2005 Gravner Breg Anfora, Italy, Friuli, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

It can be hard to find a time to open these kinds of "orange" wines.  I love them but they are not for everyone.  This is a white blend of grapes that is fermented, on the skins in amphorae and then finished in barrels.  It has Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Riesling.  These kind of wines are best served at cellar temperature.  Golden brown in color.  The nose is oxidized but also has some apple cider, slight citrus and even a floral note.  If oxidized wines bother you, stay away.  I found the nose vibrant.  On the palate, this is also vibrant and full of energy.  Apple cider

2017 The Sisters Pinot Gris, New Zealand, Marlborough, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This is from New Zealand.  Screw capped.  Light gold/green in color, clear at the rim.  The nose is nice with mostly minerals but a bit of a steely quality to it.  Varietally correct.  On the palate, a slightly oily texture which is nice.  Slight grapefruit.  Good acidity.  Easy drinking.  Long finish.  Not a typical New Zealand wine in that it is more about the minerals than the fruit, but a lot of that is the varietal.  Worked well with food.  Around $18, this is a good value and a nice summer sipper.  

2013 Tangent Pinot Gris Paragon Vineyard, USA, California, Edna Valley - Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Really nice showing for this wine.  Light golden in color.  The nose has more fruit that the Italian versions of this grape.  Some tropical notes along with limes.  On the palate, the fruit parade continues.  A bit of underlying minerality.  Good acidity.  It has a nice freshness although I would drink these sooner than later.  Good finish.  Under $20.  

Pinot Grigio: Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige Region Produces a Great Summer Sipping Wine

Summertime. For many of us that is the time for a cool white wine. Of course many of them are produced in Italy. One of the more commercially successful whites is the Pinot Grigio from Italy. Specifically, those produced in the north-eastern province of Trentino-Alto Adige. Surrounded the Alps and Dolomites, and bordering Austria and Switzerland, this is the northern most region in Italy. The area is mountainous with only about 15% of the land being farmable.

Pinot Gris: Oregon’s Second Wine

The southern Willamette south of Eugene has a special place in my heart. My first visit was in 1992 when I house-sat for friends on the mid-Oregon coast in Florence. I took a day trip inland and just for fun decided to drop down south and check out the wineries. My expectations were not high. At that point, I was still a bit of a California snob.

Thanksgiving Wines - Whites

Tim Halloran's piece on Thanksgiving Reds can be viewed here . Thanksgiving dinner, while delicious and nutritious (well, at least delicious) is not the easiest meal to pair with wines. So many different elements are present; there are savory/mild foods like turkey, gravy, yams and potatoes, crisp/acidic foods like cranberry sauce and salads, and hearty foods like ham and stuffing. Throw in a few other vegetables and you have a veritable cornucopia of flavors and textures to match.

Vins de France 101: Alsace, France’s Little Wine Treasure

Take a deep breath. While exhaling, say “Ahhhl zas.” It resonates like a yoga mantra with the emphasis on “Ahhh.” The phonetic version of Alsace reveals the beauty of this little border province and the prominence of one of France’s smallest wine regions. It harbors a medieval landscape from a bygone era. Half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, and Romanesque churches have you anticipating someone heavily cloaked in costume to walk by you munching on a giant turkey leg.

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