Pinot Grigio (pee-no gree-joh) and Pinot Gris are actually the same white grape, with two different names. In Italy and California this wine is known as Pinot Grigio, while in Oregon and France it's known as Pinot Gris. Other countries use the terms interchangeably. Whether it's from California, Oregon, France or Italy, Pinot Grigio is now one of the most popular white wines available. The Pinot Grigio grape is a white mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, which is red. The history of this grape variety dates to the 14th century, when it was discovered by monks in France. Its popularity soon spread to Italy, where it continues to be widely planted in the Friuli region. The Italian version is typically dry and light, with a mineral taste. California's output can be richer in flavor, but still has the mineral taste. Often, it finishes with a lemony or citrus flavor. French Pinot Gris wines are more fruity and flowery, though they still have the mineral aroma. Flavors can range from peach to grapefruit to melon.

Typical aroma and flavor descriptors for Pinot Grigio include vibrant citrus, pear, pineapple, minerals, spices and flowers. Good acidity gives this wine a crispness that makes for versatile food pairing. It's often blended with small amounts of other white varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, to enhance the bright fruit complexity.

As for color, Pinot Grigio is typically a pale, straw-like yellow with some golden hues thrown in. The texture of a Pinot Grigio is worth noting, as it has very smooth, almost silk-like overtones that leave an impression on the palate.

Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with seafood, light pastas and cheese/cracker combinations. It makes a great aperitif and is perfect for grilled picnic foods. Since this wine is fairly acidic itself, avoid pairing with foods that have high acid contents.

Burgess Cellars, located on the slopes of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, focuses on creating exceptional, hand-crafted estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah.

Burgess traces its origins to an original winery on the property in the 1880's. Since 1972, Napa Valley pioneer Tom Burgess and his family have followed the belief that it is vital to grow only those varietals ideally suited to a particular vineyard's soil composition, sun and wind exposure, and overall micro-climate. The French refer to this as "terroir," and it certainly explains the consistent aromas and flavors found in the hillside Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon.

Over the years three distinct estate vineyard sites have been cultivated and nurtured to create the very best handcrafted wines. The Burgess flagship wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, thrives on the western slopes of Howell Mountain near the winery; Merlot is ideally suited to the Triere Vineyard on the Napa Valley floor in the Oak Knoll AVA just south of Yountville; Syrah is perfectly matched to conditions in the estate vineyard site on the eastern slope of Howell Mountain.

Burgess is somewhat unique in the Napa Valley today, in that it is truly a family-owned winery which has employed the same gifted winemaker, Bill Sorenson, since the winery's re-birth in 1972.

Come Visit Us, And Enjoy The Best View in Napa Valley!

Retail Sales: 10am to 4pm daily
Tastings by appointment only
Please call or email us today!

Phone: (800) 752-9463
Fax: (707) 963-8774

These hens get a quick bath in a wine-olive oil marinade sparked with herbs and lime juice. Time the hens carefully on the grill, since the smaller parts can burn quickly. Grill some onions, fresh corn and eggplant halves, around the outside of the grill as accompaniments. A great alfresco meal.

Ingredients

• 4 Rock Cornish hens, about 1-lb. each
• 2/3 cup Pinot Grigio/Gris
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 tsp minced fresh marjoram, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
Clean hens and cut in half lengthwise; rinse and pat dry. Arrange in shallow glass dish. In large glass measure, blend wine, oil, lime juice, oregano, marjoram and parsley. Pour over hens in glass dish, turning to moisten all parts. Cover and marinate 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat up the grill. Remove hens from marinade, drain well and arrange skin-side-down in center of uncovered grill over hot coals. Cook 9 to 12 minutes. Turn hens, baste with marinade and cook another 9 to 12 minutes, until golden-brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into breast meat should register 185° F. when done. Remove and serve immediately.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 18 - 24 minutes.
Servings: Makes 4 - 6 servings.

