Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: San Juan, Argentina
Cost: $13 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Light yellow in color with delicate greenish hues. Subtle floral aromas with notes of jasmine and hints of white fruits like peaches and apricot. On the palate the wine is fresh and young, with delicate, yet surprising, fruit flavors and a refined finish. Pairs well with white fish, seafood, Asian cuisine, or as an aperitif.
My Review: Pinot Grigio was, in many ways, my first steps into the world of wine oh so many years ago. Granted, that was Italian Pinot Grigio, and certainly not of the best quality either, but when you’re young and just starting to experiment with wine, meaning whatever your parents will let you try at dinner, you take what you can get. Fortunately I’m older now, with more refined tastes, and no longer dependent on my parents to select which wines I can have with (or without) dinner.
With that in mind, when I was recently offered some samples of wine to pair with more, shall we say interesting, food pairings – rabbit, venison, and the like, I was intrigued, though disappointed when I ran into difficulty finding a place to get the meats that you don’t usually find at your local grocery. Not willing to let that stand in the way of enjoying some wine, my wife and I decided to change up the pairing and open up the bottle of 2011 Graffigna Centerario Pinot Grigio Reserve anyways.
In the glass the wine was very light yellow. On the nose I got citrus with touches of floral, but nowhere near as prominent as a grape like Viognier. In the mouth the wine was crisp, but with a surprising roundness on the finish that I wasn’t expecting but rather enjoyed. Tropical notes were expected and showed up in the mouth, and were a nice compliment to the chicken and vegetable potstickers that my wife and I made for dinner.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call this an amazing wine, but it’s certainly an improvement on the Pinot Grigio I used to enjoy, and the roundness at the end was welcomed without compromising the overall crispness of the wine. It’s certainly a good pairing for seafood, but I could also see it being a good bottle to pop open while sitting on the deck or patio on a warm day. If you’re a fan of Pinot Grigio it’s certainly worth a look, but if it’s not a grape you enjoy this isn’t going to change your mind.
*Full Disclosure: I received this bottle of wine as a sample.
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