15 Apr Please The Palate Wine of the Week: FEL Wines 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris

With travel stopped and eating out at restaurants no longer an option, I am cooking at home more than I ever have. And with all the wines I have here, I can pick a wine to pair with my meal. So, this week when I was making butter garlic shrimp over orzo, I was looking for a wine with bright acidity that was fresh and crisp to pair with it. I selected the FEL Wines 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris, the Please The Palate Wine of the week. The FEL Wines bottle caught my eye. With the release of the 2019 Pinot Gris comes a new label. The label is an illustration of the winery’s signature blooming tulip. The tulip on the label is significant to FEL Wines as it was inspired by founder Cliff Lede who named the wine after his mother Florence Elsie Lede. The tulip honers her and her garden at Cliff’s childhood home in Canada. After being dormant all winter, the tulip would pop up when the ground was warm, signifying that Spring was here. And Spring is now here. FEl Wines winemaker Ryan Hodgins has been making wine in the Anderson Valley for more than fifteen years. Ryan joined FEL wines in 2009. He sources fruit for the Pinot Gris from various cool-climate vineyards in the Anderson Valley, including the FEL Wines estate vineyard, Savoy Vineyard. The FEL Wines 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris is bursting with brightness and fresh acidity. The wine is fermented in both neutral French oak barrels (55%) and a 900-gallon French oak oval tank (45%) and aged for 5 months sur lie. A lemon gold color, the wine has a nose of honeysuckle, stone fruit and citrus notes. On the palate, the wine has texture with a richness that coats the palate and lingers and the bright acidity shines. The FEL Wines 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris has just been released. There are 788 cases produced and the wine retails for $25. Pair this wine with fish or chicken and you will understand why the FEL Wines 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.