Winey Tasting Notes: Entwine Pinot Grigio and my Food Network Issues

ByThe Winey Mom

It isn’t often that one of my favorite wineries pairs up with one of my favorite television networks, but when it does happen (OK, it’s happened exactly once and you’re reading about it now), the results are marvelous.

Such is the case with Entwine Wines. They are a product of a partnership between Wente Vineyards and The Food Network. I have reviewed many Wente Vineyards offerings over the years, and it all started because my son and of their VP’s sons are in the same class at West Point. Kind of like making friends with the parents when your child goes to preschool, only at USMA they play with real tanks and rifles. Anyway, Wente is one of the country’s oldest and longest family run wineries, so make no doubt about it, they really know their stuff.



cupcakes
Look at all that icing.



food network logoAnd The Food Network. I will admit to feeling a bit conflicted about this channel. The big problem is that I love to watch their shows. But unlike an episode of say, Grey’s Anatomy, where you come away craving Patrick Dempsey, when you watch Cupcake Wars, you come away craving cupcakes. Or heaven forbid you hit on an episode of The Barefoot Contessa as she is making chicken pot pie. Oh YUM!!! And Paula Deen and all that butter? I am defenseless. A bad thing to be when facing a food craving. And wanting to fit into the clothes in your closet.
osso bucco
Osso bucco… mine looks just like
this one. Really.
On the other hand, because I watch The Food Network, I have learned to make osso bucco, a dish I probably never would have attempted if I hadn’t seen it actually come to life in front of me on the small screen. I also was inspired to try risotto (I am not known for my patience, but I learned that this is what you really need when making risotto). And if I do say so myself, I rock those recipes. So I do owe the network a big thank you …. and myself 5 more miles on the treadmill.
bottle of Entwine Pinot GrigioBut we were talking about wine, weren’t we? Another area of my culinary life where I am somewhat of a sitting duck. This time temptation arrived in a bottle of Entwine Pinot Grigio (2010, 135, California). I love to try Pinot Grigios because they all have something a little bit different to offer because they’re grown all over the world. The French wines are a bit flowery, the German ones a bit sweeter and the Italian ones full of crisp acidity. But this is a Pinot Grigio from the good old USA. The nose was very faint – had a hard time finding it at all, to be honest. The taste made up for that though. This was a mixed tart citrus flavor – but not to the point of puckering you up. Surrounding all that tartness was an almost fruity floral taste. It really rounded out the flavors nicely giving it the taste of a tart green apple – but the flesh of the apple, not the skin. It finished long and tart and juicy and lip licking (something I admit to doing with Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs more and more! I need to restrain myself.)

I paired this with some tiny Asiago cheese pizzas that had a sweeter type of tomato sauce than your normal pizza sauce. It was perfect with the cheese and the lighter tomato-ey flavor. A total buy-again wine, especially now that we are heading into the summer months when a full of flavor Pinot Grigio is very welcome at the end of a hot day!

Cook on….and cheers!