In this recession, you may find yourself at more affordable restaurants with limited wine selections, and might worry about quality. In such cases, Pinot Grigio is usually a safe bet and it’s a great bargain wine at many retail shops.
Some people complain that it is not too exciting. Perhaps. But it rarely puts off many unpleasant or harsh flavors, and it goes well with a wide-range of food. Its easy-drinking quality explains why it is quite popular in the United States. Pinot Grigio also makes great summer-sipping wines for celebrations like Memorial day, and it is a great everyday wine for by the pool or on the deck.
Related to Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio is the same grape from France’s Alsace region known as Pinot Gris, which is the name that many growers in Oregon use. Surprisingly, the skin color of these grapes ranges from light gray to quite purple, but they are used to make white wine.
There are some winemakers who have been able to give this grape an extra special twist. Located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy, Di Lenardo Vineyards is one of the wineries with a Pinot Grigio made with extra care and style. One thing that makes it special is the fact that is aged on the lees, which means the winemaker allowed it to age after fermentation with the yeast in the wine until bottling thereby adding additional flavors from the yeast. It also undergoes malolacic fermentation (process described in another post), which makes it less tart. This is not typical for the region, which features many crisp, high-acid whites, which are also good.
The Di Lenardo Pinot Grigio flavor profile includes citrus, pear, and some floral notes, but it also has a richness that is not common in many Pinot Grigios. Not surprisingly, the winemaker notes that this is their number-one selling wine. The area Friuli-Venezia Giulia is part of what is called the Tre Venezie, which translates into the three Venices. It is composed of the three wine regions that surround Venice. The other two are Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto. They are home to many great wines, a large share of which are white, but they also produce a number of important reds.
This wine is available at Bell Wine and Spirits, located on M Street NW near the intersection of 19th, where it retails for $10.99, which is a bargain particularly for this level of quality.
Originally published on Examiner.com.
