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The wine section of this site is designed to
let you know what wines that we feel are the very best.
The wines we select are not based on price but for taste,
and food pairing. The recipes we focus on are game and fish
and the wines chosen go very well with those choices. Wine
selected will also be readily available on the market. My
formal education is in viticulture ( the study of wine grapes).
I have followed the wine business and trends all of my adult
life. I will also showcase wineries and wine makers from
time to time. I hope you enjoy the wine column. As with all
good things in life "Indulge in moderation". Please
feel free to comment on the food and wine pairings we offer.
This months wine selection takes a steep departure from the past selections of full bodied red wines. I chose a white wine as my travels brought me to Florida with warmer temperatures. While the rest of the country was bundled up next to the fire, I was wearing flip flops and slathering on the sun screen. One day I was in the snow in Atlanta and the next in sunny Florida. Cooking and eating was on the lighter side as the weather was more suited to light meals. It only makes sense that I was making hog fish tacos, scallops and having a nice white wine with dinner.
Seafood and white wine go hand in hand like a conch in a shell. I made a trip down to the local wine shop but there was not a fine wine shop to be had. Rural Florida is as backwoods as it comes. I had to settle with what was available. I was not surprised to find a bottle of Ecco Domani pinot grigio. It is a little known fact that pinot grigio is the most important wine imported in to our country. Yes it is true and it also stacks up highly against more popular wines we produce here. In fact the order of wine sales by volume (in order by popularity) is chardonnay, merlot, white zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, and (you guessed it) pinot grigio. Oh yeah I also need to tell you there is another name for the popular white varietal pinot gris coined by the French.
Why so popular you ask? Well it kind of goes like this.... White wine appeals to a broad range of America. What more it is sweeter (but not too sweet) than its red cousin the pinot noir. Third you do not have to have a blessed palate to enjoy this wine. Both the pinot noir and the pinot grigio are red grapes. Well how do they make it white? To begin with the pinot Grigio is one of the first grapes of the season to ripen. Pinot grigios color is often marbled and light in color, reds and light purples. If you hold the grape up to the sun you will see its translucence. Once picked it is rushed to the winery and crushed. The skin of the grape is not left in the tank for fermentation but carried off rather quickly leaving a fresh light juice. Do not be mistaken. There is plenty of character left in the fruit to produce a fine wine.
My pick of the month will not let you down. It is not one of our domestic, snobby wines that we love (the taste) and hate (the price). The wine comes across the pond from the north eastern part of Italy known as "Tre Venezie". This wine producing area has been growing this grape for a long time. My pick comes in at a reasonable price of $8.00 to $12.00 a bottle in the store. They must have some sort of subsidy to grow, bottle and ship it to our local shop for almost free.
The 2005 Ecco Domani pinot grigio is a fine pairing for a casual seafood meal. I like the light and refreshing character of the wine with its tropical fruit notes and low acidity. Paired with steamed mussels, hog fish tacos, or braised scallops it will not dissapoint. Serve chilled with your favorite seafood dish and a cool salad. |
