Varietal:Â 100% Pinot Grigio
Region:Â South Eastern Australia
Cost:Â $7 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes:Â Light bodied with ripe peach and tropical fruit flavors. Pairs well with Korean BBQ ribs with spicy tofu soup, Teriyaki chicken with a side of pork or vegetable potstickers. An excellent wine to enjoy with our without food.
My Review:Â I’m somewhat hit or miss on Pinot Grigio, so when some samples showed up and there was a bottle of Pinot Grigio included I’ll admit that I hesitated. However, when the tasting notes recommended potstickers, my wife pointed out that we had some chicken potstickers that we’d been putting off cooking up and that at the very least we’d have something to pair the wine with, so that’s just what we did.
The wine had a bit more color in the glass than I was really expecting, and on the nose I got the expected notes of tropical fruit and citrus with just a touch of banana. In the mouth the wine was light and the tropical fruit and citrus carried over, and again I got notes of banana that I actually found rather enjoyable. I dislike the taste of “fake” banana and so any time banana flavor crops up I’m usually wary, but in this case it was great.
Paired with some chicken and vegetable potstickers with some white rice it was a good counter point to the meal and was surprisingly enjoyable even without the food. Now don’t get me wrong, this wine isn’t revolutionary, but for a budget white wine I was impressed with it, and I do like that it’s also available in an Octavin Home Wine Bar for those that really enjoy it and want it in larger quantities.
