Winemaker’s Notes
Bright straw-yellow in color, this classic Pinot Grigio offers an intense fruity nose reminiscent of fresh white fruits and citrus, particularly pear, green apple and orange. Soft and flavorful on the palate, with hints of white fruit flavors, this wine possesses vibrant acidity and a lasting finish. Best of all according to Peachy Deegan, it has some smashing peach notes.
VINTAGE
Heavy rain fell during autumn and winter, which caused a slight delay in budbreak and flowering. High temperatures in july restored the vines to their normal development schedule. Strong fluctuations between warm daytime and cool nighttime temperatures allowed the grapes to retain their fresh acidity while developing luscious fruit flavors. A heat spell in August accelerated the ripening of the grapes. Harvest took place during the last few days of August.
HISTORY
Over 60 years ago, Antinori introduced a Sangiovese-based red wine called Santa Cristina, a timeless classic made from Italy’s most famous red varietal. Based on the desire to produce a white wine as well-regarded by wine lovers as their red wine, Santa Cristina introduced Pinot Grigio with the 2006 vintage. Made from Italy’s most popular white varietal, this wine is extremely versatile and full of character.
VINIFICATION
The grapes were harvested manually, then de-stemmed and crushed. The must was cooled to encourage natural clarification and was then racked in stainless steel tanks where alcoholic fermentation took place. The wine was preserved in stainless steel tanks before being filtered and bottled.
Origin
Sicilia IGT
Blend
100% Pinot Grigio
Alcohol
12%
The Champagne Wishes Panel raves:
Goodbye winter blues, hello happy dreaming in spring with my glass of Santa Cristina 2010 Pinot Grigio! Let’s be honest, I enjoy my pinot grigio intensely and often. But with so many out there it is hard to choose. I was thrilled to try the Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio as this brand has a wonderful reputation. The first sip always smooths out the edges of my full-packed days. What a wonderful crisp taste that awakened my tastebuds. The match of flavor with acidity was perfectly balanced. Hints of pear and green apple linger on my palette. My nose is filled with sweet scents of these fruits as well. This will become a staple white in my wine fridge. Cheers to Spring!
Santa Cristina may not be a wine brand that you have heard of, but it should be! Their 2010 Pinot Grigio, Sicilia has become a staple in my house and with good reason -- it is fantastic! As Spring moves us into warmer weather, I always try to find a new white wine to enjoy on a lovely evening and think that this will be my 2011 spring wine choice! Light and perfect. To me, the apple and citrus stand out amongst the flavors (as does a subtle peach). I think those flavors lend themselves to refreshment along with the enjoyment factor. Do not be fooled, however, this is not just a fruity wine. It is mature in it's own right! I paired this wine recently with a grilled chicken salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Sooo lovely! I also served some fresh warm bread with a good quality olive oil -- dash in some salt, pepper and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan reggiano. It was a sensational meal with the Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio as the highlight. It is worth mentioning that you need to be careful here with this white (as with all whites) be sure not to serve too cold or you will ruin the experience.
I absolutely loved this Pinot Grigio. I've tried other Pinots before and have liked them, but none of them have had that "thing" about them that caused me to go back and buy them again. I think it's because they have been too dry. This Pinot Grigio wasn't as dry and acid-y as other Pinot Grigio wines I've tried. It had a sweet undertone to it that made me want to keep refilling my glass. I would absolutely buy this Pinot Grigio again. I preferred it cold rather than room temperature. I made a crushed tomato based vegetable type of sauce that I served over pasta and the Pinot Grigio complemented it nicely. I also had a glass with some mozzarella cheese and it paired nicely with that as well. I loved this wine so much, I hid it so I wouldn't have to share with anyone. I will definitely have to find a way to order more of this wonderful wine. I have found a new favorite white wine.
And, obviously Italian wine tastes best when you are wearing the right Italian shoes drinking it:
