Domaine Bechtold
Nef des Folles

I have been drinking and loving the Bechtold wines for almost ten years or maybe even longer! The Ned des Folles is a skin contact wine made from Pinot Gris, so it falls into this mid-category that's kind of an orange wine, kind of a very light red wine or rose. Mostly I think of macerated pinot gris as an orange wine because they typically drink that way. In Italy this style of wine made from pinot gris/ grigio is called Ramato, it’s a category unto itself. Which is so cool! Bechtold is making wine in Alsace, the cool little pocket of France that feels kind of Germanic. The vineyard sites have been winemaking zones for over 2000 years, so history definitely runs deep in this area. The pinot gris is macerated on its skins for twelve days resulting in a wine that is a little orangey and a touch of a lighter red. The name “Nef des Folles” is a reference to the Nave of the mad but what Jean-Marie, the winemaker, is referring to is his potential perceived madness over macerating the pinot gris in the first place. The end result is vivid and divine: it has ripe apricot notes that couple up with chamomile vibes and a lovely drinkability. 

Serving temp: Fridge cold! Chill it downnnn
Pairing: It’s earthy and minerally, so I think this wine would do great with something fatty like crab, or crab stew, or DIY baked crab hand rolls!