Anything but Chardonnay? Try Alsace Pinot Gris

MY favourite complaint is "We are creatures of habit!" Say "white wine" and the first region that comes to mind is Burgundy - Chardonnay. Alsace in north-eastern France, Germany and Austria hardly ever get a look-in.

Habit has produced the battle-cry "ABC - Anything But Chardonnay!" Riesling is hardly ever mentioned, and white varietals such as Tokay may even evoke a "What's that?" response. Sauvignon Blanc? Yes, Cloudy Bay, period.

I must confess that I too sometimes have that mental block. So when I was looking for a white wine a few days ago, I was delighted to find one that had not cropped up in my memory for ages - an Alsace Pinot Gris by Maison Trimbach. I had wanted a wine to wash down white asparagus with hollandaise sauce with, and, from my wine notes, I realised that it had been a year or more since I last drank an Alsace Pinot Gris.