KEY POINTS:
Does the arrival of winter indicate the demise of white wine drinking in favour of those richer, warmer, mouth-filling reds? Not really.
There is an inevitable seasonal shift but not of seismic proportions. We eat differently during the colder months; restaurant menus undergo significant changes.
Bountiful, warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart red meat and potato dishes and dense, brooding soups appear. Getting a reprieve, as a rule, are those lighter, salady summer dishes.
Some dishes, like some wines, have a cross-seasonal life. Fish springs to mind, as does pinot gris - that easy, approachable uncomplicated white, adored and embraced by the public and gaining grudging acceptance by the wine literati.
Why the divide? What's the problem? No problem really, it's just one of those slightly snobby things not to be taken seriously.
There, I've said it. But pinot gris can often be a tad mundane. It's not terribly challenging, somewhat innocuous, lacking fruit, lacking acid, lacking balance, in a word ... lacking.
It's not the most sophisticated grape on the planet, however it comes with the favoured P word - pinot. It's the preferred wine of both my daughters, who can make a glass spin out for an entire evening. One ought to be thankful for small mercies. Personally I am a fan of pinot gris but it has to be very good.
I am profoundly disappointed when it's not what it ought to be but sells nevertheless because it is flavour of the year. Zero tolerance can be a nasty trait but there are so many great wines in this country, it's irritating when mediocre wine - not necessarily that cheap - can be guaranteed to sell easily just because it's pinot gris.
The good news is it is getting significantly better - in the past it has been all over the place.
Any decent pinot gris will announce its arrival by a simple whiff test. On the nose there ought to be fruit, honey and spice, sometimes even a dash of pear. If it smells like nothing much but water, it probably is.
But done correctly, it deserves to be a wine for all seasons.
RECOMMENDED
2007 Woollaston Burkes Bank Pinot Gris
Nelson vineyard producing a silky, textured wine with fine minerality. Poached pear, quince and ginger. Great value.
Price: $22
2007 Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris
A stand out from an excellent winemaker. Heavyweight contender. Big fruit, complex, superb balance. Limited availability.
Price: $25-28
- NZ Herald
