Italia Pinot Grigio 2008

If you're a wine geek (I prefer that term to "wine snob"), then you are probably somewhat careful around this grape variety. It's known for producing lakes of boring, cheap, dry white wine.

Before I got into this wine thing, I was guilty of drinking it as well. If you go into a pub and know nothing about wine, the last thing you want is a warm, oaky Chardonnay or an overly sweet white Zinfandel or German white (to be honest, I've never noticed a sweet German white being served in a London pub before - did they used to do this?). So inevitably, you just say "I'll have a dry white wine", and that became synonymous with Italian Pinot Grigio. Sure, it can be dull, but it does what it says on the tin. It's reliable.

So, we got this wine from Waitrose as part of the "£10 dinner for two" deal. I have times where I wish I had more wine like this lying around, especially in the summer. Yes, it's generic, but these things come in handy.

As for the wine itself, it's OK. It tastes like pears. It's crisp. Nothing wrong with it. It lacks the silky texture and body that some of its Pinot Gris counterparts have, but that's not what it's all about. Don't be embarrassed about Pinot Grigio - it's popular for a reason.

It's produced by a co-op - "Co-op Agricola per Adria Vini". There you go.

Italia

Pinot Grigio 2008

Venezie IGT, Italy

Waitrose

~£5

3/5