Robin brought out the bottle with the chicken on it, saying, "I know you really like wine, so this may not be good enough for you. It's really cheap." People are always mistakenly using price as a gauge for quality in wine. I was not knocked out by the label art, or by the back story that goes along with HRM Rex Goliath 47 Pound Chicken. A sketchy story about a huge rooster in a Texas traveling circus given royal status has the stink of very unimaginative marketing all over it - but I'll give any wine a fair chance to impress.
I'm not in the habit of insulting my in-laws anyway - at least not on purpose - so when my brother-in-law's spouse brought out the bottle with the chicken on it, I gladly accepted a glass on the porch in Kingston, PA. It was a sad occasion that brought us to the Keystone State in the first place. Nobody needed some overly picky wine blogger making the situation worse.
She was right about it being cheap - His Royal Majesty sells for about seven bucks a bottle most places - but she was needlessly apologetic in serving it. It really hits the spot.
This Pinot Grigio is produced in Woodbridge, CA and is identified as "California," so it's not really clear where the grapes are sourced. There is no oak treatment given to it. The alcohol content is an easy-drinking 12.5% abv.
The big chicken pours up very pale in the glass and sports a nose of melon and peach that comes through quite nicely even when served cold. This is an encouraging sign. The palate carries through on the promise of the bouquet with the taste of minerals and lemon rind taking the spotlight. There is a bracing acidity that makes for a clean and refreshing quaff. This cheap wine is actually quite delicious!
Here's hoping it's a happy occasion that brings my family together again. Here's further hoping that Robin pulls out the bottle with the chicken on it the next time I'm on her porch.
I'll detail more wine adventures from northeast Pennsylvania during the coming week, including my first encounters with Penn-produced wines. Please keep visiting this space.
I'm not in the habit of insulting my in-laws anyway - at least not on purpose - so when my brother-in-law's spouse brought out the bottle with the chicken on it, I gladly accepted a glass on the porch in Kingston, PA. It was a sad occasion that brought us to the Keystone State in the first place. Nobody needed some overly picky wine blogger making the situation worse.
She was right about it being cheap - His Royal Majesty sells for about seven bucks a bottle most places - but she was needlessly apologetic in serving it. It really hits the spot.
This Pinot Grigio is produced in Woodbridge, CA and is identified as "California," so it's not really clear where the grapes are sourced. There is no oak treatment given to it. The alcohol content is an easy-drinking 12.5% abv.
The big chicken pours up very pale in the glass and sports a nose of melon and peach that comes through quite nicely even when served cold. This is an encouraging sign. The palate carries through on the promise of the bouquet with the taste of minerals and lemon rind taking the spotlight. There is a bracing acidity that makes for a clean and refreshing quaff. This cheap wine is actually quite delicious!
Here's hoping it's a happy occasion that brings my family together again. Here's further hoping that Robin pulls out the bottle with the chicken on it the next time I'm on her porch.
I'll detail more wine adventures from northeast Pennsylvania during the coming week, including my first encounters with Penn-produced wines. Please keep visiting this space.
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