Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Review (2023)

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Featured

What Kind of Wine Is Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio?

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is an Australian dry white wine that is both fizzy and refreshing. Sourced from high-quality vineyards in Riverina and harvested at night to conserve pure flavors, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is zesty and passionate. It bursts with red apple, pear, and passion fruit flavors and makes the perfect partner on a warm summer evening.

Australia has been successful at taking international grape varieties and crafting them into unique styles. Among the most famous are full-bodied Shirazs, lime-flavored Rieslings, and elegant Cabernet Sauvignons. This diversity grows as new regions, grape varietals, and wine styles get explored.

Australia is a predominantly hot country. The winemaking regions are tempered by their proximity to either the South or the Indian Ocean, the Murray River system, or altitude. In most areas, rainfall is low, and irrigation is essential. Drought is a challenge as well. Finally, the dry conditions combined with high summer temperatures cause bush fires. These may damage the whole vineyard, as the smoke from such fires comes into contact with the grapes causing pain in the wines.


Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Review

  • Winery — Yellow Tail
  • Country/Region — Australia, South Eastern Australia, Riverina
  • Type — Australian Pinot Grigio
  • Aroma — Honeysuckle, Orange Blossom, Apple, Pear, Gooseberry, Peach, Lime
  • Grapes — Pinot Grigio
  • Taste — Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Apricot, Grapefruit, Butter, Caramel, Almond, Flint, Mushrooms
  • Alcohol Content — 11.5%
  • Sugar — Dry
  • Pairing — Seafood, Tomato-based Sauces, Asian

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is extremely enjoyable. Light, crispy, and refreshing, this wine makes consumers feel like they have been on a short trip to Italy. And with aromas and flavors of ripe peaches and pears, slight residual sugar, and a waxy texture, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is perfect for those life moments when you need a little sparkle to brighten you up.

Overall Rating: 4.0

Positives
  • Floral And Green Fruit Nose
  • Rich, Fulfilling Palate
  • Versatile, Pairing With Many Cuisines
  • Vivid Acidity
Negatives
  • Lacks a Bit Of Creaminess
  • Short Finish

Tasting Notes

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio wine is elegant on the nose with floral fragrances, like orange blossom and green fruit aromas. In the mouth, it has concentrated exotic fruit and citrus flavors. On top of that, caramel and notes of almond join these tastes. The acidity is brisk and refreshes, while the finish is pleasing but short. It maintains, however, the creaminess of the palate.

Appearance

Like most Pinot Grigios, Yellow Tail Riesling has a pale lemon-green color, like a gooseberry. After a few swirls, the translucent center opens into a medium golden hue near the glass rim, capturing wine fans’ attention. The legs of the wine are long and watery, without the slightest sign of density. Yellow Tail Riesling, consequently, has a nice appearance. That said, it is not indicative of the creaminess shown in the mouth, which is not the best thing.

Aroma

Yellow Tail Riesling has a sweet-smelling bouquet. Delicate fragrances of honeysuckle and orange blossom elevate, exploding on the nose, only to be followed by gentle aromas of apple, pear, and gooseberry. The unpretentious scents continue as notes of peach and lime combine, concluding the velvety aromatic profile.

Taste

On the palate, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is incredible. It is super delicious with a wealth of tropical and stone fruit flavors. As the wine flows into the mouth, passion fruit, pineapple, and peach tastes emerge, creating a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Likewise, a note of grapefruit gives vibrancy as touches of butter and caramel add endless creaminess and oiliness. Furthermore, a hint of flint unearths and is uplifting, while the zippy acidity offsets the general ripeness. Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio, therefore, has a dynamic taste.

Finish

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio ends with a short but lingering finish. Sure, it would be nicer if the aftertaste was longer, but sometimes less is more. The finish has flavors of almonds and mushrooms, with the latter giving a fine sense of earthiness. Oiliness is present too, which is welcoming. In general, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio ends the tasting profile nicely. Great!

Rating

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is vibrant, creamy, and one-hundred percent savory. Like a tropical drink, this bottling is compelling and combines an elegant nose with a mouthwatering palate. Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is neither too dry nor sweet. And with zippy acidity, it is also refreshing and revitalizing. Buy it now.

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Food Pairing

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is compelling when enjoyed along with Asian cuisine. The reason is that snappy, clean, and high acid wines are the best to combine with Asian foods. They have a refreshing vibrancy that counterbalances the intense and, usually, spicy flavors found in Asian dishes. Consequently, Thai green curry or Vietnamese pho soup make delightful combinations with pineapple and peach flavors of Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio.

Another classic companion to this bottling is seafood antipasti, fried fish, and tomato-based pasta sauces. Spread out a fine tablecloth, set the wine glasses, pour Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio, and serve marinated octopus, an assortment of fried calamari and shrimp, and hearty pasta Napolitana. Fingerlicious!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Makes Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio?

Yellow Tail Riesling is a product of Yellow Tail, a small family-owned winery in Yenda, Australia. In 1957, the Casella family emigrated to Australia from Sicily, Italy, and began making wine. Almost fifty years later, in 2000, John Casella established the Yellow Tail label to create an approachable wine that everyone could enjoy.

