Bonnie: I’m sure you’ve noticed that Food Network has its “hands” into everything from cookbooks to cookware – with its latest venture, not surprisingly, a wine called entwine. It’s a venture with the family-owned California winery Wente Vineyards and fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente. The winery is America’s oldest continuously operated family-owned wine producer, making serious wines at all price levels. The grapes for entwine are sustainably farmed and harvested from select vineyards, then aged 12 months in stainless steel tanks to maintain the crisp fruit character.
The four varietal offerings are from the 2009 vintage, with Pinot Grigio the one that BOTB feels is the best of the lot, considering the price. It’s crisp, refreshing and citrusy – according to the winery it tastes “like a green apple drizzled with lime juice and honey.”
BOTB likes the Pinot Grigio with or without food! With foods, it matches best with ones with a bit of saltiness. Consider bringing it as a gift for your hostess next week to serve with the turkey-day hors d’oeuvres.
To assist you in pairing the Pinot Grigio in general – or for that matter any of the four wines — the back of the bottle and their website both offer lots of suggestions. Plus the website offers recipes. This makes wine pairings very approachable!
According to CEO Carolyn Wente (fourth generation winemaker), “Food Network chose Wente Vineyards because first, they make great wine. Second, they are family-owned and aligned with Food Network in terms of values. Third, they understood and valued what Food Network heard from viewers and wanted to collaborate to create a line of wines that would match viewers’ expectations. And finally, Wente Vineyards has a deep connection to food, embodied in their own vegetable garden and on-site restaurant.
“Both Wente Vineyards and Food Network believe that wine can elevate the everyday to extraordinary, whether paired with a home-cooked meal, a favorite snack or simply sipped on its own,” she said.
I so agree.
What I really like — in addition to the flavor of the wine — is how Food Network is touting entwine’s food pairings because when Food Network speaks, people listen. Smart of them to use the broad base of the network, and not a particular star. As we know, some stars polarize, others fade, which would narrow the audience.
To find a retailer near you, check out the product locator on the entwine website.
Bryan: Earlier this year, the Food Network, the channel that has seemingly cemented its place in the American psyche as a foodie institution, launched its own new wine label. Though highly anticipated by some, the release also raised a few eyebrows from food traditionalists and critics alike. While it is widely appreciated, the Food Network is regarded by some as having turned its back on traditional cooking shows in favor of entertainment-oriented cooking competitions, often lacking in any culinary substance. There were more than a few who considered the newest wine venture to be just another gimmick by the slick network.
Their wine is like FN’s programming (but wait, that’s a good thing)! In actuality, the Food Network is again innovating. Yes, there are some cheeseball shows on FN, and yes, Julia Child probably wouldn’t screen test well enough even to make it to a pilot today, but hey, that’s the modern TV world. I’m truly glad people are watching cooking competitions rather than Fear Factor and bug eating. There is some great content on the Food Network, as well as the hokey stuff, and part of attracting an audience is taking the entry point down a notch sometimes. Develop awareness, spread enjoyment and not confusion. This is what the competition shows do for food, and this is what entwine now is doing for wine.
Many people are afraid of wine; it’s sad but true. There are too many grapes, too many regions of the world, too many possible faux pas. Understanding all the intricacies really does take some reading, and there are tomes of literature on the subject. It can seem daunting, and it just annoys me sometimes. When a wine list’s depth and confusion can take the enjoyment right out of wine, then we’ve gone too far. Sometimes we just need it to go easy, especially as we begin to appreciate something.
The Food Network does this for all of us, allowing the wine newcomer to easily pair it with food, which is, after all, the joy of wine. There is, in fact, an entire “Pairings Section” on the official entwine website where quaffers can browse for recipes that will tell you which of the four varietals — Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay — matches best with your meal plan. It’s not just a gimmick either; ignore the “ease of use” of entwine and you still have a very nice collection of wines, some even “darn good.” The Pinot Grigio is a crisp, refreshing wine with faint notes of green apples and citrus, at a very reasonable price, too — only $12.99 retail.
Though some will surely turn up their noses at the thought of a Food Network wine, there is always a time and place to drink affordable wine (always)! I’m certainly appreciative and excited about any efforts to expand more people’s curiosity about wine. It’s a wonderful thing to pair with dinner, as wine makes any eating into “a meal.”
Eric: I would never consider myself to be a wine connoisseur; I put the effort into receiving my introductory sommelier certification, which merely states that I know that wine is derived from grapes and that there are many varietals in different parts of the world to choose from. This depth of knowledge is just about where the Food Network is positioned with its new venture into the world of viticulture, Entwine (although Food Network is only bottling, not growing).
Pinot Grigio is a big name in the world of wine varietals — it’s the varietal that, when cold, becomes the standard Summer drinking wine and it is also the highlight of the Food Network’s new line of “table wines.” For price and the drinkability, Entwine Pinot Grigio is a great choice for the novice wine drinker (or for the semi-novice Sangria drinker) — but that’s where to draw the line.
I truly give the Food Network credit for trying to introduce wine into the average consumer’s home; problem is that those of you who read this blog are not the average consumer, and there is a plethora of wines out there to choose from. My advice: Keep the entwine Pinot Grigio on ice, and continue searching for new surprises.
I must say that the label attracted my visual interest, as well as the deep indention at the bottom of the bottom…being a Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio fanatic but not liking the retail value…I was sincerely AMAZED at the bouquet, how crisp and fruity, how delicious and smooth, I am IN LOVE with this wine….I usually drink the Coppola Pinot Noir and this one, has just replaced it!!
This wine h.as a wonderful crisp apple citrus smooth taste with a nice finish that last.