Grigio & Gris: 'The Patty Duke Show' of Wines

Pinot Grigio makes for a tasty white sangria. Photo by Ines Hegedus-Garcia.

BY TAMARA FISH

PINOT Grigio and Pinot Gris are strongly related to their namesake, Pinot Noir. Some describe them as a genetic mutation, making them, in lay terms, Pinot Noir’s cousin.

Instead of the Noir’s lush, dark, pine-cone shaped clusters bearing red wine, imagine grapes printed in grayscale – slightly washed out with an almost ashen hue. That's Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio. From such gray-reddish grapes comes a white wine. Surprising? Well, that’s just the beginning. And to make the point, let’s take a short detour through cable TV’s Nick@Nite.

A cluster of the dark, pine-coned shaped Pinot Noir grape. Photo from WikiCommons.

Pinots and The Patty Duke Show
Remember “The Patty Duke Show?” OK, truth be told, I caught only a few reruns, but I remember the terribly catch theme song:

But they’re cousins,/
Identical cousins, all the way./
One pair of matching bookends,/
Different as night and day."

How matching? This matching:

They laugh alike, they walk alike./
At times, they even talk alike./
You can lose your mind/
When cousins are two of akind.

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris: Identical. Period. Despite their different names, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris grapes are actually more than cousins – they’re twins! Pinot Gris – literally, “gray pine” in French – is Pinot Grigio in Italian (guess what that means), Tocai d'Alsace in Alsatian France (I don’t know why), and Ruländer or Grauburgunder (literally, “gray burgundy”) in Germany. Same grape, relatively the same name, but just like Cathy and Patty on “The Patty Duke Show,” they’re “different as night and day,” like the difference between lavender and purple (and thank you, Alice Walker.)

The area shaded in red on the map of France is the Alsatian region. It produces some of country's finest white wines. Photo from WikiCommons.

Pinot Grigio: A Perfect Casual Picnic Wine
Think of inexpensive Pinot Grigios as the Budweiser of wines: light, relatively non-descript, and accordingly, an unassuming inoffensive wine. Want to quaff something without thinking, perhaps serve something that everyone will like and no one will remember? Cheap Pinot Grigio is the way to go. Barely colored and with barely a hint of a scent of flowers (light nose, sometimes floral), inexpensive Pinot Grigios have none of that sharp bite (low tannins) and tend toward mellow fruit flavors (hint of melon, sometimes citrus).

Sounds too generic or bland? Kick it up a notch by making a white sangria: Soak a peeled and diced orange, apple, and lemon in a cup of gin for an hour. Add ¼ cup of sugar. Stir in a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Chill and serve. Feeling daring? Add kiwi or cantaloupe right before pouring. Party genius in no time at all.

But please don’t let that pedantic run-of-the-mill $9 wine speak for the rest. Higher end Pinot Grigios, including those produced in Oregon and Washington, are full of flavor and usually slightly deeper in color. Imagine a wine approaching the intensity of a Sauvignon Blanc, but kinder, gentler, softer. That’s the potential of a Pinot Grigio. And that’s still the lavender side of the purple scale.

Vezzo is a very inexpensive and appealing Pinot Grigio. Photo courtesy of Astor Wines.

Pinot Gris: True Purple
If Pinot Grigio is lavender, then Pinot Gris (and Tocai d’Alsace and Graubugunder) is pure royal purple. Move over, Patty! Cathy has just entered the room, ready for her minuet, Ballet Russe and crepes Suzette.

Made not in the light Italianate style (and not with overproduced grapes), the wines from French, Alsatian and German producers tend toward more concentrated flavors. The color of the wines typically deepen, with a richer, fuller taste (well-rounded, sometimes even creamy/butter/almost oily). Wines of the best quality match well almost any food, including red meat, breaking the rule – red wines with red meats, white wines with white or pink meats. Throw those distinctions out the door. Savor hearty Pinot Gris with hearty meals.

Vezzo
Pinot Grigio, 2010
Veneto, Italy
$7; on sale for $5 at Astor Wines (http://http://www.blogger.com/www.bit.ly/qrRO9G), NYC
Disregard what I said about cheap Pinot Grigios being the Budweiser of wine. This one is the exception. Buy a case and have lots of friends over. Best buy of the summer.

