Benvolio Pinot Grigio

Benvolio Pinot Grigio is a dry white built on the Pinot Grigio grape, and the listing gives its origin as Massachusetts, in the United States. The Italian-white style tag tells you what to expect: a light-bodied, crisp wine in the northern Italian mold, not a rich or heavily worked one. The details provided don't include a vintage, ABV or tasting-note sheet, so the notes below describe what Pinot Grigio in this style usually delivers, not measured figures for this bottle. Expect a pale straw color and a restrained nose of pear, green apple and citrus peel, sometimes with a hint of melon or white blossom. On the palate, wines like this are usually dry to off-dry at most, with moderate to high acidity and a light to medium body. Tannin is effectively absent in a white of this type. Oak is rarely part of the picture, so the flavors stay clean and fruit-driven. The finish tends to be short to medium and fresh, often with a light mineral or almond-skin edge. That profile suits delicate, lightly seasoned food. Raw or lightly cooked shellfish, grilled white fish, calamari, and pasta with lemon, olive oil or a light cream sauce all work. So do salads with goat cheese or prosciutto and melon. Spicy or heavily sauced dishes will overpower it. Soft cheeses and simple antipasti are also easy matches. Serve it well chilled, around 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F), which is about three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bath. Decanting isn't needed. A standard white wine glass with a modest bowl and a slightly narrowed rim will concentrate the citrus and pear aromas. Wines in this style are made for drinking young, so open it now and don't cellar it.