A Grigio for on the Go! 02/23/11

Choosing topical wines to review can be a pretty challenging endeavor. The wine world is a rich and interesting one, sure, but it’s not exactly bursting with headlines that would intrigue your average reader. And if you’re like me, you don’t have time to read anything but headlines, ever.

Regardless, by now you’ve probably heard about Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister (some kind of fake President, I think) of Italy, who’s set to stand trial in April for having some sort of strange sex party with minors. This gross misconduct on the part of their leader has, understandably, left Italians everywhere aghast.

You may be asking what this has to do with wine, and the ostensible answer would be nothing. But sometimes synchronicity works in mysterious ways – and as it turns out, in this particular case the correct answer is almost nothing.

Allow me to explain: as I was traipsing through the aisles (by now I think it’s obvious which ones), I chanced to come across the Voga 2009 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, a bottle of Italian white that was rather, for want of a better term, thermos-esque.

In other words, this thing is the ideal container for today’s busy, dynamic drinker. ‘Cause really, who couldn’t use a Pinot pick-me-up every now and again? Well thanks to Voga’s innovative thermos-style, from now on you’ll have wine at your side wherever you go – whether hitting the gym, pregaming an important business meeting or fleeing persecution!

I bought the bottle ($13) and proceeded to unscrew the lid, whereupon I was somewhat confused to find a cork. But that couldn’t stop me (I have a corkscrew) and I soon found myself face-to-face with a glass of mostly clear, pale straw colored wine. The aroma was disappointingly generic: a vague peachy/apricot smell that I’ve come to expect from most whites under $10. With a little time, the nose developed into a more interesting (but not much more appealing) creamy citrus that made me think “stale lemon danish.”

The palate wasn’t too much better: dry and with decent acidity, I detected notes of apple, lemon and oaky butter at various times, but not enough to match the alcohol (even at a paltry 12%), which gave the wine an astringent finish. I paired this with some ham, and the two complemented each other fairly well, but it was nothing worth devoting a whole sentence to (dammit).

The verdict? This is an $8 wine in a $13 bottle, which I award thumbs up. If, however, I’d had a stale lemon danish handy, I daresay this might’ve scored as high as 8.

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