Posts Tagged ‘melon’
Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: It was another long and cool year in California and we were forced to wait patiently until these grapes were ready to pick. All this has guaranteed that The Birdman is once again a plump avian, round and full and quite unlike his Italian kin. Its depth shown through a long and full nose of citrus fruits, a round, soft palate replete with grapefruit, honeydew, and melon and a touch of acidity on the finish that leaves one quenched. Pairs well with goat cheese pancetta and arugula pizza, Thai chicken with basil, smoked trout, estoufee, grilled jumbo shrimp, spaghetti and clam sauce, or sunny afternoons.
My Review: It’s unfair to start any review of the current line-up of Big House wines by not pointing out how much I appreciate them having fun with their marketing and labels. With food we eat with our eyes before our mouths, but with wine sometimes an interesting label can make the difference between a purchase and a pass. Enough with the marketing talk, how about that wine?
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: California – Sonoma County – USA
Cost: $14
Aromas of stone fruit with flavors of pear and sweet melon with a clean finish. Pair with seafood or chicken.
Recommendations: Having set long enough in my wine fridge since coming back from California with my wife and I, this bottle of Chardonnay was finally opened this week to pair with a meal of ricotta and herb stuffed chicken.
A nice, slightly buttery flavor (thanks to 5 months in French and American oak), was a great final note to the flavors of pear and sweet melon. That being said, even with the time in oak, the wine still exhibits a very clean, crisp finish after the buttery notes.
A great wine to pair with well-seasoned white meat or seafood, this is a great everyday white wine that’s good for just about any occasion and is priced for it as well. A great one to pick up for dinner for two or a dinner party for a dozen people.
Varietal: Pinot Grigio
Region: California – Anderson Valley – USA
Cost: $20
Fruity with bright orange and melon aromas. Light, lemon and green apples on the palate end in a refreshing acid finish. Pairs with salads, melon, cheeses, seafood, or by itself.
Recommendations: I’m very hit or miss on Pinot Grigio, preferring Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for my white wine selections, but I did find this Pinot Grigio to be quite enjoyable. Purchased by my parents during our trip to California several weeks before and sent home with me, this bottle had been chilling in my refrigerator for a few days while I tried to select something to pair it with.
A meal of salmon and and roasted red potatoes was what my wife and I paired this white with, and it was a great compliment to the seafood and the well seasoned potatoes, the melon and apple flavors, along with the acid finish, cutting through the richness of the salmon.
While I still prefer my Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, I can say that I enjoyed this Pinot Grigio and would recommend it to anybody in the market for a quality one at a good price.
