2008
German Pinot Grigio
You can learn a lot from sneaking a look at other peoples’ shopping trolleys.
Watching a women in front of me in the Lidl queue unload her trolley it was pretty clear that we had shared taste in food, but her shopping included two bottles of a wine I had never tried. I ran back and grabbed a bottle.
It was all a bit of rush and it was only when I got it home I realised it was a German Pinot Grigio. I didn’t even know Germany produced Pinot Grigio and I’m not sure I’d have bought it had I realised, as I’m not generally a fan of German wine.
It turns out that the Rheinhessen, where this comes from, is right beside the Alsace region of France, a place well known for the Pinot Gris grape, and that this grape is increasingly being used by a new generation of wine makers in the Rheinhessen who are moving away from the now unpopular sweet wines, such as Liebfraumilch, once associated with the area.
We had a glass each with dinner last night and then shared the remainder with a friend who called around later. Because I was going to write about it, we all drank with more deliberation that usual, but we are no wine experts.
The first impression was that it was nicely dry, there is some acidity but it’s not at all sharp, perhaps crisp is the best description. There is quite a lot of fruit in the flavour, with a lingering aftertaste of what seemed like apple to me, though grapefruit was also mentioned. We had it with chicken, for which it was an excellent match, but it’s a wine that I can easily imagine drinking nicely chilled at a picnic or just sitting outside on a warm afternoon.
I hate to use the word inoffensive, as it sounds disparaging which is not my intention, I mean it in the sense that there is nothing to dislike about this wine, it’s easy and pleasant to drink. Perhaps that’s the secret to a good budget wine – keeping it simple rather than trying to add complexity and getting it wrong.
It is classified as Qualitätswein, which simply means it comes from one of 13 defined regions for quality wine and is made from a single approved grape variety. This puts it above table wine (Tafelwein) quality but below the top flight wines. That seems about right.
Overall we were impressed, we enjoyed this wine very much and although it’s not the cheapest of Lidl’s offerings at €6.99 a bottle I will definitely buy it again. If you try a bottle, let me know what you think.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I’ll give it a shot. Most pinot grigio, to my mind, is “inoffensive” or “safe”. That’s why it sells in Ireland and the UK in bucketloads. No harm if you’re going for a cheap wine you know nothing about. Better than a cheap cloying chardonnay or a cheap sauvignon blanc which smells of cats’ pee.
We used to buy the Tarragona in Lidl a fair bit but after a while we found that about 50% of the bottles we bought were corked. Long live plastic corks and screw-tops.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:11 am
This has a screw top – and I am increasingly liking them, it takes at least some of the lottery element out of buying wine.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I’m off to Lidl at lunch time, will definitely pick up a bottle. Will let you know what I think!
August 6th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Any thoughts on their Vin De Pays D’herault Chardonnay? Personally I like it, and it’s superb value.
August 6th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I haven’t tasted that one. But watch out…. I am planning a wine tasting evening soon and we’ll get through a lot of them in one go then, and it won’t just be my opinion. I’ll add the Chardonnay to the list.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Try the Budvavar i found it to be fantastic value and a lovely wine for a summer evening bar b q all my friends have been won over by this fantastic little wine
August 8th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Pinot Grigio, or rather Grauburgunder has been grown in German vineyards since the early 18th century!!! It has also been known as Rulander.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
This wine is fabulous for one priced below £5.00 it has fruitiness galore nicely dry and very drinkable and no horrid taste left in the mouth after. I usually drink reds but will be going back to Lidl to purchase more of this, hope its still on sale.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I was browsing the internet for a German Pinot Grigio and found your blog. Could you possibly tell me the brand of this wine and any other information you have on it? I live in the US in Georgia and would love to get this for a friend of mine. Her favorite wine is pinot grigio and she’s originally from Germany so it would be perfect!
Any information is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Jennifer
December 28th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I found this wine in Lidl Netherfield Nottingham.
At 4 pound 67 a bottle,good value good wine.
December 28th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I posted a comment about buying tnis wine from lidl,i said it was £4.67 a bottle,it is in fact £3.67,bargain.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Lidl has this again on 1 May.