What a fun CorkPopper week this was! Because I received the wine so late in the week, I decided that J and I would do our own little tasting of all three of this week’s Oregon Pinot Gris and pair them with one of my favorite summertime pasta dishes, Penne with Spicy Sausage, Asparagus and Pesto. Not only did this give us the opportunity to compare the wines side by side, it was also an excellent example of just how the taste of wine can literally change when you pair it with food. So fun.
Now, to recap, this week’s wines were three 2008 Pinot Gris from Oregon’s Willamette Valley (a region that will also make an appearance in a couple of weeks when I do Oregon Pinot Noir). The Willamette Valley is an ideal climate for Pinot Gris, as it is on the cooler side of temperate bit still has a nice long growing season, allowing temperamental grapes like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir to ripen slowly and maintain their acidity and minerality.
The first contender, the 2008 Adelsheim Pinot Gris, had almost non-existent aroma, with just faint notes of white pineapple, fuji apples and slate. On the palate, J and I both agreed that although it wasn’t the most interesting or complex wine of the three, it was nicely balanced and an easy sipper for a warm summer evening, with it’s tropical fruit and crisp mineral finish. Not surprisingly, perhaps, this wine was the least impressive when paired with the pasta, as it simply didn’t have a strong enough personality to stand up to the spicy sausage, asparagus and pesto. 3.5 corks popped and 2.5 corked forks! You can find the Adelsheim Pinot Gris at wine.com for $17.99/bottle.
The second wine, a 2008 Benton Lane Pinot Gris, was initially our least favorite wine of the three, as it had an odd musty aroma. With some time in the glass, however, the must dissipated, leaving a much better aroma of honeydew melon, limestone and herbs. On the palate, the melon persisted with a nice amount of lemon zest, and the finish was wonderfully acidic. Interestingly, this was the hands-down winner when it came to the food pairing, as the acidity was an excellent counterpoint to all the spice and richness of the dish. 3.5 corks popped and 4 corked forks! The Benton Lane Pinot Gris is available at wine.com for $16.99/bottle.
Finally, the third wine was a 2008 King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Gris. J wasn’t a fan of this wine, as it had a fairly strong floral aroma and slight sweetness that, as we’ve learned through our experiences with Torrontes and Riesling, is just not J’s preferred style of wine. I quite enjoyed the honeysuckle and ruby red grapefruit flavors, however, and found it to be an almost perfect pairing with our salad, which was dressed with a white wine and grapefruit vinaigrette. 3.5 corks popped and 3.5 corked forks! You can find the King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Gris at wine.com for $15.79/bottle.
Now for the recipe: Penne with Spicy Sausage, Asparagus and Pesto
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 package fresh penne (or a box of dried penne if you can’t find any fresh at the store)
- 4 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- Crushed red pepper
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pesto sauce
- Goat cheese (optional but delicious)
Preparation
Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water for the sauce.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Add the garlic and onion and a little olive oil. Stir, season with some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover and allow the onions to soften, stirring occasionally. When the onions are about soft, add the asparagus. Season with a bit more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and cover and allow it to cook until the asparagus is just cooked but still crisp, about 6-7 minutes.
Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir to combine then add the pasta water and enough pesto to coat everything. Stir well.
Serve the pasta in large bowls. Sprinkle with some goat cheese before serving. Tell your guests to stir the goat cheese into the warm pasta so that it melts and makes the whole concoction perfectly smooth and creamy. Uh, yum.
4 forks!
Cheers!
FURTHER UPDATE! Check out the appetizer J designed around the Benton Lane Pinot Gris!
Seared Scallops with Grilled Nectarine Sauce and Pancetta
Yummm!!!
