Swill or Swell: Episode 7

Underwood Pinot Gris

Welcome to Swill or Swell, a weekly series where I taste grocery store wines and let you know if they’re worth the buck or just meant for the drain!

CAVEAT! As you read this, please keep in mind that wine is subjective! This means that everyone enjoys different things and something I like might not be something you like and vice versa. I’ll be as objective as I can with facts about the wine’s quality, but in the end if your opinion differs from mine...that’s perfectly fine! Wine is only worth drinking if YOU like drinking it!

​You’ll notice that there is unfortunately no link to this video. Instagram was having a bad day, and it didn’t save. But, luckily, every thought and piece of information shared in the video will be provided right in this blog post for you!

LET'S INTRODUCE THE WINE

Today I’ll be tasting the Underwood Pinot Gris by Union Wine Co from the state of Oregon. I chose this wine because canned wines are often overlooked, but are such  a great option! Especially for things like picnics, hiking, backyard bbqs, or the beach, they’re really versatile and easy to carry around.

UNDERWOOD PINOT GRIS FUN FACTS

Let’s start by talking about the Pinot Gris varietal.

• This varietal originated in...you guessed it: France.
• It’s also known as Pinot Grigio and Grauburgunder.
• It normally has a grayish-blue fruit (not green like other white grapes) and is a great candidate for Rosé
• Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris are not just related - they are the same! They’re actually a mutation of the same grape, meaning they all share characteristics distinct enough from it’s parent grape to be considered a separate variety

Now a little bit about the brand.

• The Union Wine Co. was Founded by Ryan Harms. Ryan moved to Oregon in 2001, but didn’t get into wine until 2005. He worked for some great wineries, but friends could never afford to try his wine, so he decided to make an Oregon wine that was more affordable, thus creating the Underwood Brand.
• The company has two amazing winemakers: Meredith McGough and Cheney Vidrine. Meredith underwent Viticulture and Enology education at UC Davis, and has past experience in Napa making pinkie-up wine. Chene got into wine by helping his brother with harvest one year and fell in love!

I’m so excited to try this wine, so let’s move onto the tasting!

WINE TASTING NOTES

Look: I drank this directly from the can! So, I’m going into this based solely on what I taste and smell.
Smell: Lemongrass, Green Apple, White Stone Fruit, Pear, Peach, Citrus, Lemon, Mineral, Stone Chalk, Grapefuit
Taste: Acidity
Think:
Food Pairing - Seafood, Charcuterie
Occasion - Beach picnic!
Rating - Swell!

If you’ve ever been curious about canned wine, I would definitely give this one a shot!

​Want to learn more? Check out my Instagram every Thursday at 5PM PST for a new episode of Swill or Swell! Have a wine you’d like me to taste? Write your request in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!

Cheers!