Hi Jinx Pinot Grigio: Look! What’s On Tap?

A few weeks before the world went into isolation, I was perusing the wine section in Publix when I found the campiest box wine packaging I’d ever seen. With anvil and piano gags, a sharp-dressed mascot, and a black cat lurking on every box, Hi Jinx Cellars was a standout on the shelves. Their packaging is like a Chaplinesque nod to slapstick and well, hijinks! I love wine brands that push the envelope — especially when it comes to aesthetics. 

It was hard to choose, but ultimately, I went home with the Hi Jinx Pinot Grigio. The man on the front of the box seemed blissfully unaware of the looming safe about to come crashing down on him. A metaphor I think, for that grocery trip overall. What came next for all of us in the weeks after this trip was nothing short of pandemonium, as I’m sure you know. 

But this is a review and review the wine we shall. We couldn’t keep the Pinot Grigio in its lovely box forever. So, on a cool, spring day last month we decided to finally sit down and enjoy this 2018 California wine. We ~of course~ chilled it beforehand.

The Tasting 

Wine: Hi Jinx Pinot Grigio

Right away we noted how pale in color this wine was. Characteristic of Pinot Grigios, it was a barely-there yellow color. The wine had a fab citrus bouquet on the inhale — light and refreshing. 

The flavor was just as fresh. Super delicate and citrusy, this Pinot Grigio is such a summery wine. It was definitely not dry, as it had a nice even sweetness. This complex wine had so much fruity flavor we had a hard time trying to pinpoint which fruits we were tasting right away. Did we taste oranges? Nectarines? Apricots? Lemons? All of the above, honestly. With so many fruity + summery notes, we think this wine is a great daytime sipper.

Final Thoughts?

Did it bring us the campy surprises the packaging promised? Maybe not. It was a pretty predictable (albeit delicious) Pinot Grigio. While it didn’t give us the unexpected, trick-up-my-sleeve flavor explosion we were hoping for, this wine is definitely a yummy  one. And we will absolutely be checking out more from Hi Jinx Cellars when we can safely venture out to get our hands on it.