Journal review lands on Barefoot's Grigio

As a journalist, I was salivating reading this review in last Friday's Wall Street Journal on Pinot Grigio/Gris. Not only because of the way that they described some of the wines they tasted, but moreso because of the number. Sixty. Oh, to have a budget that allows for the purchase of 60 bottles of anything!!!

What's the difference between Grigio and Gris? In many cases, according to Journal writers Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Becher, it's strictly nuance. Many American winemarkers use Pinot Gris to describe a wine that's more full-bodied than Pinot Grigio, which they describe as wine that's "sunny and light." Both are finding their way more often onto tables, either as something to sip or pairing with a meal.

Being the poor journalist, I had my eye on what low-prices grigio's delighted their palates. Turned out to be Barefoot Cellars, based in Modesto, Calif. Here's what they wrote:

Our biggest surprise on the upside came on the lower-priced wines. Hogue has been one of our favorite value wineries for years and its Pinot Grigio is a real winner -- crisp, clean, lovely and a terrific buy at $6.99. Even more of a surprise, though, was a wine called Barefoot Cellars. We go so far back with Barefoot that we remember when it was a second label of Davis Bynum Winery and was called Barefoot Bynum. Now Barefoot Cellars is owned by Gallo and its Pinot Grigio is just as common in jug-size bottles as in regular-size bottles. It's nonvintage and its appellation is simply "California."
If we had to take a guess, we'd assume this was a very simple, acidic wine with some sweetness. But that's why we conduct our tastings blind. We found the wine charming and filled with fruit, with some depth and no obvious sweetness. We were pleased and surprised when we found that it cost $5.99. We tasted it twice more -- once in a large bottle -- and our notes were consistent. Jennifer Wall, the winemaker, said the Pinot Grigio contains 6% of an unusual, aromatic grape called Symphony. "Symphony is a fantastic grape. I love it. It's one of my secret blending wines that I use in a few wines. It's an aromatic and flavor booster that gives the wines a little extra oomph that amplifies the floral aromatics and flavor.
"My goal when I blend is to create a wine that is varietally correct first, then food-friendly, then affordable," she said. "It tastes like it was grown in the vineyard. I want people to enjoy it alone and with food. It's dry so that it doesn't compete with the food." The winery made a million cases of the Pinot Grigio.