Sometimes one of the hardest things to do when you’re meant to be reviewing something is if you’re not sure you’re a fan of the thing in the first place. For some this week, asking you to critique Pinot Grigio was a bit like sending my French colleague, JB, down to Lords to let me know what he thought of the first day’s play.
I only tried the one this week, and it was the Sainsbury’s TTD Pinot Grigio, currently on sale at £6 down from £8. With heavy memories of the battery acid Pinot Grigios you get at pubs and bars in the UK, I was a bit nervous. But, not for the first time this year, I was pleasantly surprised.
It’s about getting into the mindset of “is this a great Pinot Grigio?” rather than “is this a great white wine?” The appearance was ultra pale lemon, so that’s one point.
The smell wasn’t exactly jumping out of the glass at me, but having said that I was drinking it at about 8 degrees (pretty chilled), which can make it harder to smell anyway. What I did get was grapefruit and lemon (heavy citrus, another point), and a honeydew melon sniff. The label reckoned peach, I didn’t get it, but hey ho.
On the taste the acidity wasn’t massive, but it was decent, more so than a Pinot Gris, so that’s another point in the column. In the mouth there was a definitely grainy minerality there, almost like after you’ve eaten pistachios, that kind of thing. The finish was tangy citrus. It was nice to start and then just a bit too tangy for too long if I’m being picky.
We had it with a bit of pitta and home made hummus that missus did an amazing job of. Thing was, we got to add a bit more lemon juice to the hummus whilst we made it, so it went really well together.
This stuff was chalk and cheese to the £5 crap you see all over the shelves, and at £6 at the minute, it’s absolute steal in my view.
Am I a Pinot Grigio convert? Probably not, but I’m pleased I’ve had a go and tried what I really think is a very decent Pinot Grigio here. A more than happy 13/20 from me.
Cheers
Other Posts in NWTW Week 47:
#NWTW Week 47: Pinot Grigio From Italy
#NWTW Week 47: Where To Get The Best From Pinot Grigio
#NWTW Week 47: Italian’s Always Try To Have a Style of Their Own
