Thursday, June 27, 2019

Lodi Pinot Grigio

One of America's biggest wineries is in the tiny California town of Murphys.  Ironstone Vineyards is located east of Lodi in the Sierra Foothills.  It may be an out-of-the-way stop, but there's a better than average chance that you've had some of their brands, or at least seen them on the supermarket shelf.

The Kautz Family are fourth-generation growers, not unusual in that part of the state, and the family-run winery's corporate officers are known simply as John, Gail, Kurt and Jack.  They are also longtime equestrians, hence the name on the Leaping Horse Vineyards label.

Leaping Horse Vineyards is one of their brands, and their 2017 Pinot Grigio, reportedly sourced in Lodi but labeled with the California appellation, is actually 80% that grape, with 5% splashes of Viognier, Chardonnay, Symphony and Chenin Blanc.  The winery says it was sustainably farmed and is vegan-friendly.  Produced in stainless steel, the wine hits 12.5% abv for alcohol and rings up at $14 on the cash register.

The pale straw color leads to a floral and tropical nose, with citrus, green apples and pineapple on the palate.  Acidity is nice, but not ripping.  On the finish are red apples and lemons.  It's probably best as an aperitif or a sipper on a hot summer afternoon.  A pairing with chicken or a tuna salad should be okay.


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