“Wine improves with age. The older I get, the more I
like it.” ….. Anonymous
Close
your eyes and think of Pinot Grigio. Are you thinking of Italy? Are you thinking of a great value, yummy-delicious
Italian Pinot Grigio with a short, very un-Italian sounding name, or of another
from there that (my opinion) is both overpriced and disappointing? Both shall
go un-named here. But I’d bet that in the process of that exercise, you didn’t
think once of Paw Paw Michigan.
My
first experience with this winery was at their tasting room in Union Pier
located in Southwest Michigan in the designated Lake Michigan Shore AVA. I was
so impressed, I subsequently visited the winery in Paw Paw. Other tasting rooms
are located in Frankenmuth and Dundee to the East. What attracted me was their signage reading,
“Italian Roots. Michigan Soil.” The
attraction proved fatal and I’ve been a fan ever since.
The
“Italian roots” are evident in this delicious Pinot Grigio. This is a bright, zesty wine with all the best
characteristics of Pinot Grigio that have made that varietal so popular. But
blended to include a small percentage of Traminette (a cross of Joannes Seyve
23.416 and Gewurztraminer), St. Julian’s Pinot Grigio offers delightful twists
and surprises. In the glass, the wine
shows as lemon grass tea. Aromatics are strong with notes of kiwi, tropical
fruit, pear and spice. These same notes carry into the taste in a symphony of
flavors with notes of Honeycrisp apple, zesty lemon, lychee, pineapple and pear
all making their contribution. With more
body than most Pinot Grigios,
it’s also lush in the mouth, a contribution of
the Traminette, yet finishes clean with an excellent fruit to acid balance. Together, these grapes create a most
enjoyable sweet/tart interplay on the palette; a push-pull of flavors collecting
in the pocket mid tongue, then developing while yet teasing for replenishment. Quite simply, this wine is fun.
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| (L) Angela Braganini, David Braganini and The "Mizer" enjoying a Riesling |
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| Entrance to Paw Paw Winery |
To
keep it fresh, grapes are collected in the cool, early morning hours. Skin
contact is limited and the juice sees no wood. Fermentation and aging is within
temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. No malolactic fermentation is
allowed. The result is a wine that is
fresh, fragrant, floral and fun --- and meant to be enjoyed young. As with most
“finds,” the tendency is to put off opening the last bottle so that you’ll
always have one available. But I’ve tasted several vintages and found this wine
to be consistently pleasing.
Depending on how prepared or sauced, this wine would pair
well with
roast fowl and seasonal vegetables, or baked macaroni with Fontina cheese and
béchamel sauce. Its sweet / tart
interplay lends itself also to enjoyment with some desserts at the end of a meal.
But as the cold weather here begins to give way to spring breezes, I’m thinking
of carefree hours spent outdoors by a lake at a picnic table with sandwich in
the basket and this wine in the glass.
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St. Julian Winery
7166 S Kalamazoo St
Cheers!
………………
JimFollow Wine Mizer on FaceBook for mini-reviews of wine, fun facts and info, recipes and more.
St. Julian Winery
7166 S Kalamazoo St
Paw
Paw, MI 49070
(269)
657-5568
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