Wine Maven: FogDog Pinot Noir and Austrian Pepper Gruner Veltiner

Uh, bring home one of each, please. Or two. Better yet …

These are keepers.

I loved the FogDog Chardonnay so much, that when I saw the Pinot on the tasting menu at Whispering Vine, I snagged a sip. Oh my. That’s everything I expect out of an affordable Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

FogDog Pinot Noir, 2008

Great clarity and garnet color in the glass. Beautiful nose. Intense perfume, wonderful aromatics. Violets, red cherry, tangerine, spice. Hmmm, maybe black tea? Persistent tannin backbone with a fresh and lively acidity. Nice full mouth. Price: $35.00

Austrian Pepper Gruner Veltliner

I had a bottle of this in the fridge, opened the other evening, and was so impressed I had to go get another bottle. It’s perhaps still a little too cool to really appreciate this wine fully, as my palatte changes with the seasons and temperature, but this is going to be a killer warmer weather wine.

The Gruner Veltliner grape is grown in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and has a reputation for being particularly food friendly. I can vouch for that. It’s generally drunk young, but can be aged. The Gruner Veltliner grape accounts for at least a third of Austria’s wine production.

The color is a pale gold with green. Very aromatic, it has distinctive citrus notes with wild herbs, salad greens. You’ll also note a very slight, nice effervescence. Although it’s fruit forward, the Pepper in the name is there for a reason. There is a very distinct white pepper note on the finish. Nice mouth. Clean finish.

Try this very affordable wine, and I guarantee you that you will become hooked. Price: $15.99

This can certainly become one of your fav go-to white wines for spring and summer.

-maven