WINE: Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Blanc 2008
This crisp wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley offers aromas of pineapple, lemon and mild spice. With green apples, subtle peach and lemon on the palate, this medium-bodied wine is quite dry and refreshing. The wine’s plush fruit pairs well with the mellow sweetness of the caramelized carrots, and the wine’s delicate herbal character is nice with the tart’s thyme and marjoram. In addition, there is a hint of creaminess in the wine, which picks up on the slight nuttiness found in the crust.Pinot blanc can be a fairly tricky wine. To start with, the pinot blanc grape is a genetic variation of the pinot noir grape, and is often confused with pinot gris, which is also a genetic cousin of pinot noir. Making matters worse, in the Alsace, pinot blanc is often blended with another grape varietal called auxerrois, which actually gives these wines more of the full-bodied and spicy characteristics attributed to Alsatian pinot blanc wines. In the United States, wines labeled pinot blanc were for a long time actually made from melon de Bourgogne, also known as muscadet. All that is important to me, however, is that pinot blancs are food-friendly, and an excellent alternative to chardonnay.
PRICE: about $18.00
Also pairs well with: Mild cheese, chicken, fish, mussels, cooked onions, salads, scallops, and vegetables.
Category- White
Varietal- Pinot Blanc
Region– Willamette Valley, Oregon
Available at:
