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Santa Margherita is a "denominazione di origine controllata" quality level pinot grigio from the Valdadige area of Italy.

One interesting thing: This bottle was a gift to me, and I had never heard of it before, but the very first night I got it home I saw a commerical on TV for it. That's a big surprise, since wine commericals are fairly rare, and most of the ones I see are big American names like Korbel or Gallo.

A few notes on pinot grigio generally:

I've seen many wine experts say that pinot grigio has reached a popularity and recognition far out of proportion to its actual quality as a grape. That may be so, but I've always enjoyed it. I think part of this is because for the American consumer at least, pinot grigio is fairly dependable and inoffensive. If you want a quaffing white you're not a big fan of oaked-up chardonnays and want to avoid a sweeter wine, then pinot grigio is an alternative you can reach for without any nasty surprises. It's true that it's not a terribly complex grape, but again, if you grab a bottle of it, you pretty much know what you're getting, and that's something that non-experts like. Now that I am beginning to study wine, I'm more interested in complexity, but I can respect pinot grigio for what it is and also for the recognition that it commands. Somebody somewhere did a great marketing job.

The wine:

A pale gold/straw color in the glass. Dry, pleasantly acidic white with a medium body and slightly syrupy texture. The nose has citrus, pineapple, pear and peach, but it's not a hugely fruity wine. It's a still wine, but there is just the slightest hint of carbonation which gives it a tingle or bite on the tongue that I really enjoy. The dryness and acidity make it very flexible with food. I had it by itself and also with chicken breasts sauteed with some bacon crumbles, steamed broccoli flavored with olive oil and parmesan, and mashed potatos. All in all, I really liked this one.