Tonight, Jean and I enjoyed a rare night out together, and we used it to
go to a restaurant in Indianapolis that we'd not yet been to:
L'Explorateur, a place with seemingly big ambitions that specialized in
creative preparations using locally sourced ingredients. With the meal,
we ordered a few wines off their decent but not exceptional list. With
our amuse (scallop sashimi with wasabi tobiko, scallions and ginger) and
first courses (hamachi carpaccio and scallop ceviche) we got a fairly
forgeettable glass of Blanc de Blanc Champagne from a producer whose
name was unfamiliar to me. After our second course of a zarzuela
(bouillabaise-like shellfish stew with Spanish chorizo and fennel), we
got our main courses (Halibut with tomato coulis for Jean and trout with
a smoked chicken risotto for me) and a bottle of:

2005 Movia Pinot Grigio (Brda, Slovenia)
nose: pineapple and minerals
palate: medium body, crisp entry, slight creaminess, citrus

Among another 20 or so rather undistinguished white wines, this wine
stood out for me. Like yet unlike many other Pinot Gris/Grigios we've
had, it had the pineapple and rich mouthfeel that I associate with the
Oregon version of the grape, yet retained enough acidity to pair well
with the fish. The wine brought out the licorice-like elements in the
fennel of various dishes, and wasn't overwhelmed by horseradish.
Overall, quite a successful wine for our dinner, which was quite fine.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net