An Australian Pinot Grigio Revisited

Sorry, I forgot that I reviewed this wine a year ago...

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio

Sooner or later it was bound to happen. I made a mistake in selecting a $10 wine and by accident chose a wine that I already reviewed, in this case almost exactly a year ago. What to do? I am keeping this article. Will I contradict myself?

In 1957 the Sicilian Casella family arrived in New South Wales, Australia where they purchased land some eight years later. By 2003 they were producing 5 million cases of their Yellow Tail wines a year. So maybe they are doing something right. In addition to several varietals made from popular grapes such as Chardonnay and Merlot, they make a few blends and Yellow Tail Bubbles, a sparkling wine made in tanks, no tanks if you get my drift. Other lines are available only in Australia. Today’s companion wine is a slightly more expensive Pinot Gris from Alsace, France.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio 2009 11.9% alcohol about $9

Because we have already quoted the marketing materials let’s start by quoting the back label. “Flavors: Lively green apples and pears. Enjoy: with spicy chicken on a warm summer’s evening. For 3 generations the Casella family has been making wine at their winery in the small town of Yenda, situated in South Eastern Australia. It is here that [yellow tail] is created with a simple purpose in mind; to make great wine that everyone can enjoy…“ And now for my review.

Casella Family

At the first sips this wine offered bright acidity and slightly green apples. Japanese rice crackers sweetened it somewhat. The first meal consisted of a boxed eggplant parmigiana. In response I tasted strong, somewhat harsh acidity but the wine was not powerful. The fruit juice candy dessert tamed the PG’s acidity and its apples ripened.

My next meal centered on a honey-garlic barbecued chicken breast. Now this wine was thin but it did taste of apples. The accompanying potatoes roasted in chicken fat rendered the libation rounder and sweeter. The other side dish was a salsa/salad containing tomatoes, onions, green peppers, jalapenos, lime juice, cilantro, and more. Now the wine retained its acidity and picked up some caramel. Fresh strawberries rendered it pale.

My final meal was an omelet with Mediterranean spices and peas. This drink responded with round acidity and apples. In the presence of multigrain tortilla chips accompanied by lots of that spicy salsa the wine lost its acidity, and gained nothing in exchange. But all was not lost. An arugula lettuce salad doused with off the shelf red wine (the label didn’t specify which wine) vinaigrette rendered this Pinot Grigio refreshing and its apples ripened. Fresh blueberries soured its acidity.

The last round started with Matjes herring. Interestingly enough the wine was subtle and quite long. When paired with farmer’s cheese a burnt taste asserted itself. In the presence of goat’s milk cheese containing figs, the wine surfaced as before, but more forcefully.

Final verdict. I won’t make the mistake of buying this wine yet again unless I’m doing a salad and herring tasting.

Access the companion wine A Pinot Gris From Alsace, France

About the Author

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com    and    http://www.wineinyourdiet.com

Visit his website devoted to italian travel www.travelitalytravel.com

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