You won't find any wood flavor in this bottle, either (or if you do, you know it's time to change your wine glass and/or dish soap). Like most pinot grigios, this wine wasn't aged in oak barrels.

What you will find is plenty of citrus fruit, stone fruit (peach dominating) and a slight floral touch. There's even a hint of spice in there. A bright, crisp nose and lively palate to match -- that makes for a very nice wine!

You may not find this wine at every corner market that sells more than five different wines, but it is a Mondavi, so it sure ain't hurtin' for distribution. Any decent wine shop should have it, or be able to get it.

So, if in your house you won't find any Nike's, Levi's, Coke and usually not any Mondavi, I urge you to make an exception for this Italian cousin. Hell, Mondavi owns so many different brands, I'm sure you're supporting the family anyway, so what's one more?

Cheers,
TSW

Oh, and if you've tried this wine before, and you're thinking you'll just forget about it, feggedaboudit. They sourced fruit from different places in 2000 ("sourced fruit" -- that's the way wine geeks talk), and the result is a better wine.

Call me paranoid, but anytime I'm away from my house for a few days, I'm a little concerned that I'll return to find my coffee maker grown into a Starbucks shop (they sprout like mushrooms, after all), and my wine collection appropriated by Ernest Gallo and/or Robert Mondavi. These two wine moguls are buying up more and more wineries every day, and it seems now you can't clank two bottles together without one of them being produced by either of these bad boys.

And while my independent, underdog-loving heart has a soft spot for the smaller grape-growers and juice makers, good wine is good wine. This leg of the Mondavi millipede is wearing Alfani, and it looks mighty fine.

A great break from chardonnay, this Italian American pinot grigio is the Mondavi family's way of paying homage to its heritage (while cashing in on the current craze for Italian varietals). You won't find opulent creaminess here, as it didn't go through malolactic fermentation. That makes this a better match with food (just about any Italian dish without a red sauce) and, at near room temperature, this white still has a pretty creamy mouthfeel.