Label of the King Estate Pinot Gris 2009. The wine pairs well with swordfish and spicy dishes. Photo courtesy of King Estate.

Bolla
Pinot Grigio '07
Veneto, Italy
$8 at BevMo.com (http://www.bit.ly/pID33x)
Regard what I said about inexpensive Pinot Grigios. Still, an unassuming inoffensive wine – what’s not to like? Makes great white sangria.

King Estate
Signature Collection
Pinot Gris – 2009
Eugene, Oregon
$18; on sale for $16 at BevMo.com (http://www.bit.ly/qTtG1p)
Ahh!, the Oregonian Pinot Gris. Taste the fullness as the citrus rolls in over the tongue. Excellent with swordfish and perfect for balancing out spicy dishes.

Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris 2004 has a reputation for being universally appealing. Photo courtesy of Trimbach.

Trimbach
Reserve
Pinot Gris 2004
Alsace, France
$20 at Westminster Total Beverage (http://www.bit.ly/qVT2Gz), Westminster, CO
A steal at $20. Producing quality wines since 1626, Trimbach’s Pinot Gris Reserve will impress the most jaded wine drinker. Perfect with any seafood, especially smoked salmon.

Dirler
Schimberg
Tocai Pinot Gris – 2005
Alsace, France
Usually around $35; $17 at Woodland Hills Wine Co.( http://www.bit.ly/qRHd4h), Woodland Hills, CA
Elegance in a bottle. While most white wines do not store well, this one will age for a few more years beautifully. Rich in flavor as well as rich in subtleties, Schimberg is a conversation piece in and of itself. Added bonus: Biodynamic wine. Enjoy!

Next up: Biodynamic & Organic Wines

For Real, A Great Total Sensory Journey

Wine tasting can be a wonderful experience but it ain't a pretty sight. Photo by Christina Snyder.

BY TAMARA FISH

BE a slob. That’s right. Truly tasting wine will have you making all sorts of noises, sticking your nose into a glass, slurping, almost gurgling, and basically looking like a pig.

Prissily sampling wine with pinkies up is pure affectation. Those in the know dispense with such airs. The more you get down and dirty with wine, the fuller your tasting will be.

Real tasting is a five-sense adventure. Wine is a total upper-body experience. (Perhaps getting up to find another bottle might require your entire body, but it would be a stretch to call that exercise.)

So, grab a glass of wine, preferably straight from a freshly opened bottle or box (yes, Virginia, there are good boxed wines), and be prepared for a great total sensory journey.

WINE SIGHT
Looking at a wine’s color will reveal a lot about the intensity of its flavor. The deeper the color, the heartier it tends to be. Take a look at a pinot grigio and then take a look at a chardonnay. Chardonnays tend to be heartier, richer in flavor. But a wide range of color exists within a grape varietal (such as a chardonnay). The clue of color becomes even more pronounced with red wines. Use a white napkin or paper towel as a backdrop to see the depth of color. If it’s a deep, almost blackish purple such as a cabernet sauvignon, buckle your seatbelt – it’s going to be quite a ride.

AH!, THE AROMA …
Now we’re almost ready to taste it. Stick your nose in the glass. That’s right. Don’t worry about looking silly. Just get your nose in there. Inhale deeply. Feel the intake of air along the back of the throat. That’s how deeply to inhale. Some people hold their breath for a second or two, some don’t.

What impressions do you get? Does the aroma – the wine’s bouquet or “nose”– suggest anything? If it simply smells like wine, OK. But if some other ideas come up just note them. Some people might be reminded of fruits or spices, but the goal is to find how you smell wines. They are your impressions of a wine, a tag for your brain to remember this particular grape or bottle (or box!). Have fun.

Fair warning: Be prepared to sneeze, wince, or even gasp upon smelling wine deeply for the first time. Don’t get discouraged, though. Stick your nose back in and try again. Or, if the wine’s nose is too intense, then pull back a bit, holding the glass about an inch away from your nose, and savor the bouquet without getting clubbed over the head.

