Belle Ambiance

Pinot Grigio – 2014

At $7.49 for a bottle on sale, Belle Ambiance is a wine I’d walk past in the grocery store.  But I had such a great experience with the Z. Alexander Brown I reviewed last week that I decided to pick this one up, too.  Both labels come from the same Vineyard. 

It’s easy to see from the label who this bottle is meant for.  It’s pretty and pastel.  It will look nice sitting on a table decorated like a design out of Southern Living magazine.  The bottle all but screams bridal shower or girl’s afternoon luncheon.

I’m seriously not expecting much.  Maybe it’s the price.  Maybe it’s the label.  It’s hard to take the wine seriously.

The nose is what I’d expect.  It smells like pear and melon with a little musty overtone.  There might be a little touch of flowers – jasmine, maybe.  It’s soft and delicate; like a wine for an afternoon on the patio with the girls.  So far, the wine is holding up to my expectations.

And the taste matches the nose.  Not too sweet, it’s delicate with a hint of floral.  I can taste the melon I smelled on the nose, too.  The wine is light and easy to drink with no big surprises.  There isn’t any complexity to it. 

So it’s not bad, but not something I’m going to search for, either.  I like to serve unique and interesting wines at my table.  This isn’t it.  This is straight forward and very simple.

But I can give you an awesome suggestion for a pairing with this wine.  I tasted this one with dinner.  Try slicing a zucchini in long strips and then grilling.  After the zucchini comes off the grill, dust it with freshly ground pepper and squeeze half a lemon over the top.  This easy dish pairs beautifully with the wine and adds a whole different dimension of flavor to the Pinot Grigio.

And, of course, my favorite evening snack works well with this wine, too.  Buttered popcorn makes an awesome pairing for a light white wine.  The salt in the popcorn, along with the slight sweetness of the wine, creates a yummy treat.

Until next time, happy tasting!