Pinot Gris, Burgenland, Austria 

A mineral, weighty and subtly nutty Austrian pinot gris that can be dressed up or down. Weingut Umathum’s 30 hectares are located on the east side of Lake Neusiedl, where winemaker Josef Umathum has embraced biodynamic viticulture, hand-harvesting, and the use of large Austrian oak barrels. Josef is known for championing the traditional Austrian red grape varieties, rotburger, st laurent and blaufränkisch, which actually make up 85% of his vineyards, making the pinot gris a more rare offering from his lineup. Cut grass, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, pear skin, chamomile, a flinty, smoky minerality, Winnie the Pooh’s honeycomb & walnuts. Pour alongside big parties or tender nights in, perhaps alongside spicy saucisson and extra nutty aged cheeses, maybe even with a nocino wash.