Second fair warning:
Smelling a wine (or the cork) can also forestall a load of trouble later. Ever have a wine that just tasted “off”: a bit vinegary, moldy, or just plain old? No? Trust me: skip this experience. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Believe me. No need to start inventing schemes from the shock of it all, such as spitting wine into nearby plants. Rather, start by becoming familiar with various wine bouquets, and after time, a “bad one” will announce itself before directly insulting your tastebuds.

The color of a wine says more about it than what meets the eye. Photo by Benjamin Miller.

KEY TO GOOD TASTING: REGRESS TO SECOND GRADE
Now, here comes the fun part – the heart of the tasting. And when I mean fun, I mean you haven’t had this much raucous delight relishing a drink since blowing bubbles in lunchroom milk cartons!

To spit or not to spit? That is the question.
Yes, spitting is allowed in wine tasting. It’s best not to spit on other people, but there is spitting. Spitting is actually recommended when sampling several wines, or else everyone would be so blotto at the end of it all, no one would remember which wine is which. Spitting prevents tasters from getting drunk. Furthermore, if you don’t drink everything poured into your glass, your palate can distinguish between wines more clearly. That’s why buckets or cute little dolled up urns sit on the bar at vineyards. Make no mistake, they’re spittoons.

If there are no more than three or four wines are on the tasting menu (and you’ve passed the car keys on to your driving teenager), then feel free to refrain from spitting. For the record: I spit.

Tongue roll, please …
Remember in that long-ago biology class when the teacher gabbed about genetics and fruit flies? It’s true, fruit flies love wine, but let’s ignore that point. What I’m talking about is the tongue roll. A specific gene is the reason that some people can curl the edges of their tongues into a modified rigatoni. Without using any fingers, try to curl your tongue. If you can, you have a wonderful built-in wine-tasting tool. No lie.

Take a tiny taste in your mouth. Roll the wine forward so that it touches the tip of your tongue. Notice anything? Any impressions? Maybe, maybe not. Then do the tongue – rigatoni roll and slurp. That’s right. Slurp. Open your mouth a wee bit, suck in some air, and listen. Correct, that’s a slurping sound. (Even better than blowing bubbles in milk.) Sure, it looks absolutely ridiculous but this is how wine is aerated. The oxygen reacts with the wine and opens its flavor. The tongue becomes a built-in decanter-for-one, of sorts. After slurping, roll the wine gently to the back of your mouth. Back there the tongue detects different flavors than in the front of the mouth. Spit or don’t. Whatever suits you. But empty your mouth for now.

Allow a few seconds for the tastebuds to connect with the neurons in your brain (yes, more bio). What impressions bubble up now, if any?

What? That’s it? Not quite.

Mega Swish
Take a rather large sip of wine. Now pretend it’s mouthwash. Swish it around, flit it between your teeth, and basically get the entire mouth and a lot of saliva involved. A wine-tongue tango? Anyway, after about five seconds empty your mouth. Wait a few more seconds and allow a few more impressions to surface.

Terms such as light, full-bodied and finish that describe the character of wines become familiar after a few tastings. File photo.

Does the wine taste differently than it did before? Does it seem rather sweet and fruity? Is it not sweet at all (dry) or spicy? Is it something that would toss down easily (light in flavor), or does it seem to stand up and demand attention (hearty, full)? Is there a distinct aftertaste (finish), and is it fleeting or does it stay with you (linger)? These are some of the things that indicate the character of the wine.

These are some of the terms that pop up in wine-tasting notes. With time and several tastings, the terms will become less foreign, possibly even friendly.

Back to Normal
After using most or all of these techniques, the five senses will be completely saturated with this particular wine: looking at it, obliterating the olfactory glands with it, feeling it playfully along the palate, hearing it tumble and slurp, and savoring the distinctive flavors. Now, with all these sensations running around, enjoy a nice simple taste.

HOW TO DO IT THIS TIME?
Just sip the damned thing. One good sip. The same type of sip people take all the time without thinking about it. So don’t think. Just enjoy.

There’s only one thing left to do: ask yourself if you like it. Like it a lot? Then kick back and smile. Not so much? Truly, you’ve given this particular wine a fair chance.

And at the very least, finding out was as much fun as blowing bubbles in milk.

Next time: A Tale of Two Vineyards/Sonoma, CA.