Gris Lightning

It's not quite summer yet (hell, it's not quite spring yet either) but it's never too early to start thinking about what you plan to drink. For the Winedaddy, summer means beer and wine in this order (1. wine. 2. beer. 3. wine or beer).

In preparation of that time of year when the sun actually shines and you can take your children outside without first having to bundle them up like they will be spending the winter at McMurdo Station, I thought I'd shed some light on the mystery that surrounds Pinot Grigio.

Go to any middle of the road event (wedding, bar mitzvah, Uncle Jerry's 60th Birthday party) and you're bound to have a choice of red or white. Inevitably, the red wine is almost always a Merlot and the white wine is usually a chardonnay or a pinot grigio. It's not that this is a bad thing it's just that pinot grigio is not usually looked upon as a "Connoisseur's Wine" or one that you would seek out. But thanks to the combined efforts of Marketers and Vintners, there is actually some merritt to this mass produced wine.

The Italians and the Americans (and Italian Americans I'm guessing) call this wine Pinot Grigio. And it's a popular one. According to some research that the Winedaddy did, Pinot Grigio is poised to be America's 4th most popular varietal behind the dreaded (dare I say it), White Zinfandel. But what if you saw 2 bottles of wine on a table, looking remarkably similar but one was named Pinot Gris and the other, Pinot Grigio. Wouldn't you be intrigued to try the fancier sounding Pinot Gris? I would...and I have. Without getting too deep into the history of this grape, I'll give you some insight into the fact that Pinot Gris is basically a white version of Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is a noble wine right? Then why shouldn't Pinot Gris get the same due as it's darker more seductive cousin. And to prove it, go out and do some market research of your own. Here are 2 excellent examples of what a popular grape in the hands of a skilled vintner can yield.

Amisfield Pinot Gris '05 $24.99

From New Zealand (a place the Winedaddy WILL get to one of these days), comes this magnificent find (the winery looks exactly like what you'd expect from a winery in New Zealand). I recently tasted this at Union Square Wines in manhattan from the clever Enomatic Wine system I once told you about back in the day. This wine has everything you could want from a white wine. It's crisp but not too acidic. It's fruity and floral but doesn't smell or taste like a flower shop. I finishes clean and doesn't leave any unpleasant taste. It's just good. Ok, so maybe it does have a screw top, but that's actually a good thing. It means the liquid gold inside won't spoil or fall victim to that nasty bacteria that can turn a good wine bad...really bad.

Bethel Heights Pinot Gris '05 $14.99

If the $25 is too much for you to spend on the Amisfield (that's the cost of 2 tickets and a soda to see a terrible summer blockbuster by the way...and that WILL leave a bad taste in your mouth), I highly recommend the Bethel Heights Pinot Gris. From the Willamette Valley in Oregon, comes this really nice refreshing wine. It's similar to the Amisfield but is just slightly drier, lighter, and actually has a the littlest bit of fizz to it. It's extremely clean and will pair well with just about any fish or light pasta dish. It's also from the good 'ol USA and is easily available all over the country.