A no-brainer is, by Webster’s definition,

something that requires a minimum of thought. 

A no-brainer wine, by Pat The Wine Guy’s definition,

is one that fulfills three requirements:

quality, price and consistency. 

When a wine delivers that trifecta over and over,

consumers grab it, rightfully so, 

without giving it a second thought.

It’s Wine Thursday!, our weekly good-wine-at-a-good-price-

that-you-can-find recommendation,

just in time for your weekend. 

This week, we’re calling out a pinot gris that checks

those three no-brainer boxes.

King Estate, one of Oregon’s largest wineries, brought Pinot Gris

to the masses with a value version under its Acrobat label.   

Three years ago, King sold Acrobat to the California conglomerate

Foley Family Wines.

But the product is unchanged. 

Acrobat Pinot Gris is still produced from Oregon-grown grapes

and it still regularly shows up on numerous best-buy lists. 

The 2018 keeps the ball rolling. 

While it shows strong pear, apple and honey flavors,

this Pinot Gris does a nice job of straddling the line

between tart and sweet. 

We tried it with a hoisin-based stir fry

and its fruit notes and medium acidity matched

well with the Asian dish. 

It would also pair seamlessly with seafood.

Acrobat is also easy to drink on its own…the colder, the better.   

It compares favorably with Pinot Gris that is priced $5-$10 higher. 

We found Acrobat 2018 Pinot Gris at Safeway for $11.10.   

The price at Fred Meyer is $11.79.   

You can order it from Empire Wine for $12.95.  

https://www.empirewine.com

QFC and Total Wine both have it at $12.99.   

Wine.com lists Acrobat at $14.99.  

https://www.wine.com

You can order it from Acrobat’s holding company, Foley, for $15.

https://shop.foleyfoodandwinesociety.com/Wine-Shop/Brands/Acrobat?linkNum=2