Reguta Pinot Grigio

Reguta Pinot Grigio is a Massachusetts-appellation white wine made under the Esplanda label, and the grape itself tells you most of what to expect. Pinot Grigio is built for freshness. Styles like this usually show crisp green apple, pear, and a touch of citrus peel, with a light to medium body and bright acidity that keeps the finish clean. Tannin is essentially absent in a white of this type, and oak is typically minimal or none, so the fruit and acidity carry the wine. The cooler growing conditions of New England tend to favor that taut, high-acid profile over riper, rounder versions. Treat this as the expected character of the style, not a measured profile of this bottle. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F, which is roughly two to three hours in a refrigerator or about 30 minutes in an ice bath. Colder than that mutes the delicate aromas, and warmer makes the acidity feel loose. There is no need to decant. Pour into a standard white wine glass with a moderately narrow bowl, which concentrates the citrus and orchard-fruit aromas and keeps the wine cool in the glass. Fill it only a third to halfway so you can hold it by the stem. At the table, the high acidity and light body make it a natural match for foods that benefit from a squeeze of lemon. Think steamed mussels, fried calamari, baked or pan-seared cod, scallops, and raw-bar oysters, all of which are common in Massachusetts kitchens. It also works with lighter pasta dishes such as linguine with clams or lemon and olive oil, spring vegetable risotto, and salads with goat cheese. Mild cheeses like fresh mozzarella suit it, while heavily spiced or rich cream-sauced dishes will overpower a wine of this weight. This is a drink-now bottle. Pinot Grigio is made for youthful freshness, and the aromatics and acidity are at their best within a couple of years of release rather than after extended cellaring. Keep it in a cool, dark place until you chill it, and finish an opened bottle within three to five days, recorked and refrigerated.