Pinot Grigi-who?
My wine-guru status was seriously compromised today by my inability to answer a couple of questions. First, what's a good wine to try while in Seattle, Washington. Second what's a good Pinot Grigio under $15?
I couldn't even begin to answer these. I've had a number of really good Pinot's and Syrah's from Oregon and Washington (including Walla Walla which I think is really good) but I couldn't name a good one off the top of my head. I've tried a couple of Pinot Grigios but also couldn't name a good one. Time to correct these gaps!
I picked up a number of PG's from various parts of the world at the supermarket on the way home from work. I wasn't able to find any good-looking Oregon or Washington wines at the 'Teeter so a trip to Total Wine over the weekend is in order.
Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the Pinot Gris grape. It's got a lot of different names as well. It's sort of looked down upon by snobby wine drinkers but a wine's popularity should never be the sole reason to buy/not buy.
The first PG I'm sampling is the 2004 Estancia Pinot Grigio from California. I've tried a few of the Estancia wines and found them to be decent if a bit overpriced, so this seemed like a good place to start. This wine was $11.
This wine smells like Champagne more than Chardonnay with musty and oaky overtones on top of pear and apple aromas. It almost sizzles on the tongue and has a nice granny apple flavor that slowly fades to pear. I'm pleasantly suprised by how nice this wine is. It's a lot lighter than Chardonnay and lacks the buttery flavors common in that varietal. It has a bit more sizzle and apple flavor than a Viognier, but not as much body. It's an easy-going wine that won't threaten anything else on the table.
I'll try another PG from a different region soon. Now that I have a "baseline" I should be able to start making some judgements of quality.
I couldn't even begin to answer these. I've had a number of really good Pinot's and Syrah's from Oregon and Washington (including Walla Walla which I think is really good) but I couldn't name a good one off the top of my head. I've tried a couple of Pinot Grigios but also couldn't name a good one. Time to correct these gaps!
I picked up a number of PG's from various parts of the world at the supermarket on the way home from work. I wasn't able to find any good-looking Oregon or Washington wines at the 'Teeter so a trip to Total Wine over the weekend is in order.
Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the Pinot Gris grape. It's got a lot of different names as well. It's sort of looked down upon by snobby wine drinkers but a wine's popularity should never be the sole reason to buy/not buy.
The first PG I'm sampling is the 2004 Estancia Pinot Grigio from California. I've tried a few of the Estancia wines and found them to be decent if a bit overpriced, so this seemed like a good place to start. This wine was $11.
This wine smells like Champagne more than Chardonnay with musty and oaky overtones on top of pear and apple aromas. It almost sizzles on the tongue and has a nice granny apple flavor that slowly fades to pear. I'm pleasantly suprised by how nice this wine is. It's a lot lighter than Chardonnay and lacks the buttery flavors common in that varietal. It has a bit more sizzle and apple flavor than a Viognier, but not as much body. It's an easy-going wine that won't threaten anything else on the table.
I'll try another PG from a different region soon. Now that I have a "baseline" I should be able to start making some judgements of quality.
2 Comments:
Ok, I'll show my ignorance. What, if anything, is the difference between a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Grigio? I recommend you try the 2004 Seven Hills Pinot Gris. Seven Hills grapes are grown in Oregon, the tasting room is in Washington.
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same thing; Grigio is just the Italian name for the grape and seems to be the most common description used for this wine in the states.
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