Cameron "Giovanni" Pinot Blanc 2010
One of my favorite summer wines, crisp with just a hint of white peach, lemon flowers, citrus peel, and a clean, pure finish. Halibut or salmon on the grill, fresh mozzarella and basil on a white sauce pizza, cheesecake - some of my favorite pairings. - Jean
Wine first, Food Second
"A "Friends of Avalon"
Story
By Jennifer Wright
Wine Reviewed:
Cameron Winery 2010 Giovanni Pinot Bianco
It's rare that a meal be served without wine at our house. Often this entails rummaging through the wine fridge ten minutes 'til go time, looking for a suitable match. But this night, bottle of Cameron Winery Pinot Blanc already in hand, I begin by creating a meal around the wine. A good bottle of white is the perfect excuse for me to get some delicious shellfish on the dinner menu.
A short walk to my local grocery store results in a couple of cod fillets, lump crab meat, some fresh tarragon, and an irresistible manila mango – my impulse purchase.
I employ my dinner partner as sous chef. First duty, open the wine for a pre-meal taster. Sticking my nose in the glass, the refreshing aroma of crisp green apple and citrus hits me. Not too sugary, I enjoy the slightly acidic effervescence that hits my palate. It packs a bit of a punch for a twelve percent-er; I look forward to discovering its complexities as I return to the chopping block.
The nine-to-five irritations are ebbing as we gleefully prepare the "ceviche" I've devised with the lump crab, diced mango, tarragon, and a little white balsamic and lime juice. Half gets rolled up into the cod and popped in the oven atop cedar planks. A few more sips while we wait …… and I like the way the bianco has opened up. Perhaps I had it a bit too chilled, for it is now silkier on the tongue than it was minutes ago. My dinner partner agrees. "Mmmm" he says. "We should have gotten some oysters to snack on with this". We start plotting our next pairing already.
Stomachs now growling, out comes the stuffed cod. I spoon the rest of the crab ceviche over top and finish each plate with a healthy portion of spinach. As we sit, discussing our "summer is coming" dishes, trips to the farmers market, wine pairings, this wine really starts to grow on me. Quite a hit with the fish, it also plays off of the earthiness of the spinach and tarragon quite well.
As dinner winds down, we both eyeball the nearly empty bottle on the table. My gentleman knows the rule; final pour goes to the chef de cuisine, thank you very much.
