Great Wine Values: King Estate Pinot Gris
White wines have greater prowess as food partners and wider appeal to the general public as well.
Popular culture tends to lionize red wines and marginalize whites, but sommeliers know that white wines have greater prowess as food partners and wider appeal to the general public, as well.
It’s true that white wines are marginally less popular than reds in surveys, but this is misleading. For example, the most recent Harris Poll of beverage preferences does show that 38 percent of American wine drinkers favor red wine compared with 34 percent who prefer white. However, the remaining 28 percent opt for rosé or sparkling, which are both styles that can be considered subsets of the white wine category.
This means that there are more people who want their wine to be white-like than red-like, meaning chilled and transparent, by almost 2-1. This makes perfect sense, of course. White wines are not just delicious and refreshing, but also offer more flavors and scents of fresh fruits and flowers, while reds often develop tastes that are more woodsy or earthy and that can be an acquired taste.
More important, the leathery sensation that red wine leaves in the mouth may flatter the fattiest red meats and cheeses, but becomes a liability with most other foods.
Those who stick to leaner white meats, seafood or a plant-based diet would do well to explore richly textured dry white wines instead of reds, such as this lovely unoaked pinot gris from Oregon. It combines the tactile richness of a chardonnay with flavors of poached pears and apricots that can handle everything from the most delicate sushi to the boldest curry and everything in between.
King Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Ore. $18.99 (regularly $20.99; sale price through July 28). PLCB Item #9903.
Also available at Gloucester City Bottlestop in Gloucester City ($13.95); Hops & Grapes in Glassboro ($14.95); Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton ($15.09); Canal’s in Mount Ephraim ($15.99); Wine Warehouse in Voorhees ($17.99).