cheap pinot grigio

I had originally only planned on writing up wines I really enjoyed, but since it is an early Monday night I may as well give my thoughts on a white I had this evening.

An argument for weekday drinking: I had this theory that I was having too much REM sleep (dream sleep) and that it was hindering my ability to focus during the day. Though REM has been implicated in processes such as memory consolidation, it is exhausting to wake up from a dream no matter when I am awoken. I did some research and apparently there is a correlation between depression/anxiety and hyper-REM sleep. The theory is that the worries you encounter during the day need an outlet and are dealt with by your brain at night, keeping you active mentally when you are supposed to be in slow wave sleep. You wake up exhausted from continuous mental activity and are unmotivated since you have exhausted your brain throughout the night. Therefore, I set out to suppress REM and see if it would lead to better sleep. The obvious choice: wine.


A shady way to pick a wine: I purchased this pinot grigio when I was actually looking for a pinot gris. I had had such a wonderful one at an Italian restaurant, a stunning recommendation from the waitress (so rare and so wonderful when it happens!) that I wanted to try some more myself. Unfortunately, I was too cheap to buy the cheapest pinot gris in the store and instead opted for this $7.99 bottle of the adjacently located pinot grigio.

This wine is a little harsh at first, hitting the upper part of your hard palate with the first few sips. As you continue drinking, it softens a bit and takes on a more sauvignon blanc flavor (acidic and ever so slightly reminiscent of what one would imagine cat urine to taste like). The flavor doesn't coat your entire mouth, but is a very, if faultingly so, bright white wine. I would probably try this again with a more savory but non-meaty dish, such as mushrooms, to see if the flavor of the food dampens the intensity of the wine. I myself tried it with a concoction of white cheddar slices floating around a hastily made guacamole. This dish will be featured on my future blog "Shit I Eat When I Am Lazy, But Actually Tastes A Lot Better Than It Sounds."