Nifty Shades of Grey
In the wine world, consumers will encounter different terms used in various languages to describe the grey pinot grape—Pinot Gris, in French or English; Grauburgunder in German; Pinot Grigio in Italian; Szürkebarát (grey monk) in Hungarian. The terminology harkens back to the Cistercian monks from Burgundy who wore greyish habits. As they fanned out across Europe to spread Christianity in the 11th century, the monks took their grapes and viticultural practices with them. As well, they passed on these practices to the local populations, who embraced them wholeheartedly. The grapes provided nutrition, but more importantly, the raw material for making wine, be it used as a table beverage or for sacramental purposes. The picture of the monks labouring in the vineyards in their greyish smocks left a lasting impression in the minds and on the palates of wine drinkers all over the world, whatever they may call the grape.
As the white partner to Oregon’s extremely popular red Pinot grape, Pinot Noir, Wine by Joe is also a benchmark producer of Pinot Gris. Fermented only in stainless steel, this guarantees freshness and pure essence of fruit. It’s crisp, lively and aromatic with notes of tropical fruit, white peach and hints of pear. Dry and medium bodied. A beautiful balanced sipper enjoyed solo, pair with pesto-tossed cold pasta salad. Since the State of Oregon has an extensive Pacific coastline, why not up the ante by throwing in some locally sourced grilled scallops for an even tastier wine and food pairing.