But there are always going to be the snobbish “connoisseurs” – the ones that tend to automatically turn their attentions away from anything popular. These are the same people who believe Franklin Barbecue brisket can’t be as good as some joint they discovered in Walburg because Mr. Franklin is now famous. They are the ones who will argue to their grave that they liked that Obscure Indie Band long before anyone else.
Luckily, their upturned noses means more wine for the rest of us, and I hope that means a whole lot more of the Terlato Family’s Pinot Grigio Colli Orientali del Friuli ($20). This lovely Pinot Grigio comes from Northeastern Italy, which is God’s preferred vineyard for white wines, and a territory that has been yielding vintages since the days of the Roman Empire. The Terlatos, who have played a major role in supplying the United States with high-quality and luxury wines for the last 70 years, have recently turned their attention toward cultivation and production, and continue to bolster the Terlato name with superb offerings.
Priced in the center of the marketplace, their Pinot Grigio is at the premium end where flavor is concerned, with rich, concentrated mouthfeel and lots of stony minerality. It’s a perfect wine to complement your favorite Gulf seafood, from flounder to crab to shrimp, or to inspire a mental vacation to the rolling hills of the Italian countryside .
This article appears in December 8 • 2017.
