Wine of the Week: Kris Pinot Grigio

Quite a few years back, I was exposed to a wine that changed my perception of Pinot Grigio by the most unlikely of sources, my mom. It was the night after one of my Aunt Vikki's Christmas parties that she called me with a good amount of excitement. It is not often that she can talk wine with me (she is not a big drinker), but she made two very solid recommendations based off of that night. The first was Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet and the second was Kris Pinot Grigio. I must admit, at the time I associated Pinot Grigio with Cavit, Bella Sera and Barefoot, but after Kris, I was awaken to what Pinot Grigio can be.

Kris is produced by Franz Haas winery in Alto Adige, Italy. This area is in the northern most part of Italy and borders both Switzerland and Austria. The owner and winemaker, Franz Haas, is part of a long line of winemakers that dates back to the 1880s. As his name suggests, Franz is of strong Germanic roots and brings a uniquely German way of making wine to Alto Adige.

Another very unique aspect to Kris' wines are the labels. They display the works of Riccardo Schweizer, a contemporary Italian artist with Germanic roots. Each one of the labels depicts the blending of art and science, the primary focus of Haas' wines. The prints used on Kris' three varietals were a gift to Franz Haas and help to complete a beautiful wine experience.

2008 Kris Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy - $11.99 (reg. $14.99)

The 2008 is a very pleasant and very food friendly wine that keeps up with Kris' reputation for producing very consistent wines. By appearance it has the normal young characteristics of Pinot Grigio, pale yellow with evident hints of green. The nose jumps out of green apple and citrus which is reflected on the palate along with a bit of nut towards the end. The main component of acidity is well integrated into the flavor profile which allows for this wine to pair well with most non-red meat foods.

Ever since my mom recommended this wine, I have not been let down. This is by no means a flashy, rock star of a wine, but rather a steady rock that you can rely upon to pair with a nice meal. Add to this the price of the wine and you have a true value on your hands. I hope you enjoy this wine as much as I have over the years.

Wine of the Week: Kris Pinot Grigio

The Sopranos in Nashua

A couple of big names from HBO’s The Sopranos hit the NH Liquor Store off of exit 6 in Nashua yesterday. John Ventimiglia (who played Artie Bucco) and Vincent Pastore (who played Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero) took a few hours to promote the release of The Sopranos Wine.

A very good sized crowd turned up to welcome these iconic stars of one of TV’s all-time greatest shows. Both stars were in good spirits and cracked jokes and posed for countless pictures, while signing bottles of Sopranos wine and anything else people shoved in front of them.

As my wife and I approached the table, we overheard some terrific banter.

Fan at the table: What would you guys pair with this wine?
Big Pussy: Pasta Fagioli
Person: Oh yeah
Artie: Well it’s better than a colonoscopy.
Big Pussy: That doesn’t sound fun.
Artie: It’s nothing, they knock you out.

Then it was our turn.

Big Pussy: (to Christine) Hey Honey!
Big Pussy: (to Me, less emphatically) Hey Honey.
Me: (To Artie) He is rather flirtatious isn’t he?
Artie: Yes he is.

Great times!

Ventimiglia and Pastore were refreshingly down-to-Earth and the wines were better then I expected. The varietals available were Pinot Noir, Chianti and Pinot Grigio. I am going to hold off final judgment on the wines until I have a chance to try them in a proper glass.*

According to their website, the wines were created to celebrate wine’s time-honored place in Italian family tradition. The Sopranos Wines line-up also includes a Chianti Classico and Riserva for those who appreciate wine and are not just looking for a novelty bottle. Hopefully they will be available locally soon.

All in all, the local wine/liquor scene in Nashua is being actively promoted. Along with the Soprano cast members, actor Dan Ackroyd was in town a few months back promoting his wine label. And in two weeks Danny Devito will be in town promoting his limóncello. Any chance of getting Francis Ford Coppola out here?

*The good people at Martignetti Distributing opted to use cups similar to those that accompany a bottle of cough syrup! Good job promoting your wines (and by good job I mean horrid job). You are lucky that Ventimiglia and Pastore are charismatic and excessively popular.

The Sopranos in Nashua