I picked this wine up at BevMo on their $.05 sale recently. I was curious both for the fact it was on the 5 cent sale and the fact Willie Wong gave it 91pts. Much like movies critics, wine reviewers have a palate for certain wines they like or maybe don’t care for. Willie is in my wheelhouse so I was happy to follow along and try a wine that I wasn’t familiar with. Settecieli is a winery from the Umbria region of Italy. I am always on the lookout for a great Pinot Grigio, as this varietal to me seems much more unattached than other white varietals. I think it frees me up to do pairings that are more creative and unexpected.
BevMo sells this wine for $9.99 (with club card) so the price was certainly a bargain on the $.05 sale. Ok, so what is this wine like? It’s almost clear like vodka yet has a subtle yellow tinge that for a color can give it a sense of having a crisp taste. The wine is light and dry, without really imparting too much heavy body or flavor. I likened it to a wine you could start your guests off with upon arrival. It’s what I refer to as a “Warm Up” wine for any occasion, friends gathering, meet and greets etc.
For my tasting I ate some olive oil and butter bread sticks that had garlic, basil and oregano. It was the perfect compliment. I would serve this wine with some focaccia bread or perhaps serve a bruschetta with figs, prosciutto and arugula, drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
I would recommend this wine, at this price, it’s something you’ll definitely want to keep on hand.