Winey Tasting Notes: Sunny San Angelo Pinot Grigio

It was the perfect reminder of our summer trip to Italy, and it landed on my doorstep on a chilly December day, thanks to my buddies at Banfi Wines. “It” was a bottle of Castello 
Banfi’s San Angelo Pinot Grigio  (2013, 13%, Tuscany, Italy) and just looking at its pretty lightly golden color made me want to dive right in and get all summery again. Sadly, the bottle wasn’t deep enough to dive into, but it was absolutely the right size to share with the Winey Son at some time.

That time came one night over the recent holidays. I was making dinner and watching The Ryder Cup in between preparations. You did not read that wrong. We were watching The Ryder Cup. In December. And it was about time too, because the DVR was at 98% capacity. This is all because The Winey Son refuses to miss a moment of any major sporting event, despite the fact that his duties and travels often make him unable to watch them live. So I get a text to “please record _______(fill in various epic sporting events that he deems recordable). Thanks!” (At least he says thanks.) And that event will live on our DVR until he can  make it home to Ohio and watch it. I usually pepper the viewing with comments like, “Gee, I wonder who wins? Oh wait, YOU KNOW ALREADY” and “Make sure you delete this as soon as you watch it, there is a new NCIS/Grey’s Anatomy/Downton Abbey on soon and we need the room on the DVR”. He just looks at me and then turns back to the screen. And on this occasion, accepted a glass of the Pinot Grigio.  He’s no dummy, after all.

We took our first sips, and I asked him how he liked it. He said that he liked it, but that he really didn’t know wine like I did. Hmm…what does that have to with liking a wine, I asked back. After all, you don’t have to know the backstory of a wine to know that you like it. Or don’t like it. “OK, then I like it.” And that was all that mattered. He and I both liked it!

This liking began with aromas of starfruit, kiwi and pear. The wine was full of flavors of tart citrus and minerals and had such a lively, bright, open feel in the mouth. So very full of flavors and memories of summer and sunny golf courses (for The Winey Son, at least).

Buy this wine if you like your whites tart and zesty and sunny and bright. It runs around $14-16 and is one of the tastiest Italian Pinot Grigios I’ve had in a while!

I was given this wine for review purposes. The opinions are my own.