by Becky Sue Epstein
A wine for pizza and brownies. Really.
When you go in to pick up an upscale pizza and spy those giant cookies and brownies stacked on the counter right next to the cash register, this is the time to get the brownies.
After sampling several of the still and sparkling Barefoot California wines, I was interested to find one that I could actually recommend for an inexpensive, fun evening. (Though I am morally opposed to this company’s misleading labeling of their California sparkling as a “champagne.”)
The Pinot Noir has a warm, buttery and leathery aroma with some distinctive varietal red fruit on the palate, along with green herbal notes. Acidity shows itself in the moderate finish. The residual sugar is apparently quite low, but the abundant fruit in the wine makes it feel sweeter.
Drink with Mediterranean pizza (not tomato-and-cheese) and keep sipping with your brownie.
WHO: Barefoot Cellars
WHAT: pinot noir, barbera, zinfandel
WHERE: California
HOW MUCH: $6 (media sample)