I think it was Tolstoy who said that you will never be content if you look for perfection. I believe wine lovers are absorbed by the twin concepts of greatness and perfection, and thus narrow their drinking habits to fewer varieties. Varieties such as Chardonnay, Shiraz, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon only. But you see, they don’t always fit the vibe.
To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I helped cook and serve the BBQ for my wife and kids’ soccer club, Manly-Allambie. Everyone had to bring a dish, any dish, and you can imagine the diversity. The crowd was diverse too, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the ideal wine would be. I was drinking beer, but what wine would be ‘perfect’. Grand Cru Burgundy with Nachos, aged Hermitage with cupcakes, Riesling with the sausage sizzle or Claret with the avocado dip? Presuming all these wines were perfect, or at least according to a wine critic, I reckon you would be pretty disappointed if you had brought any of the above.
No, the wine to take to a soccer bbq would have almost certainly been a pinot grigio. And one made by Quealy, without any doubt, Australia’s best pinot grigio producer. Quealy’s pinot grigios are vibrant, juicy and fresh, with just the right amount of flesh and texture. A wine of easeful accompaniment. If you want to put an edge on your drinking, shove aside the wines of fashion, and drink more pinot grigio. The greatest wines can wait for those rare moments, otherwise you’ll spoil them, and all the other moments in between.
Quealy Mornington Peninsula Pinot Grigio 2021 – $28
Year in, year out, the best value pinot grigio in Australia. It’s like gorging on fresh fruit. Juicy pear, apple, lime, white peach and nectarine. Terrific shape and drive, so fresh is the fruit and bright the acidity. The ultimate bistro or restaurant white – serious, affordable, delicious and versatile. Bargain. Waters Wine Co
Quealy Tussie Mussie Pinot Gris 2021 – $35
If pinot grigio is versatile one way, then a pinot gris such as this, is versatile in another. Incredibly complex wine. Whole bunch pressed, only free run juice used and 20% fermented and aged in old French oak. Intense aromas of pear, lychee, cherry, custard apple, honeysuckle and ginger. Medium bodied, soft, silky feel, with a squeeze of texture. More spice on the palate, lovely acid interplay with the fruit, it’s there, but not dominant. Builds in volume in the mouth, but stays fresh and bright. Some tingle to the silk. Like I said, versatile, anything from a white meat roast, Asian foods, smelly cheese or pink fleshed fish. Awesome gris, and after tasting this, I was left wondering why we don’t drink more of it. Waters Wine Co
Quealy Balnarring Pinot Grigio 2021 – $35
Deeper than the estate wine and an uptick in intensity, but I love that it’s still fresh and vital, not over-concentrated or over-worked. Pungent nose of white peach, Kanzi apple, grapefruit, apricot and white flowers. Intense, thrashing palate of citrus and stone fruits, firm pear, savoury spice and a subtle layer of cream. Structured and seemingly with a higher level of acidity than the estate pinot grigio, but also more weight and volume. As far as I’m concerned, the best pinot grigio from Australia. Waters Wine Co
Quealy KK01 Pinot Noir 2020 – $38
Unique pinot noir, with very fine nose of dark fruits, black cherry, sweet spice, petrichor and lavender. For all its character and vividness of flavour, this is still a pinot noir and has a lightness of touch on the palate. Silken and smooth, with threaded texture and lanolin tannins and abundant acidity. Casual, cool and sensual. Waters Wine Co
