Pinot and Grilled Game Hens

Most wine drinkers will concur that there is no varietal that has more taste variations than Pinot Noir.  This can make selecting the right one a frustrating and expensive experience.  Although it can take many years of trial and error to get it right, there are a few basic things to note about shopping for Pinots.  In short, it’s all about the food.

For instance, suppose you need a wine to go with grilled Cornish Game Hens.  Most wine books suggest that Pinot Noir go perfectly with game and poultry.  However, they rarely mention the flavor differences between food preparation methods like baking, broiling, roasting and grilling.  Each of these preparation methods can make your game hens taste very differently.

As for grilling, it adds a smoky taste for sure, but this also increases the hen’s gaminess.  Looking further, many wine experts have found that the Pinots from the Russian River valley, Sonoma County, California go very well with grilled poultry.  So now we have the mission, “get a Russian River pinot that won’t break the bank”.

Right away you will find that California Pinots can be expensive.  But, this is not always the case.  Check out Total Wine and ask one of their many sales people to steer you over to their Winery Direct brand, “River Road” Pinot Noir.  It‘s not pricey and contains Russian River’s famous dried cherry and vanilla flavors that go so well with grilled poultry.  Then enjoy the way this medium body red wine combines with the meat flavors to enhance the meal.

If you want to venture into a Pinot Noir that has a little more body, along with a wide spectrum of flavors, look for one of the Hartford Family selections.  Availability can vary depending on the bottle shop, but if you look at AZ Wines or Sportsman’s, you are sure to find a few to pick from.  Ask for an opinion from one of their employees.  Because Hartford Family wines come from many areas in Northern California, you may be able to pick up several to compare.  Pricing on these is normally between $45 and $80 per bottle, so choose wisely.  They will all add to that grilled poultry in a special way.

Note: Pinot Noir not a wine to have with trout, salmon maybe; they tend to be a little much for the lighter fish dishes.

Written by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.