• When you pour, don't pour too much-just fill the glass about a third full. You don't want to be so worried about spilling it that you can't give it a nice swirl in the glass.
• Take a look at it. Just take a second to notice-does it look inviting? Refreshing? Thin? Thick? Fizzy? Intense? Just as a large part of enjoying food is seeing how it appears on the plate when it arrives, so it is with wine. What's a happier sight than a glass that's yet to be sipped?
• Give it a whirl, and smell. Really stick your nose in the glass. Is it pretty? Pleasant? Flowery? Weird? Fruity? Spicy?
• Now drink. You know how to do that part. You don't have to swish it around or gargle with it at the table. Just enjoy it.
• Then ask yourself: how does it taste with the food? Does it add anything to the dish? Does the food add anything to the wine?
• What's it like after you've swallowed it? Is there a wonderful lingering taste? Does it make you want to take a bite of your food, or go back and sip again?
• Finally, how does the wine make you feel? Skip the intellectual considerations and just be with it. Do you feel refreshed? Intrigued? Celebratory? Soothed? Uplifted? Heart-warmed? Satisfied?

Wasn't that fun? By just slowing down a little, taking a moment to enjoy the wine, the entire meal is elevated.

The American-born Zorn was raised in Germany. As a child, he knew he was going to be a winemaker. He even tried fermenting the plums his mother gave him for lunch. Philip attended a classic German wine school and then apprenticed at Weingut Pieroth und Sohn.

His determination led him to take his traditional training in America in 1984, where a new world of wine was emerging in California. He distinguished himself as winemaker for a number of California wineries, including Sunny St. Helena, Gauer Estate, Paraiso Springs and Tria.

Zorn developed a keen understanding of winemaking in California, as well as a love of California's premier wine, Zinfandel. It was this love that would eventually lead him to create one of California's newest wineries, Z-52, with fellow Zinfandel aficionado Brent Shortridge (another Wine Insiders panelist).

Napa Valley is America's most famous wine region and rightly so. Each year hundreds of thousands of wine enthusiasts eagerly trek through its vineyards and wine cellars to discover new tasting pleasures. By any standard its wines are world class.

An especially good time to tour is in late September and early October, right at the end of the harvest when much of the work is done and the winemakers have the time to discuss the vintage. Whether you fly or drive, plan to spend a day or so in San Francisco. This most charming of cities has lots to see as well as fantastic restaurants to savor and is a great prelude to a wine county visit.

Try a visit to Napa's new COPIA Wine & Food Center or a fun outing through Napa on the Napa Valley wine train. Why not set up a visit to the Culinary Institute at Napa's historic Greystone, together with an exclusive cooking demonstration. Some of the wineries you might visit are Schramsberg and Niebaum-Coppola in Napa and Buena Vista in Sonoma's Carneros region. A great end to a visit is a hot air balloon ride over scenic Napa Valley Wine Country.

• Cabernets are known for their big and bold structure.
• Quality Cabernet Sauvignon can age for several years, which soften the tannins.
• Cabernet Sauvignon can exhibit these aromas and flavors: Blueberries, black current, cassis, tobacco, vanilla, plum.
• Cabernet Sauvignon is a heavy red wine that pairs well with meals that are also big. The classic food match is a great Cabernet Sauvignon with a Filet Mignon steak.

• The Merlot is a red wine grape that is abundantly grown in France's Bordeaux, region. In California, Merlot was once only used as a blending grape to soften Cabernet Sauvignon. In California Merlot has become immensely popular as its own varietal.
• Merlot has aromas and flavors of blackberry, plum, current, chocolate and vanilla. Merlot tends to have more herbaceous characteristics than Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Merlot in general is not capable of aging as long as Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Merlot pairs with many meat dishes, barbeque foods, and mild to medium cheese dishes.

• Pinot Noir grows only in cool climate regions. Fog is good for Pinot Noir. Cool ocean breezes are good for Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is a challenge to both growers and winemakers. This means good Pinot Noir can be pricey.
• Pinot Noir is a light to a medium bodied wine. The color ranges from light red to a medium dark red color.
• Pinot Noir has aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, sometimes spicy hints, and sometimes earthy flavors like the smell and taste of mushrooms.
• Pinot Noir pairs well with salmon, lamb, chicken, ham, and pork.