Shaw Pinot Grigio Organic

Shaw Pinot Grigio Organic is a Massachusetts white wine made from Pinot Grigio, bottled under the Esplanda label and sold as an organic bottling. The label gives no vintage, alcohol level or tasting notes, so what follows describes how Pinot Grigio typically behaves and what to expect from this one. Coastal New England is a cool-climate setting, and cool-climate Pinot Grigio tends to come out lean, with brisk acidity. Expect a pale straw colour and a light to medium body. The usual fruit is pear, green apple and citrus, sometimes with a touch of melon or white peach. Floral and mineral notes show up in the better examples. The style is normally fermented in stainless steel, so oak is unlikely to play a part. Tannin is effectively absent in a white like this. The finish is typically short to medium and clean, with a faint bitter-almond edge. That crisp profile suits food that is light or salty. Raw oysters, steamed clams and fried calamari are all good matches, and so are simple fish such as baked haddock or scallops with lemon and butter. It also works with fresh salads, goat cheese, prosciutto and melon, and pasta in a light oil or cream sauce. Heavily spiced or rich red-sauce dishes will overpower it. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F, which is about two to three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket. Colder than that and the fruit goes quiet. Warmer, and the acidity can feel sharp. It needs no decanting. A standard white wine glass with a moderate bowl and a narrowing rim keeps the citrus and floral aromas concentrated. This style is made to drink young, and Pinot Grigio of this kind is rarely cellared. Open it within a year or two of purchase while the fruit is still fresh.