The Wine Idiot Reviews: Pancake Cellars Big Day White, 2013 ($5.49)
I know what you're thinking--CARRIE WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO WINE REVIEWS LATELY I'VE BEEN STAGGERING AROUND TRADER JOE'S FOR WEEKS WITH NO GUIDANCE. Sorry!! I've been doing the Game On Diet to kick off the new year, and my drinking has been severely curtailed. But I reserved one of my recent days off for an evening of Pick Up Stix take-out and a new white wine.
During some of my research for one of the other whites I've reviewed (can't remember which one), this wine popped up on a list of decent Trader Joe's wines. They always seem to have it in stock, but I've been put off by the somewhat silly label. However, I have been having a hell of a time finding a go-to white for Asian food, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Also, it's pretty cheap.
To be fair, this isn't one of my favorite whites of all time. It almost tastes like chardonnay at first, but then a fruitiness kicks in pretty hard. It's smooth and easy, with no grassy notes. It also backs off from being TOO sweet--it's a compromise between chardonnay and a riesling or pinot grigio. But after two glasses, I felt like it tastes like boozy Dole whip (you know, that pineapple soft-serve they have at Disneyland).
The good news is that it is FOR SURE my new favorite pairing for take-out Asian food of all stripes. It's got just enough sweetness to balance out that spicy-savory umami-ness, but it has enough flavor that it's not just like drinking wine-tinged water. I probably wouldn't just drink a glass of it, but it was SO GOOD with vegetable spring rolls, chicken lettuce cups, and wonton soup. Ugh I kinda wanna go back to this night like right now.
I happened to be watching the State of the Union with my mother as I tried this, and I jotted down two notes I feel I must share with you:
"Pairs well with Obama's giving no fucks."
And...
"My mom just said she hopes Obama announces we've been visited by aliens."
That's pretty much how it goes when I drink and watch political stuff with my mother.
What the bottle says: Ugh. There's a whole clever paragraph of copy on the back. I'll just cite what is specifically about this wine: "The 2013 BIG DAY White is made up of 36% Chardonnay, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Viognier, and 17% Muscat Canelli... A freak of nature, the BIG DAY WHITE offers delicious flavors of white peach, apple and cantaloupe, along with orange blossom, honeysuckle and lemongrass. Serve with Thai green curry, turkey sandwiches, chicken apple sausage, or pesto anything [sic]."
What the Wine Idiot says: So...Dole whip!!!! HAHAHAHAHAH. Also, has anyone ACTUALLY tasted honeysuckle? I feel like that's something that just existed in medieval Europe and survived as a name for My Little Ponies.
ABV: 13.5%
Who's responsible for this? "Bottled by Central Coast Wine Warehouse, Santa Maria, CA"
Do I need a corkscrew? NOPE!
What do smarter people say about it? A-HA!!! I FOUND THE POST I SAW ORIGINALLY! Apparently it was when I was Googling Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles, because Talk-a-Vino mentioned the rosé version of that. About the Big Day White, they say: "Very nice and refreshing nose of white fruit with herbal undertones. On the palate, nice, round, good acidity, white fruit, white apples, very good balance. While not the most complex, definitely very enjoyable!" And over on Vivino, user Michael Gacsaly says, "Bouquet with lemon and minerals. Flavor has a touch of butter, a touch of lemon, tart peach, floral notes, and nice acidity. Finish is modest with fruit. This is a great buy and I keep some on hand for spicy food." SPICY FOOD!!!! I AM GETTING BETTER AT THIS EVERY DAMN DAY.
Should I bring it to a friend's house? You betcha, if you guys ordered Chinese.
