Cline Cellars 2008 Pinot Gris
The Nitty Gritty:
- Vintage: 2008
- Varietal: Pinot Gris
- Winery: Cline
- Region: Sonoma
- Country: United States
- Price: About $12
- Rating: 87/100
- Tags: best value
My dad, bless his heart, loves his Chardonnay. Over the years, as he’s gravitated more towards white wines, I see him drinking more and more of it, and mostly from California. Of course, Chardonnay is one of my favorite varietals, but I typically drink white Burgundies, which are usually diametrically opposed in expression to California Chards.
In volunteering to pick the wines for a BYOB family dinner in Philadelphia, I decided to attempt to get Dad away from his Chardonnay crutch and try something new — hence the Pinot Gris from Cline.
Why?
One: Cline Cellars makes incredibly reliable, reasonably-priced wines.
Two: Pinot Gris is actually Pinot Grigio, so it’s a bit lighter and more crisp than a typical California Chardonnay but is more full-bodied than something you might find from Italy.
Three: based on Number Two, this makes for a pretty versatile wine with plenty of pairing possibilities. Don’t overchill this, though. It’s not a tasteless cheapo Pinot Grigio — many of which taste like wine-flavored water — but the flavor can get zapped by colder temperatures. Pair with salads or light pasta dishes and grilled fish.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York City-based writer who spends her days on Madison Avenue and her evenings in Spain, France, Italy, South America, and beyond. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College, spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Lauren passed The Court of Master Sommeliers’ Level I exam in August and will sit for her Certified Sommelier Exam in early 2010.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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