Tasting- “Candoni Pinot Grigio”

http://www.candoniwines.com/pinot_grigio.html

Name: Candoni Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: The year is again, not completely known because when we asked the man working the tasting, he simply replied saying it was not vintage.  So I would guess it was maybe a 2010 wine.  I once again couldn’t see a year on the bottle, so this is my best guess.  

Price: $10.95... one of the cheapest at the tastings.

Vintage Cellar Review:

 “Medium-bodied, well-structured and sophisticated.  It has a rich, pear-like nose, followed by a crisp acidity and a delicious mouth feel.  A delicious accompaniment to fish, seasonal pasta dishes or chicken.  It can also stand alone as an aperitif on a hot summer day.”

My Review:

                This is the first one that I’m not going to give a very good review.  Normally, I love Pinot Grigio... usually it’s my first choice of wine (Chardonnay is the only other one I might prefer).  However, I was less than impressed with this one.  It had little aroma to it, which looking back was definitely foreshadowing for the flavor of the wine.  It tasted exceptionally watered down.  It was pretty smooth, but the flavor was basically non-existent.  I felt like I was drinking water.  I do feel a little bad about giving such a harsh review, because I feel like its position in the tasting was partially to blame.  I'm usually a fan of the saying “lucky number 7” (which is a great movie by the way), but in this case, being the 7^th wine I tasted was not so lucky.  It directly followed the Prosecco, which had a really strong, sweet flavor.  So I think the contrast between the super sweet and flavorful sparkling wine, and then the Pinot Grigio may have skewed my opinion of it.  So I think at the very least, if the wine itself wasn’t that bad, the decision to place it right after the Prosecco in the tasting was a poor one.  As for food, I did not have any food at the tasting but I guess I could see how it may be decent with fish or chicken to keep an overall light and simple flavor to the meal.  However, I also think it could be good with a heavier meal, like steak or something because the lighter, simpler flavor of the wine wouldn’t interfere with the strong flavor of the meal.  Overall, I would not have to recommend this wine to anyone... it was probably one of the cheaper ones for a reason. 

Below is a picture I took of the last 6 wines at the tasting (the one furthest to the left is the Prosecco and the one just to the right of that is the Pinot Grigio)