2011 Lieb Pinot Blanc

Music plays (pun intended) an integral part in our lives and there are lots of songs that conjure up memories of wine for me. “Sangria Wine” by Jerry Jeff Walker was a big hit while in college in New Orleans and was the drink (and song) of choice at our crawfish boils. And, “Red, Red Wine” by British reggae/pop band UB40 brings back some wonderful memories of my junior year in England. But it’s the opening lines from Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” that never fails to bring a smile to my face.

For this week’s pick, I selected “a bottle of white” from Joel’s home state of New York: 2011 Lieb Family Cellars Pinot Blanc. The Long Island wine scene has been steadily growing but it unjustly gets very little coverage in our state store system and this wine offers a compelling reason why it should be better represented. Most are used to seeing Pinot Blanc’s from Alsace and Italy which is why this is such a pleasant surprise. It offers up apple and citrus on the nose, followed by white peach and lemon on the palate. There is a nice, dry finish and a balanced acidity that will make it particularly food friendly.

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