VINE LINES — Longshot whites astonishingly good for the price

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2018 (2802 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Because writing a column about a pair of wines that are really inexpensive and over-deliver for what they cost is an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often.

Usually when I opine on products that are OK, but not great, I try to communicate to readers that while these beverages are decent, they’re only that. I frequently suggest the use of aerators to enhance the texture and flavour, because I know there’s a huge market for wines that don’t break the bank and are enjoyable to drink. And I search for them regularly because most folks can’t afford — or simply don’t want — to spend $20 or more on a bottle. But as I’ve said in columns past, cheap little gems are almost nonexistent.

However, one — two! — delightful exceptions presented themselves earlier this week. And I couldn’t be more pleased to say that if you purchase either of these beauties, while you’ll be buying a Longshot, you certainly won’t be taking a long shot. Because this brand’s Pinot Grigio ($11.99) and Chardonnay ($13.99) are guaranteed winners in my books.

While price doesn’t always indicate quality, or lack thereof. A heftier cost frequently means a better wine. So my expectation of what I’d get from these wines was not exactly high. To say I was fully prepared to be disappointed would be an understatement.

But when I unscrewed the cap on the barely-this-side-of-water-coloured Pinot Grigio, poured some in a glass, swirled it and took a whiff, I blinked in surprise. Bright notes of Norland apple and slight citrus — lemon, I think — were readily evident. So I swirled it a bit more, and took a sip. Mmmm! I shook my head in disbelief, then tried it again just to be sure. It was great! And I don’t generally like Pinot Grigio. But this one, while nicely rounded, had a lot of backbone. It was closer to a Pinot Gris, which is usually much more to my liking.

I strode into the living room, glass in hand, and stood there impatiently while my husband, not exactly thrilled at my interruption of his television viewing, hit pause on whatever he was watching, and looked at me with thinly veiled annoyance. (I bug him a lot when he’s watching TV, apparently. But this was important!)

“Try this,” I insisted, ignoring his disapproving gaze and shoving the glass in his hand. He swirled it, smelled it and had a taste. His eyebrows raised in surprise.

“That’s pretty good,” he said. “What is it?”

When I told him it was a Pinot Grigio, he, too, was amazed. When I told him the price, he was even more enamoured.

We followed the same routine when I pulled the cork on the Chardonnay. And while the Chard is a pinch oakier than I like, it’s not too oaky, and the apple, pear and caramel notes, combined with a wonderfully buttery texture, make this a wine to be reckoned with.

We tried both wines with lemon pepper chicken fettuccine that evening, and they were terrific. The lemon in the Longshot Pinot Grigio was perfect with this dish, and I’ve long been searching for a citrusy wine to complement it, with no success until this past Monday night. All the Sauvignon Blancs I’d tried were too citrus-forward, but the muted lemon in the Longshot PG was absolutely perfect.

And it had enough spine to hold up against the creamy Alfredo, which endeared it to me even further. The silky Longshot Chard (to this point, I’ve always preferred Chardonnay with this dish) was super, with its characteristics an equally lovely match for this heavily sauced entreé.

A rarity in our household, we saved a half-bottle of each to try with potato-crusted cod (dipped in tartar sauce) the next night. And neither of us could believe it, but the wines had matured in 24 hours, and were even smoother than they had been, but — and this was the remarkable part — still gutsy enough to be delicious on their own, as well as fabulous with the fish.

I can honestly say I can’t remember ever being so taken with such inexpensive products before. I tried aerating an ounce of each of these the first night, and perhaps there was a two per cent improvement. But these wines simply don’t need the help an aerator often provides — they’re just dandy on their own.

Perfect for the August long weekend or any time of year, these California wines will please both the palate and the pocketbook. And I should mention the full name of these wines is The Ultimate Longshot. I couldn’t agree more with the “ultimate” part.

» Diane Nelson is a longtime journalist and former Sun staffer who really likes wine. A lot.

» diane.vinelines@gmail.com

» Twitter: @vinelinesbdn