The following is a part of a guest series authored by Lauren Gutshall on discovering new wines and beers.
You are at the store to pick out a bottle of wine to take to a party and you have no idea what to get: should you go with red or white? Dry or sweet? Rich or light? After wandering the store for 25 minutes, you finally settle on your go-to option: Pinot Grigio. You are slightly disappointed in yourself because you wanted to be more original, but you know that Pinot Grigio is a no-fail option.
It’s okay. Pinot Grigio is everyone’s go-to wine in these situations for a reason: it’s not offensive. Everyone recognizes it, and while the wine world might frown upon Pinot Grigio, it’s incredibly popular with the masses.
Pinot Grigio is primarily grown in Italy to produce a dry white wine with a high acidity. Pinot Grigios have ripe fruit notes of succulent peaches, warm melon, tart green apple and bright lemon peel. Because Pinot Grigios are typically finished as dry wines, the fruit is most prevalent in the bouquet and the front of the palate. The tarter notes come through as the wine goes down your throat.
The beer that most resembles Pinot Grigio may not win the craft popularity contest either, but it goes down just as easily: Belgian Witbier.
On color alone, Pinot Grigio match pretty well to the Witbier. Pinot Grigio usually has a soft straw hue. The word “wit” literally means “white,” and Witbier has a similar soft, often hazy light color. Wits are common in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and go by several monikers: witbier or Wit (Dutch) and biere blanche (French).
Wits fall under the broader category of wheat beers. Wits are usually unfiltered so they tend to have a slightly grainy quality. They are light, crisp and refreshing, with a distinct citrus note, which is enhanced when your friendly neighborhood bartender puts a lemon or orange wedge in your beer.
The brewing style used for wits dates back to the Middle Ages when they were brewed using a “gruit,” a mixture of herbs and spices instead of hops. As hops grew in popularity, the use of gruits fell largely out of favor; now most witbier brewers use both hops and a gruit that consists of coriander and orange peel. Today many brewers are experimenting with the use of gruits instead of hops, and gruitbier is becoming increasingly popular. (More on gruitbier to come in a later post).
The orange peel and coriander gruit gives Belgian wits that same fresh, ripe fruit taste that Pinot Grigios have. Their similar flavor profiles include hints of juicy honeydew, crisp apple and bright lemon. They are bright but gentle drinks that taste like spring and summer.
Pinot Grigios and Wits pair well with the same types of food — when in doubt about pairings, go with foods that match the lighter qualities of the beverages. Both go quite well with light seafood dishes made with fish, crab or shrimp. Adding just a bit of citrus is helpful to highlight those notes in the wine and beer, but don’t overdo it. Because of the high acidity of the Pinot Grigio in particular, too much citrus in the food will overpower the drink. They also pair nicely with turkey and chicken dishes, as well as firm cheeses like edam and cheddar.
Food pairing is nice, but the great thing about Pinot Grigios and wits are that they don’t need food. They are so light and refreshing that they can stand on their own, especially in the spring and summer months.
So next time you are considering taking that bottle of Pinot Grigio to a party, think about taking a refreshing Wit instead. Make Wits your new go-to beer.
Lauren’s Recommendations:
Easy to find
Keep it local
Worth the search
- Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio 2007 (Current Chairman’s Selection for just $13.99)
- Hitachino Nest White Ale
“Sunday School” returns next week with another look at beer and wine. Have a question for Lauren? Submit it in the comments below or contact me.
