Tuesday, February 10, 2015

At Long Last…Pinot Noir

     It may seem odd to some that pinot noir is scarcely mentioned in this blog. Contrary to what this may lead my readers to believe, I am an ardent fan of this luscious wine. Unfortunately, pinots from Burgundy have become far too expensive for my casual consumption. Adding to my dismay with the high cost of wines from Burgundy is that on those rare occasions when I did spend as much fifty dollars for a bottle, I was bitterly disappointed. My assumption is that our retailers are either marking up wines from Burgundy excessively, due to the wine region’s high regard amongst wine lovers or we are not importing the best that Burgundy has to offer.  Regardless of the reasons behind the high prices and poor quality, I resolved to stop wasting my money any further.


     Still, the longing for the lush taste sensation of pinot noir lingered on as a fickle memory taunting me. Unwilling to give up entirely on what I consider the noblest of all grapes, I turned my attentions to domestic producers. Unfortunately, nearly all of the American pinots I tried left an unpleasant bitter finish that is contrary to what I expect from any pinot noir.

     There is one exception to this and I would be remiss not to mention it. Costa De Oro in Santa Barbara California makes a luscious pinot noir that I tasted several years ago while visiting numerous wineries in the central coast wine region of California. Regrettably, their distribution is very limited outside of California and as a result I have not mentioned their wine before. Except for Costa De Oro, I have never found a pinot noir worth writing about—until now.

      Last month, while visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston I decided to try a glass of pinot noir in one of their cafes. To my utter delight it was wonderful!  Every sip exactly as I remembered pinot noir to be—medium bodied with luscious, fruity raspberry acids and soft tannins combining to produce a velvety smooth finish. I was once again enamored with one of my favorite wines—pinot noir.  The producer of this little gem is Sea Glass Wines. The grapes are grown in their vineyards in Santa Barbara California and the wine itself is produced in their winery in Monterrey. Adding to my appreciation for the Sea Glass pinot noir is an even more agreeable price, $9.99 at Standard Liquors on Eddy Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

      Once again, I am now able to savor the lush taste sensations of pinot noir with  roast turkey, duck and other fowls as well as a variety of beef dishes such as beef stew, pot roast, meat loaf and more.  Thank you Sea Glass!


Image result for Sea Glass pinot noir wine


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