Seriously Good Grigio

There are wines that Wine People dismiss. And when I say Wine People, dare I say wine snobs? I do dare, and confess I might be one just-a-little-bit. And I am guilty of overlooking today’s grape. Is it because I’ve noticed it is the go-to white wine for a lot of my friends who aren’t Wine People/Snobs? Maybe. Well, the more I think of it, the more I realize that that’s a silly reason to dismiss a wine–if it brings people happiness, maybe I should pay attention.

I’ll stop the preliminary banter. The wine I am speaking of is Pinot Grigio. There are SERIOUSLY good Pinot Grigio wines out there, especially once you learn you can get one of higher quality–more complexity, more balance, more beauty– by looking to a Pinot Grigio from a specific appellation.

The appellation in question today is the DOC Delle Venezie, which was created in 2016 to draw out the best of Pinot Grigio from the Triveneto, aka Tre Venezia. The Delle Venezie DOC includes a few different regions: the Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia (never can I ever remember this region’s in full–somebody take my Diploma from me) and Trentino, all located in Northeast Italy.

I actually was just in one of those regions, the Veneto, in June, chilling out, the way wine people do, sucking down quite a bit of Pinot Grigio, from sunup to sundown, on the shores of Lake Garda. As one does. So Pinot Grigio was on my radar as something to rekindle my relationship with. And then I was lucky enough to be sent a couple of bottles of it from the DOC Delle Venezie, which solidified my feelings that I’d been neglecting the grape for too long.

A little terminology tutorial: DOC stands for “Denominazione d’Origine Controllata”, and is meant to ensure that if you drink a wine labeled as such-and-such DOC, that you know where it came from, what grapes it was made from, how it was made, and so on. But most of all, you can be assured that the quality of the bev in the bottle will be what you expect, what you wanted, in some situations what you NEEDED, and that you will not be disappointed because it’s a friggin’ DOC. And DOCs have STANDARDS.

DOC Delle Venezie is a standard bearer for the quality Pinot Grigio.

There are a bunch of reasons why three different regions (which in reality are not so far from each other) can lend one named denomination to the grape. In terms of climate, they all benefit from the protection of the Alps to the north. And then there are multiple rivers that flow through them. So there’s coolness to moderate sun which yayyyyy (if you are an acid-lover like me) usually means the wine will sport refreshing acidity. Flowing water also often means the terroir will be well-ventilated. Temperatures (especially when on hills) will vary from night to day leading to a long ripening span(yay ripe fruit) and acidity levels that never say die.

Now that you know a little more about the region, here’s a smidge more about the grape; let’s call it Pinot Grigio basics: The skin of the grape has a grey-pink tinge, leading to the wines having a coppery color, and in fact when more skin contact is allowed Pinot Grigio can be look like a rosé or sometimes even orange wine. Typical aromas include citrus, stone and orchard fruit. The acid tends to be elevated (see: porch pounder), and other fave pinot-tastic flavors include a certain beery-y nature as well as hints of peanuts. and sometimes flowers.

Within the Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC one can be assured that yields are limited–an important part of quality control, as overcropped grapes=diminished quality. And in this DOC the wines actually undergo a tasting to make sure each bottling stands up to the regional standards. I myself tasted a couple of examples from the region and both made me happy to have Pinot Grigio in my glass.

NATALE VERGA PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE DOC

Tart n tangy! A lot of peach yogurt vibes and traditionally PG all day–bruised fruits, peanut shells and stale beer (in a good way, trust me). Look, here is the thing: Classic Pinot Grigio is like a baseball game beyond those last two tasting notes. It has peaks and lulls and you’ll come back for more.

ALLEGRINI CORTE GIARA PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE 2020

Lighter and fresher and fun. More citrus-y and less lees’y although there was a hint of shells and lactic quality to it, if that makes sense. But most of all, the acidity was clean and clear and I was drinking it with girlfriends on a hot hot day and we couldn’t get enough.

TAKE HOME MISSIVE

Learn how to find the good. Drink the good. Do good. Be you. And if you are a Pinot Grigio lover, this post was for you.

This post was sponsored.

Growling for Autumn Rosé

When I think growlers, I think sports. When I think sports, I think Autumn. Yes, there are sports year round, but autumn is the most thrilling time for baseball fans. Which I am. Go Cardinals. And if the Cardinals are out I’ll root for the Dodgers. Go Dodgers with parameters!

Back to thinking growler. I DON’T think of wine. I DON’T think rosé. But juxtapositions can be delightful, as this is.

A growler of rosé wine perfect for autumn and sports.

Oh right what am I talking about? It’s Ru’s Farm Growler 2021. Why is it autumn-y? Fall-ish? Harvest-y at largest-ly?

I want to skip through the streets slinging this growler of pink booze and feeling ready for new love.

I mean I am always ready for new love unless I am in love but such delicacies currently elude me so here we are.

It’s 65% Cinsault/35% Grenache. Poor Cinsault is too oft overlooked. I LOVE Grenache, but what’s up Cinsault? I like you too. I feel like you are HERE, and a mainstay of many a rosé blend. Keep it up.

