Pick a Wine…
Heading further down the wine road you’ll want to stop and try pinot grigio, whose popularity has grown by leaps and bounds recently. (Just a few letters different is a white called pinot gris, which is basically the same grape but in French instead of Italian). Pinot grigio is a great all-around white because while it has no sweetness, it doesn’t taste “dry.” It’s light-bodied and crisp, with citrus flavors such as lemon and lime. Unlike chardonnay, there is no oak used in the aging process, so the finish is clean and delicate. Pinot grigio is a great thirst-quencher, perfect on your deck or patio in the summertime. Pinot grigio is traditionally from Italy, but is a fast-growing California variety. The stateside version tends to be softer than the Italian, and sometimes has a touch of sweetness that might please some wine drinkers. Look for suggestions in our store.
One of the classic white grapes, sauvignon blanc (and fume blanc) is another dry white. The flavor is more distinctive than pinot grigio, often showing very bold herbal or grassy notes. The most traditional sauv blanc is from France and called white bordeaux, sancerre, or pouilly-fume (among others). These usually see no oak aging and are quite crisp and clean. New Zealand is becoming a major sauv blanc producer, and its style tends to be very citrusy, like pink grapefruit and lime. This is a VERY snappy white. California calls it sauv blanc or fume blanc, although the Fume style usually sees some oak aging and is slightly more full-bodied.
The Big Kahuna of the white wine world has always been chardonnay. This is the grape used to produce France’s white burgundy, is probably the world’s most costly white, and now makes great wine in almost every wine-producing region of the globe. The fruit flavors are rich and full-bodied, and can range from tropical flavors such as kiwi and pineapple to pear, melon, or even tangerine. The styles vary widely too, depending on how much oak and secondary fermentation is used in the wine’s production. Without getting technical about it, chards tend to be either oaky and buttery, or crisp and fruity. California is know for the oaky/buttery style, and the rest of the wine world is more fruit-driven. There are many chard’s described in our store, and you can choose the ones that seems to suit you best.
Wines made from red grapes are usually fermented until all the sweetness is gone, but we have a few good suggestions for those who want the health benefits of red wine without the usual dry “bitter” taste. Both Germany and Italy make reds with some natural sweetness – you’ll find them in the store. But just because most reds are dry doesn’t mean they’re bitter.
Pinot noir has become hugely popular in the United States, thanks to a movie that put this little-known grape in thousands of theatres. It’s the grape used to produce French burgundy, which some claim is the world’s finest (and one of the most expensive) wines. It’s current popularity is due to the way it combines delicate fruit flavors (think black cherry) with a soft, velvety finish. It’s dry without tasting “dry,” and has become a favorite of those new to red wine. It’s also a fabulous accompaniment to some foods – it’s the red that breaks the “white wine with fish” rule, and it’s also versatile enough to fit well at our holiday tables. California Pinots are selling out, but you can also find good labels from Oregon, and, of course, France.
Page 2 of 4 | Previous page | Next page
