De Grendel

Pinot Gris? Pinot Grigio? Fashion followers of the hip and trendy have been known to insist: ‘I don’t drink Pinot Gris; I want Pino Grigio!’ It reminds one of Basil Fawlty’s famous lines from Fawlty Towers: “I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret.”

We are delighted to announce that De Grendel Pinot Gris 2010 has just been released. With its characteristic apple flavours, a touch of quince, buttery richness and length on the palate, the 2010 vintage is yet another winner in our eyes.

Even though Pinot Gris is one of the most interesting wine varieties, there are only about five Pinot Gris made locally. De Grendel upped production from 94 cases in 2009 to 180 cases this year.

“We field-grafted a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Gris a few years ago, once we saw that this variety can perform extremely well under cool, moderate growing conditions,” our winemakers explain. “These blocks now started bearing fruit of outstanding quality.”

Good to know:
 De Grendel Pinot Gris brought home gold from the 2009 Michelangelo International Wine Awards.
 This is a wine that cries out for food – from pork to smoked chicken dishes. Sensational with pasta tossed with pesto. Not so much in love with high-acid foods like tomato-based dishes or something too citrusy. 
 It has an aging potential of up to 2 years.

LAST NOTE: ON LOVE AFFAIRS AND SAUVIGNON BLANC:

Johnny Depp has a tattoo on his arm that reads ‘Wino Forever.’ This is a legacy from his courtship with Winona Ryder. He had the tattoo changed from Winona to Wino when they broke up.

On the note of love affairs – if you have a special place in your heart for De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc, there’s good news: the 2010 vintage is now available. If you think the legendary 2009 vintage was hard to beat, this summery wine delivers an explosion of tropical fruit with pronounced flavours of passion fruit, white peaches and ripe figs.  The fruit follows through on the palate, resulting in full well balanced mouthfeel and ends off with crisp dry acidity, leaving you in anticipation for your next glass.