The other night was pasta night. Not just any pasta, but fresh ravioli from Molinari's- one of San Francisco's greatest pasta shops. Located in the Ferry Building, this place is just awesome. Their ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli rivals anything I've ever ordered in any restaurant.
Anyway, I find that nothing goes better with pasta then a nice red wine. The Italian's have known this for an eternity. It's an amazing partnership. Knowing that we were having pasta, Tom, one of the dinner attendees, brought a bottle of Pepperwood Grove 2006 Pinot Noir. Initially, he thought the producers of the wine were trying to make their offering seem more classy by calling the Central Valley of California the "Valle Central." We quickly pointed out that it was not an attempt to glamorize an otherwise unglamorous part of California, but rather it came from the Valle Central, a part of Chile. We had a good laugh, then poured the wine.
The wine was okay- not bad, but not great either. I think my biggest gripe about the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir was that it was way too thin. I tend to like thicker reds, and have found some Pinot's that really hit the mark. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. Don't get me wrong. I can appreciate a thinner Pinot. However, this Pinot was thin both in heaviness and in taste. 2 big strikes against it.
I think if I was in a bind, I'd consider buying this wine. However, I'd always look for a better option first. One that I would recommend is the Mont Pellier Pinot Noir. It's one of my top choices!
Recommendation: Consider buying it (if in a bind and you need a budget wine asap)