The thing with this rosé is that it smells refreshing. Like the cool air, laced with drying leaves and winds of it’s-a-new-school-year change. Autumn is the crisp time of year. But also a time for rich foods to integrate their way into your plate–crisp and stewed spiced apples both have a place in autumn.

And this is a rich AND crisp wine–maybe more summers flavors. I get roses, cherries, strawberries and such. But also hints of white pepper (which is also a little floral) and a lick of cloves and whiff of citrus hinting at winter glories ahead, but not yet. Oh right I was saying it is rich as far as rosés go; it has a deeper salmon color and a body with weight. But it also ends with grace. The flavors don’t disappear. Or change. They just strut away and maybe just before they disappear there are jazz hands. Saluting both femininity and grace AND sports. It’s a home run. In a growler. Of rosé.

A Rhône of Many Colors

Don’t make me pick a favorite wine. What I desire in my glass depends on a good deal of factors ranging from mood (goth nights call for red red wine) to weather (freezing days desire ice cold vodka martinis, don’t at me), to what I’m eating (French fries need sparkling rosé), to what my budget is, to what my drinking companion likes, and so on.

All that being said Tavel is a Favorite. If not THE favorite.

All THAT being said, I’m a huge proponent of the wines of the Rhône Valley. Beyond THAT (damn I need to get better at cutting to the chase) people tend to celebrate the reds of the Rhône, but there are some really delightful whites and rosés out of the area that you should at least have coffee with.

The Rhône Valley can be a bit confusing–there are big differences between the all the various appellations within it. What I’m gonna leave you with is that most Côtes du Rhône wines are from the Southern Rhône. And if it is a Côtes du Rhône Villages wine, that’s like you subscribed to Hulu without commercials–level up!

Oh! And then some Côtes du Rhône Villages can add the name of their actual village to it, such as the Séguret rosé you can read my review to at the end. I haven’t come up with a perfect streaming channel metaphor for that, but it’s like you don’t even share a login with anyone.

Join me in an indulgence of these wines. I want to drink them in situ someday, but taking them with me on Los Angeles adventures will have to do for now.

I took one of the whites to the Hollywood Bowl, where John Williams was conducting. He does this yearly, and all of us Star Wars nuts show up, many with light sabers (a goal of mine for next year) and people are always like “this may be his last year” but he told me, I mean us, I mean the Hollywood Bowl audience, that he may be 90, but he is doing this show til he’s 100. Beyond Star Wars themes these shows (this was my second, why do I not have a light saber yet) remind one of how many epic soundtracks he composed–Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, E.T., Jaws, Harry Potter…it goes on.

Crud I was writing about wine. Let me say that a rich and ripe juicy Marsanne based blend goes VERY well with sunsets and music:

Clos Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages Blanc Valréas 2019

65% Marsanne/30% Viognier/ 5% Roussanne and yummm it is rich. When I first smelled it I thought “dried golden raisins” which is silly as raisins are always dried. It’s like when I recently heard someone reference “fresh prunes” like….plums right? Anyway. That’s what I though. Tastes like unsweet golden syrup and honeysuckle and tangerines too. It’s silky and mouth coating but has a salinity that keeps it going–even in the crazy heat (it was around 100 degrees that day) it was somehow a refresher.

ONWARDS

The grape known as Roussanne and I dear to each other (or at least Roussanne tolerates me) right? I barely tolerate myself, but Roussanne is always there for me.

Chateau du Trignon Côtes du Rhône 2021

100% Roussanne. Beguiling golden color, beguiling golden nose. Smells of apricots and beaches and blooms. Crisp at the same time as honeyed on the tongue with that certain dank incense zing. But then the finish is cooling, somehow, while up top the honey and marmalade notes would almost make you think of sweetness the finish is nearly herbal. DEEEEEELITEFUL.

AND NOW FOR A ROSÉ BECAUSE ROSÉ FOREVER

Domaine de Mourchon Loubié Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret Rosé 2021

60% Grenache/40% Syrah-mineral and floral fun. So very light, if pale rosé is your jam, you are this wine’s jelly. All rose hips and river stones and I see the color ultramarine blue when I drink it. As time goes by you may notice herbal and peppery elements. A rosé that yes, you can swill ice cold and feel sophisticated but give it a little air and let it live a touch less cold than freezing and all sorts of fun elements will make their case.

COOL STORY

I don’t know why I titled this segment “cool story” but I needed a closer. Part of the cool story is that I had another Rhône rosé, but I used it in my jalapeño rosé experiments (that blog entry to come soon!) but then I was sad that I did because I liked that rosé better on it’s own. So shouts out to Château du Morgues du Grès Fleur d’Eglantine Rosé, you’re delicious, I swear I didn’t omit you because your name is so long (obvi because I just typed it), and I’m sorry I wasted half of you on jalapeño experiments and I swear I didn’t drink ALL of the rest of it straight out of the bottle.

I think the biggest take-home from this tasting lineup is that I want more whites and rosés of the Southern Rhône in my life. Obvi, I had my Tavel obsession already. And my ardent affair with the Roussanne grape. But when it came to wines labeled as Côtes du Rhône, there’s a generous spot for them in my life. Probably yours too. Branching out is good. It doesn’t mean I’ve forsaken my loves. But when it comes to wine I am definitely polyamorous.