. I never fail to be impressed with how well Capogiro's gelati taste like the ingredients that went in to them.

• Zucca, the pumpkin flavor, is lightly spiced and reminiscent of a homemade pumpkin pie. It was easy to eat a lot of it especially after I put it into a waffle cone to provide a contrastive "crust," like a real pie.
• Tasting the blood orange flavor, Moro, was just like biting into a fresh blood orange, but with an amazing smoothness that a pulp-filled fruit can't really provide. I even went and pulled a fresh blood orange off the tree for comparison, just to make sure I wasn't imagining things - but the two were alike even side by side.
• Meyer Lemon with Vodka was subtly sweet and refreshing. The hint of vodka wasn't overpowered by the lemon, so this struck me as a flavor that would particularly appeal to adults looking for something a little more sophisticated.
• Stracciatella is the gelato equivalent of chocolate chip ice cream, but the chocolate is in delectably crunchy little bits, as opposed to larger chunks. The Pure King Leo Stracciatella (pictured) had chocolate bits and crushed up King Leo peppermints in a gelato made with fresh, locally grown mint. This is a flavor that everyone will have a hard time turning down, but the crunch is addictive, so you might want to order extra instead of trying to share a small portion.
• The Sweet Potato (also pictured) had a generous amount of Pecan Praline swirled throughout, although it is just barely visible in the photo above. The sugary crunch of the praline with the comforting, fall-flavored gelato was at least as good as any sweet potato pie I've ever had.
• Apple Cider with Clove Sorbetto was, in a word, wonderful. It began with a crisp apple taste, but was followed by all the seasonings that make a spiced cider so warming. It was almost amazing that the Sorbetto was still frozen because it tasted so much like spiced cider.

If you live anywhere in the Philadelphia area, Capogiro is worth a trip if you haven't been there already. Check them out at:

• 119 S. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 or
• 117 South 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

If you're not in that part of the country, you can also order online.