Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Delle Venezie DOC, Italy
Cost: $13 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Straw yellow with golden reflections. The bouquet is gently intense, with notes of tropical fruits and peach followed by hints of jasmine flowers. Fresh and well balanced in the mouth with a soft and persistent minerality. A perfect wine for fish dishes, such as a baked monk-fish fillet, or with a simple porcini mushroom risotto.
My Review: I used to drink a lot of Pinot Grigio when I was first developing my palate. I had a soft spot for Italian wines since Chianti was my gateway wine into drier reds. As I’ve grown I find myself drinking less of the grape; not because I’ve necessarily outgrown it or don’t like it, but because I’ve found myself exploring more grapes and regions, sometimes at the expense of others.
Which is why, when given the chance to try the 2020 Pinot Grigio from Corvezzo, I jumped at the chance to revisit a grape that I just don’t spend as much time with as I used to (sorta like visiting with an old friend).
In the glass the wine was pale yellow, with hints of green showing through when held up to the light. On the nose I picked up tropical aromas of melon, key lime, and a bit of salt or brine that reminded me of an ocean breeze.
In the mouth the wine showed a bit of body to it, likely thanks to being aged 95% in concrete and 5% in oak barrels. Tropical flavours of green apple, peach, melon, and citrus jumped out on my palate at first and were joined by a light mineral finish that I found refreshing and a nice balance to the tropical flavors.
My wife and I enjoyed this wine on a hot day by itself, but I think pairing it with some oysters (raw or grilled would be good), some lighter seafood, or something like clams in pasta would be a great pairing; anything to really draw out the mineral, salty notes of the wine while giving the tropical notes enough room to sing will make for a good pairing.
We still have a lot of summer to go, and anyone looking for a crisp, refreshing, tropical wine that doesn’t skew sweet would do well to give the 2020 Corvezzo Pinot Grigio a look. For $13 it’s a good price for sharing with friends and can be enjoyed by itself while also holding up to some food.
Disclosure: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
