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This week’s “Wine of the Week,” Anthony Nappa Wines 2017 White Pinot Noir ($20) has a bit of a cult following, both locally and in New York City, where Nappa has had success getting it on restaurant lists dating back to when the wine was still called “Anomaly.” 

To make this wine, Nappa buys pinot noir grapes from Sheldrake Point Vineyards, which is located on the western side of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. He then makes this like a white wine, but leaves the juice on the skins for a short time to pick up just a little bit of color.

The result, year in and year out, is a lovely, balanced wine that is as at home on the beach as on your dining room table.

The 2017 shows a decidedly earthy note on the palate — almost like a raw white mushroom — with layers of red berry fruit, dried flowers and honeycomb. It’s definitely not your standard strawberries and watermelon rose.

Red cherry and raspberry fruit drives the medium-bodied palate, which has a slightly creamy feel on the mid-palate before more of that ripe red fruit comes back on the long finish, showing a nice bit of acidity for focus and freshness.

The combination of fruity and savory is what makes this wine so interesting and delicious. It’s the kind of wine I like to have on Thanksgiving, because it’s so versatile with a wide range of foods.

The wine is available at The Winemaker Studio for $20.

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