Tasting Pinot Grigio in May

Are you a member of the Virtual Wine Tasting Club over at Bakespace yet? Do you drink wine anyway? Do you want to drink wine, but not know where to start? Do you feel the need to branch out from your normal wines? Well...seriously, come join us in our endeavors! A different type-varietal-grape is picked each month. You buy the vineyard-brand-region of your choice and then share your experience with everybody else. No wine snobs here, just regular old (and young) Joe's & Jane's sharing their likes, dislikes and experiences with wine. I was kind of stuck in a rut before I joined. Sure, I could have tried a new wine each time I went shopping, but I usually stuck to one of 4 or 5 that I know I like (or can afford). But now, I actually tested a bunch of new-to-me Pinot Grigio's this month! If memory serves, I think Pinot Grigio was the wine I started drinking years ago and then branched out and sort of forgot about. Well, I'm really happy that it was chosen as this month's wine, because I have re-discovered what I liked about it in the first place...and then some! It was Spryte that enticed me first, but I've since discovered other great foodie-bloggers who are also members of the Bakespace Wine Club...you may even know them... Shane, Bob, Dajana, Danielle...right!? Plus, there's more...come join us; drink one bottle (or glass) or drink many...you never know what you might discover! PINOT GRIGIO In general, I've found that Pinot Grigio's are fairly dry, at least a little sweet and fruity and most contain notes of one or more of the following: citrus, melon, pineapple, apple, pear. Some have flowery notes thrown in...most of the Californias I tried were pretty tropical tasting. I kept going back to thinking they'd be good with grilled tuna (after I tried one in particular with some that I made this month). They pair well with pasta, chicken and seafood. These were my observations...who know, yours may concur or they may differ greatly; come find out! These were the Pinot Grigio's I drank this month:

Stone Cellars by Beringer California 2008 $5.00 Winemaker intro: Our Pinot Grigio pops with vibrant pineapple, mango and orange fruit flavors leading to a crisp, smooth finish. Review: very pale in color and light in flavor. Dry & slightly sweet. Orangey nose with a mango finish and aftertaste. Very easy drinking. Buy again: Yes

Bella Sera Italy 2005 $7.99 Winemaker Intro: crisp and refreshing with citrus aromas and flavors of ripe apple and pear. Review: Straw color. Very skunky when first opened. Strong taste of fermented apples; almost like a hard cider. Mellowed a bit the second day. Leaves an aftertaste of pears. First PG I found that leaned more towards apples & pears than tropical fruits. Buy again: Probably, yes

Oak Leaf California No Year Stated $2.97 This is actually a Pinot Grigio/Chenin Blanc blend No intro from winemaker Review: Slightly lemony with melon hints. Light, understated and slightly sweet. Not outstanding in anyway, but not bad, either. buy again: yes

Villa Malizia Italy-Venizia 2008 $4.99 Winemaker Intro: floral and honeysuckle aromas are accented by flavors of peach and pear. Review: Lightly skunky & fizzy. Semi-dry. Light citrus flavor w/ peach in their somewhere. Sort of blah and non-descript. Better the second day, once the flavors bloomed a bit. Not very good as a stand-alone wine, but decent paired with food or for cooking. buy again: yes (see, I'm easy and I don't hold a grudge)

Bohemian Highway California 2007 $5.99 NOTE: THIS WAS MY FAVORITE OF THE PG'S I TRIED...AND I LOVE THE BACK LABEL...KEEP YOUR KARMA CLEAN! :) Winemaker Intro: Zesty and crisp with refreshing aromas and flavors of melon, tropical fruit and cool lemon/lime to finish. Review: Tasted of pineapple ending on a citrus not. Bold...permeates my senses. Pleasant aftertaste...perfect balance of dry & "just" sweet. Good stand alone wine, though I'd pair it as well. Couldn't tell you how it tasted the second day, because it didn't last that long. buy again: DUH!

Barefoot California no year listed $1.25 (mini-bottle...perfect for just tasting) Winemaker intro (not on mini-bottle, so I copied it from regular size bottle at market): A crisp & refreshing wine with bright aromas and flavors of citrus and fresh green apple. Hints of jasmine compliment a bright, delicate, flavorful finish. Review: Fizzy on my tongue...and even slightly visible in the glass. Dry, fruity. Melon and pineapple evident...citrus aftertaste. Good. Buy again: yes (probably even a big bottle)

3 Blind Moose California 2008 $6.49 Winemaker Intro: We think you'll fall head over hooves for our delightfully fresh and fragrant California PG...bright citrus, pear and melon flavors. Review: This tastes like a tropical breeze (in a good, pleasant way)! Light, clean, crisp and bursting with flowers. I thought at first that the big, floral smell would turn me off, but it did quite the opposite and made me want more. Bright, sweet...leaving pineapple and flowers resting on your tongue. Buy again: Yes

So I'm a big fan of wine...I'm not gonna apologize! And yes, I drink my wine from a jelly jar most of the time. A while back I was so tired of wine glasses that I gave all of mine away to the needy (needy= sister with no wine glasses). Ever since I've been drinking from jelly jars...they are rarely in danger of tipping. I did buy stemless wine glasses after ridding myself of the pesky stemmed variety, but those are sort of awkward to hold. I don't ask for a jelly jar if I'm out drinking wine...and I'm starting to come back around. I did just buy another stemmed glass, because I know to actually get the "full" experience the glasses are actually made with this in mind...so, I'll trade up every now and again! Hope to taste some wine with you soon! "You came to me like wine comes to this mouth, grown tired of water all the time...you quench my heart and love, you quench my mind." -Dave Matthews

**On a separate note, I've finally joined Friday Shoot-outs (from your town)...my first post on water is up on my girlichef: off topic blog**