Joel Gott Pinot Grigio

Joel Gott Pinot Grigio is a California white built around freshness. The producer's own description points to bright citrus and orchard fruit with a clean, zesty finish, and that fits what Pinot Grigio usually delivers when it's made for easy drinking. Expect lemon and lime zest alongside green apple and pear. Styles like this often add a light floral or melon note, but the details here only confirm citrus, orchard fruit and a crisp close. The body should be light to medium, with lively acidity that keeps the fruit from tasting heavy. Tannin isn't a factor in a white wine like this. Oak is also unlikely to play a role in a fruit-forward bottling of this kind, so the focus stays on the grape rather than on wood or toast. The acidity makes this a good wine with food. It suits lightly dressed salads, grilled or baked white fish, shrimp, and shellfish such as steamed mussels or clams. It also handles pasta in lemon, garlic or olive oil sauces, and chicken piccata. It matches the same bright, fresh flavors on the plate. Soft cheeses like fresh mozzarella, ricotta and goat cheese work well, as do vegetable-forward dishes built on zucchini, asparagus or fresh herbs. Very rich cream sauces and heavily spiced dishes will overwhelm a wine this delicate. Sushi and other simple raw-fish preparations are a better match. For serving, chill it to roughly 44 to 48°F, which is a couple of hours in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in an ice bucket. Colder than that and the fruit goes quiet, while a warmer pour tends to make the finish feel softer and less defined. It doesn't need decanting. Simply open the bottle and pour. A standard white wine glass with a moderate bowl and a slightly narrowed rim is ideal. It concentrates the citrus and pear aromas without letting them dissipate, and the stem keeps your hand from warming the wine. This is a drink-now bottle. Fruit-forward Pinot Grigio in this style is made for freshness rather than cellaring, and the bright citrus tends to fade with extended time in the bottle. Keep it somewhere cool and out of direct light, and plan to open it within a year or two of purchase. Once opened, recork or use a stopper and refrigerate it. It will stay lively for two to three days.