Bicycle Race Pinot Gris

Bicycle races were once, not so long ago, new and cutting edge … kind of like SailGP or Wing Foiling today. They struck awe and wonder in the throngs of spectators vying to view the spectacle. Early bicycle races became huge public spectacles drawing eclectic crowds, sometimes in the tens of thousands, made up of factory workers, society women, gamblers, children, and gentlemen all transfixed by the looping riders. 

Wine, like this Marlborough Pinot Gris, can also attract an eclectic mix of imbibers that can become transfixed by the swirling, sniffing, and sipping of the wine in their glass below.

Made using deliciously ripe Marlborough Pinot Gris grapes and seasoned with a touch of Pinot Blanc and a smattering of Pinot Noir. The wine was vinified in old oak using multiple yeast strains and rested sur lie to add texture, aromatic complexity, and intrigue.

The resulting wine has delicate aromatics of spiced pear and apricot with nutty undertones. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium bodied and deliciously textural. Delicate floral notes augment the spiced pear and nutty opulence that carries through to a long, dry, rounded finish.

This is a versatile table wine that can go well with fish, white meat, mushrooms, risotto and quiche Lorraine or it can be enjoyed as an aperitif to get the digestive juices flowing.

My favorite bicycle race, though, has to be the Queen song penned by the inimitable Freddie Mercury full of innuendo (another of his great songs) and pop culture references. 

I’ve never been a competitive cyclist but have always ridden bikes as a way of getting around. The closest I’ve been to a bicycle race is doing Auckland’s Bike the Bridge event on my fixie. It was a good 115km ride. The stand out memory though was getting grief from other cyclist for not wearing lycra! If there is one thing I never anticipated in my life getting stick for not wearing lycra would be it. But, stick I got. Not being a cyclist I just wore normal clothes — boardies, a tee shirts and a pair of Chuck Taylors.