Don't turn up your nose at pinot grigio! As with many other grapes, this one (also known as pinot gris, depending what country you're in) has been made badly by many wineries, and its reputation has unfairly suffered the consequences. (Not quite to the extent that poor Chablis and Merlot have, which we'll get into in some future posts.) Many drinkers seem to view it as a lightweight, to be consumed only at wedding receptions and office parties. Sort of like the Cosmopolitan of wines.
We beg to differ. Last night we tried a 2006 Jermann Pinot Grigio and found that it worked very nicely as an aperitif. Tim detected hints of peach, and both he and Meghan thought it was a flowery wine, almost like drinking a perfume. (But better. Definitely better.) It has a pleasant amount of acidity and is made from 100% Pinot Grigio grown in the Friuli region of Italy. At $22.99, we rate it a 6.0 out of 10.
