Earlier this week, Nena made our delicious bean burgers again I was in a bit of a wine-pairing quandary. The stong flavors of cumin, cilantro and chiles eliminated subtle, nuanced wine from the equation…but I just didn’t think any of the gewurtz we have would work well with the corn and beans.

And, because zinfandel doesn’t do well here on Long Island, (and I haven’t bought any in a while) that wasn’t an option either. So, I went to the ‘cellar’ and grabbed a bottle of non-vintage (but recently released) Fleurette from Castello di Borghese. I knew that it was made with pinot noir and pinot blanc, and that they billed it as "mildly dry." I figured it was worth a shot.

Eyes: This wine looks juicy and is a bright magenta-pink that just barely avoids looking like Koolaid

Nose: Simple and fruity with strawberry and cranberry aromas

Tongue: Medium bodied and just barely off-dry, it has a little acidity too. Not light and refreshing like some roses, but fun, fruity and very pinot blanc on the finish

Price: $9

Overall: Great with the bean burgers. The subtle sweetness cut through the spiciness while the acidity cut through the richness of the beans themselves. A simple slurper…I’m not sure I’d enjoy it on it’s own on a hot day, but it was a surprisingly good match with dinner. The white zinfandel set would probably even like it.

Lenn’s Grade: B-/C+
Nena’s Grade: B+