Posted on: Wednesday, June 22, 2005
RAISE A GLASS
Pair your meal with a reisling
By JoAnn Chisholm
Summer is here, and the afternoon beach parties, sailing adventures and picnics are on. That spread of fruit salad, French bread, cheeses, raw oysters, fresh vegetables, sashimi and assorted meats (some plain, some barbecued or grilled) just cry out for wine.
There are just so many to choose from. Where do we start? The truth is, there is no real "right or wrong" when it comes to choosing the wine, simply a matter of taste and preference. What do you like? What do your guests like?
Perhaps you could try some reislings. Many associate this grape variety with sweetness, but that is not always the case. Rieslings are one of the "noble" grapes, like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and also one of the most misunderstood wines in the group. Do not underestimate the power of a riesling to complement just about anything you may choose to pop in your mouth.
Rieslings have a range of fruity, lighter, more delicate styles, such as piesporter to dryer kabinett, graduating to the spatelese and auselese, which is perhaps a more austere choice, and finally to the richer, sweet and luscious honeyed style of trockenbeerenlausse. The latter is similar to a late harvest wine and most definitely is a dessert wine.
I prefer German and Alsace producers but, again, that is a matter of taste. There are a few domestic rieslings that are gaining respect in the food and wine industry and surprisingly, New York — specifically the Finger Lakes — is one of the areas producing such wines.
One of the biggest factors in German wines being so unique is the climate in which they are grown. The most renowned German rieslings are grown in cooler regions located on or near a river such as the Mosel or Rhinegau. The coolness creates prolonged growing seasons offering a naturally higher acid level in the finished wines. This gives the wines the ability to age if stored properly.
Perhaps you want something else to go with that spread that has a little more kick to it, perhaps a red wine? For those of you that saw the movie "Sideways," you are thinking that pinot noir is the way to go, or even a syrah (shiraz). Granted, these are fine choices but, again, which ones? Some of the finest most unusual pinot noirs and syrahs are coming from Santa Barbara County. The high elevations and loamy soils contribute to the success of the varietals in that area and the depth of character that exudes from wines in Bien Nacido, Santa Maria, which has hillsides of sand and clay loam. White Hills Vineyard, located west of Los Alamos, features chalky, sandy soils that bring a complex, earthy quality to the flavor profile and Fiddlestix Vineyard, in nearby Santa Rita Hills, adds a rich, extracted black fruit component with firm acidity.
Whatever you choose, have fun with it and don't take it too seriously. After all, it is wine, not brain surgery and most likely, no one will expire if you pick something off the beaten path.
Here are some wines to consider for your summer stock up:
• Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling-Mosel, Germany ($16) — Luscious ripe apricot and grapefruit citrus with good acidity. • Dr. Konstantin Dry Riesling-Finger Lakes, New York ($15) — A delightfully fresh palate and delicate bouquet of citrus, apple blossoms and honey, this wine shines with shellfish, chicken and mild cheese dishes. • Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills ($26) — Wonderful intensity and vibrancy of flavor, with a core of dusty blackberry and blueberry fruit that's supported by firm acidity and a chewy, minerally quality. • Curtis Vogelzang Vineyards Syrah ($25) — Racy aromas of raspberry, strawberry and spice. Bright, high-toned flavors of cherry and plum unfold with nuances of vanilla and terroir-inspired graphite. Fine, integrated tannins lengthen a balanced finish. This wine is an authentic expression of its terroir and vintage. • Jaffurs 2001 Syrah, Stolpman Vineyard ($40) — Tremendous fruit intensity and overall opulence and seamlessness, jammy blackberry and cassis flavors. This wine got 92 points from Robert Parker Jr., writing in the Wine Advocate. JoAnn Chisholm-Dueno owns Wine Lady Hawaii Inc., a fine-wine management and brokerage firm. Reach her at 293-4127 or see www.wineladyhawaii.com.