Yellow Tail’s winemaking team puts passion and expertise into creating their wines. Their motto is making consistently great wines that over-deliver on taste and quality. Intended to export Australian wine abroad, Yellow Tail became the number one imported wine to the United States in 2011. The namesake of the brand is the yellow-footed rock wallaby, a relative of kangaroos.

How Is Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Made?

Pinot Grigio is more neutral in aroma and flavors than Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, for example. That can be positive from a winemaker’s point of view, as they can play a more active role in influencing the style of the final wine. The key aim is to enhance the base material provided by less-aromatic grapes. That is achieved by keeping the grape flavors in a pure form. Or the winemaker chooses to use a range of techniques to add more complexity to the wine, like malolactic fermentation.

Following harvest, the grapes require careful handling at the winery to avoid acidification and oxidation and ensure their pure fruit flavors. Afterward, they are destemmed and crushed. Crushing breaks the skins of the grapes and liberates a quantity of juice. But damaging the seeds should be avoided. Otherwise, they release bitter oils and tannin, and the final wine becomes astringent and bitter. After crushing, the pressing of the grapes follows. Pressing separates the juice and the solid constituents of grapes. Seeds should remain undamaged once again. Then, that juice is clarified to preserve primary fruit flavor.

At this point, it goes into stainless steel vessels to undergo cool fermentation. In this way, the final wine manages to conserve its natural acidity and obtain a perfect balance that is refreshingly crisp. There’s also a chance that carbon dioxide is added to create a fizziness. The fermentation could also be prematurely stopped by chilling to increase sugar concentration and create a more refined mouthfeel. When the fermentation is over, the final wine is removed from the vessels, filtered from sediments, and bottled.

Where Is Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Made?

Yellow Tail Riesling is made from one-hundred percent Pinot Grigio grapes cultivated in Riverina in the South Eastern Australia Zone, also known as the super zone. Riverina lies in New South Wales and has fertile soils and ample irrigation. It produces high yields of healthy grapes that lack, though, in flavor concentration.

Winemakers usually blend them with grapes from Barossa, Adelaide Hills, or McLaren Vale to enhance the produced wines. The choice of components in the blend will depend on the grape variety, the style sought, and the price point of the final wine. Also, Riverina specializes in the production of luscious sweet botrytized wines made from Semillon. Autumn morning mists and fogs in this region favor the development of noble rot.

How to Serve Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio?

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio has to chill at forty-five to fifty degrees Fahrenheit (seven to ten degrees Celsius) before serving. Theoretically, the wine can be served at room temperature, but the aromas and flavors get mixed up and lose crispiness. If they get too cold, they die out, leaving behind a dull wine. After chilling, uncork Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio and pour in standard-sized wine glasses. The large surface of the glass provides the wine with essential aeration. As the air comes into contact with the wine surface, the wine’s aromas and flavors elevate.

Remember to keep Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio cool during serving. To do that, place the bottling in an ice bucket or wine cooler. The bucket should be filled three-quarters full with equal quantities of ice and water so that iced water surrounds the bottle. The water is then able to transfer the heat from the bottle to melt the ice. Air acts as an insulator, and the bottle chills. Be careful, however. Over-chilling overshadows flavors in wines.

How Much Does Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Cost?

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio has a low-retail price. That makes it a super approachable wine choice. Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio price ranges from $6 to $14 per 750ml bottle, depending on the vintage and retailer. As a consequence, consumers can obtain the wine without spending too much. They can even make it, due to being so budget-friendly, a delightful everyday beverage option.

How Long Does Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Last?

Pinot Grigios are predominately fruit-forward wines, and as such, they rarely benefit from bottle aging. The ones that do are intensely creamy and full-bodied, unlike Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio. Therefore, the wine’s fruity personality decreases as long as wine enthusiasts do not uncork the bottle.

And as mentioned above, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio does not have the structural components required to withstand aging. I would recommend to wine fans to consume the wine within one year from the date of bottling. That way, they will enjoy its crispiness and a few secondary and tertiary flavors that may have developed in-between, like almonds or dried apricots.

How Many Calories Does Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Have?

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is diet-friendly because it has a very low-calorie density. There are approximately 22 calories in 1 fluid ounce of the beverage, equating to 126 calories per serving. The calorie breakdown is 0 grams of fats, 6 grams of sodium, 1 gram of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of total sugars. Consequently, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio calories are low and constitute this bottling a fantastic beverage choice. In other words, wine enthusiasts can consume without guilt. Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio alcohol content sits at 11,50% per 750ml bottle, a regular alcoholic concentration for a Pinot Grigio.

Conclusion

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is extremely enjoyable. Light, crispy, and refreshing, this wine makes consumers feel like they have been on a short trip to Italy. And with aromas and flavors of ripe peaches and pears, slight residual sugar, and a waxy texture, Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is perfect for those life moments when you need a little sparkle to brighten you up.

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