Call me a wine snob, but I'm a cheap wine snob! It has been more than 10 years since I have tried a Gallo wine of any kind. My experience with Gallo dates back to the 80's, when Chardonnay & Rose (or pink Zinfandel) was all the rage, and cheap wine didn't seem to offend anyone. Since then, I have broadened my horizons, and moved from only drinking white to a lover of red. I don't remember any good Gallo experiences from the 80's, but I know I drank lots. I lived in California, and I hung out with probably the most stereotypical 80's California girls (blonde hair, big racks, small bikini's, you know the kind!). Cheap white, or almost red, was everywhere.
What I carry with me, all these years later, is an extremely low opinon of Gallo wine, and California wine for that fact. I have been trying hard to overcome my aversion to California wine, and, indeed, have found some fine wines from that region. This, however, is the first Gallo I have tried in a very long time.
And, it will be the last. It is not memorable, and it failed to finish. Tony explained it as starting as though it had great things in store, but never completing. The drinker is left unsatisfied and disappointed. At $8.99, it is about $8 too much.
Instead, let me tell you about the food we had. I made some delicious salmon, with a citrus basil viniagrette. For dessert, mini cheese cakes we purchased from Harmons at Corner Canyon (they have a fabulous bakery!) The wine seemed to improve when paired with the cheesecake, perhaps the sweetness of the cheesecake was complimentary to the overly tart, failing finish of the Pinot Gris.
In closing, let me recommend a delicious summer Pinot Grigio - one from Cavit (which I will review as the summer progresses), not overly pricey, and the crisp, snappy finish doesn't miss a beat.
