I suppose there are some who would argue that by trying Sutter Home as my first Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris to the French), I'm starting at the bottom, but my feeling is that I'm buying a varietal table wine that is expressive of the varietal, but affordable enough to drink with a typical family dinner.

The Sutter Home Pinot Grigio was slightly sweeter than I expected; closer, say, to a Sauvignon Blanc than a Chardonnay. It was fruity, a bit like pear, with less acid brightness than Sauvignon Blanc. It was light, delicate, and a good wine for more subtle dishes; a pear salad, for instance, with hazelnuts and gorgonzola. It was quite lovely with a simple chicken salad sandwich. I can also see it paired with light creamy soft cheeses, as an aperitif, or with a fruit and cheese course. It's sweet enough, in my opinion, for a dessert course, though not for a dessert wine. It's ABV is 13%.

I honestly was not expecting to like this wine; I did, I liked it quite a lot, and will look for other Pinot Grigios to try, and this one is going on the list as an affordable ($4.59 at a local grocery store)reliably enjoyable every day table wine. That said, I'm now going to look for Pinot Grigios from Italy, and from Washington, to compare with this Napa California version.

I'm going to have to stop thinking of myself as a red wine person, at this rate.