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print thisPino and pork. What a combination!
2004 Gallo Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir (California, $15)
By LAIN BRADFORD
Special to The State
What a great pinot for the money, packed full of flavors and qualities usually found in much more expensive wines.
Aromas of black cherry and strawberries fill the glass, along with a great ruby color. The flavors keep rolling across the tongue taste after taste in this medium-bodied wine. Expressive black fruit — with emphasis on black cherries, vanilla and slight hints of ripe cranberries — all are framed with the perfect oak flavors. The finish is lush and allows all the flavors to linger for just the right amount of time.
What a great wine for the price.
This wine calls for pork. We enjoyed our bottle with slow-roasted pork loin in a mushroom pinot noir sauce. The delicate flavors of the meat with the earthy notes of the mushrooms allowed all the flavors of the wine to complement the meal.
You could substitute chicken for the pork, which would work just as well.
Another great menu idea would be chicken or pork with a black olive-and-rosemary sauce. The wine would complement the Mediterranean flavors of the dish and still allow the fruit to shine in each sip.
Gallo winery was started in 1933 by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo in a railroad shed in Modesto. Their philosophy was simple: “Make good wine available at a good price.” This wine shows that the winery still follows the approach today.
The winery is recognized internationally for its environmental-management practices, which include leaving two acres of green space for each acre planted.
It’s still a family-owned winery with the third generation of Gallo children, Gina and Mike, making and importing great wines.
Cheers!
Lain Bradford tries to review only wines available in South Carolina. If you have trouble finding one, e-mail lain@winetalk.org.
