Wait…It’s a RED Wine!

Surprises, at least happy surprises when it comes to wine especially, help us enjoy it even more!

Such was the case, two days ago when our neighbor gave my wife a bottle of wine to thank her for a kind deed. My wife protested, but relented, perhaps knowing that a self-proclaimed wine buff like me would certainly appreciate it.

Since we were having roasted chicken for dinner that evening, I thought the gift of a bottle of Sancerre would be perfect with the chicken.

I got the bottle from my wine room, which used to be my daughter’s room (I somehow had convinced my wife that it was OK for me to turn our daughter’s former room into MY Wine Den), and I put it in our refrigerator to chill down the wonderful white wine to accompany our chicken that evening.

As I set the table, I opened the Sancerre and brought it to the table. After a bite or two of the delicious bird, I decided I should try this white wine (which I’ve enjoyed many times). As I poured the wine into my glass, I exclaimed, “It’s a RED wine! Wait, What!

Yes indeed, it was a RED Sancerre! Now I’ve drank and tasted hundreds or wines over the past few years and I’m sure I’ve had a red Sancerre before, but to say I was surprised this time is a gross understatement. This was not the white Sancerre that I am typically used to with its expressive nose and wonderful mineral quality.

Instead, I got a marvelous shock and surprise that a red Sancerre is a perfect pairing with roasted chicken. It had a fragrant nose, somebody, a bit of tannin, a textured mouthfeel, and a lovely mineral quality.

But what was it? What grape varietal could it be? In my Vivino app, I discovered it’s a Pinot Noir. WOW! Another pleasant surprise! I’m a huge Pinot Noir fan and have had Pinots from California, Patagonia, New Zealand, Burgundy of course, Tuscany, the North Fork of Long Island, and the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York, but it had been quite a while since I had a red Sancerre.

As I drank this wonderful surprise over two nights, I enjoyed it more and more. I love surprises, especially one where it totally challenged my expectation and I learned perhaps something not new, but something I had forgotten, and this entire experience reminded me of why wine is such a fascinating subject and why I enjoy it as much as I do!.