A Quest to Quench: Beer vs. Wine

Enduring Wine/Beer Stereotypes:

Wine = swirl; sip; savor
Beer = gulp; knock back; down

Not having any Sapporo or the like in the house this afternoon to pair with our seared tuna on soba with dashi broth and seaweed salad, we opted to open a bottle of white. Oops, the ignominious discovery is made that we have only two chilled bottles to choose from: A kick-ass value Chenin Blanc or an Italian Riesling. So, wanting to reserve the Chenin for more serious consideration, I opened the Riesling.

This was one of those wines where, upon initial sampling, one's first thought is that this 56 degree wine would benefit from further chilling. This kind of observation is often linked with having served a wine which is on the plonky side. Out came the trusty cooler sleeve, and the heaps of of big mushy apple crisped to more refined honey, pear, and lemon. Not an unpleasant wine overall, but one which left a lot to be desired when compared to the memory of a clean Alsace.

I should probably be embarrassed to even mention that I used my glass of wine to wash down a vitamin pill: Hey, now... What ensued was a fulled-bodied palate cleansing sensation with a rear-palate echo of the flavors of the meal; namely sesame and the richness of the tuna. Now, I'm familiar with the concept of quaffability but, this was something new: A wine that is actually best gulped--not so as to lessen the duration of it's influence on the palate but, to accentuate it!

With a rather dull attack which faded almost instantly to nothingness when sipped, this wine found a higher calling as a substance to be swashed willy-nilly between the back molars and over the gullet. Truth is, I could have had a beer, but the house beer is Sam's Summer Ale; too sweet and hoppy for this meal. In a sense, this so-so wine took the place of a beer but without the carbonation or bothersome "too-full" feeling.

I'm not particularly recommending this wine, but I do recommend opening up to the possibility of discovering the best in a wine by experimenting with how it's swallowed, swigged, swilled, or guzzled.

From pot to boat to pound to pot, Glah-sta Lahb-sta

I visited Argyle Winery’s tasting room when I went on my trip to the Willamette Valley last November. Argyle is famous for their sparkling wines. I don’t really care for sparkling wines, however, theirs were very good. What I did enjoy was their Riesling so I procured a bottle "for future reference". This Riesling was planted in the Lone Star Vineyard in a high density on devigorated rootstock.

Riesling
Argyle Winery
Willamette Valley
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13.0%
Residual Sugar: 1%
Cases Produced: 635

Color: Yellow
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: Melon, honeysuckle, stone, cedar
Flavors: Grapefruit, melon, pear, lemon, mineral, a little wood flavor.
Body: Medium Bodied
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Semi dry
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This is a clean, refreshing Riesling. I liked the acid and semi-dry balance in this wine. It has some nice mineral characteristics with a teeny-tiny bit of vanilla. It also left a nice, low grade glycerin feel in the mouth. The citrus is very refreshing.


This is a good wine for sitting down with a meal of chicken picante, fish (haddock, red snapper, whitefish, sole, or cod). Shrimp and lobster would go great with this. In fact, I think we will enjoy our Argyle 2006 Riesling with lobster! Read on!

Glah-sta Lahb-sta
I had a hankering today. I really wanted to have some lobster, and why not. We live in a fishing port in Massachusetts, all’s I have to do is go see my fellow Blogger, Joey at Captain Joe and Sons and pick up a couple of "frisky ones". Joey is a dedicated Blogger and family man who runs Good Morning Gloucester. Good Morning Gloucester is a very well read Blog about life in Gloucester and I owe much of the local popularity of SMU to Joey. [Meet Joey on SMU!]

This time of year, the lobsters are headed out to deeper waters, out of Gloucester Harbor. We have fewer lobster pots in the water. Fishermen bring them in for storage. Here are some pots coming in to Captain Joe’s for winter storage.

We are lucky. The lobsters that B and I buy go from the pot to the boat to the pound to the pot in one day.

Tips on buying lobsters
Just because you live in Kansas doesn't mean you can't get lobster. Gloucester sends them to markets all over. When you buy a lobster, make sure that they are frisky. The tails should curl up. Ask your fishmonger to pull the tail out and see if it pulls back. If it is limp, pass; the lobster is not really in good condition. Your fishmonger should boil this and put it on display for some of the uniformed to buy. Our lobsters were flipping and pissed off to be picked up from behind. Real “frisky ones” as I call them.

When you get them home, put them in the refrigerator. Don’t put them in the sink or bathtub with water, they will drown. They will be fine in the fridge in a bag for a while. Me, being spitting distance from the nearest lobster pound, I pick them up at 1:00 and put them into the pot at 5:00. (Sorry for throwing salt into the wound, not everyone can live on the Atlantic coast.)

When I cook lobsters, I get a big stock pot boiling with water. I cut the claw bands off and drop them head first into the water and set the timer for 10 minutes. (We ask for 1.5 to 2.0 pound lobsters. For 2 pounders, maybe 11 minutes.) While this is going on, slice up some lemon, melt some butter, pop open the Riesling and get the glasses ready. After the lobsters are done, pull out and drain and eat. (In the summer time, I’ll throw some ears of corn in the water about three minutes before the lobster is done.)

The Argyle Riesling was absolutely perfect with this lobster. It was citrusy enough to hold up to the lemon in the butter and sweet enough to not seem sour against the lobster meet. B made a great green salad with chipotle lime dressing with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro and corn kernels.

This is without a doubt the best lobster meal I have ever had. Pairing this Willamette Valley Rielsing with Lobster was just a fabulous treat.

Summer Riesling Kabinett

Kreuznacher Kronenberg

Grape: Riesling
Growing Region: Nahe
Vintage: 2006
Price: $9.99
Alcohol: 10%
Aromas: Butter, cantaloupe, honeydew
Flavors: Honeydew, lime, ginger

Summary: Interesting flavors and a great wine for a hot day when you in the mood for refreshments like Thai iced tea. Yeah, it’s on the sweeter side but sometimes you want fruity/fresh on a summer day. Uncomplicated and refreshing, this Riesling is great paired with seafood.

This bottle was supposed to be for fish tacos but all we had laying around was lobster--you make do with what you got...

A Good Dry Riesling & Seafood Pairing

We went out for dinner Saturday night and not only did we both decide on seafood entrees, but we both selected entrees where lobster featured prominently. What luck--a perfect opportunity to order up a bottle of Riesling! The luck didn’t end there: The restaurant offered a 2004 Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Les Princes Abbés for $24 for a 750 ml bottle which is scarcely more than 50% above retail.

The wine had nice tropical fruit notes on the nose, with mild green apple and pear on the palate, and a floral and mineral finish. It was very pleasant wine and we both enjoyed it. It continued to give up different nuances in reaction to different shellfish delights: Cherry stones brought out a ‘dusky’ character, tropical fruit sparkled after a bite of shrimp, but of course, the star of the evening was the lobster.

I had the lobster crêpe: A pillowy crêpe stuffed with tender chunks of sweet lobster, fresh mozzarella, and braised leeks and topped with a tomato cream sauce drizzled with crème fraîche. The sauce had a slightly caramel flavor and I ate every drop. The Riesling went perfectly with this dish: It was a total yum-fest.

We brought the unfinished bottle home and drank the remainder the following day with a snack of finn crisp with herbed cheese and smoked salmon. As long as I keep some dry Alsace Riesling such as the Domaines Schlumberger on hand to have with shellfish, and a less dry Riesling to pair with spicy dishes, I’ll be pretty much set for summer.

WBW #45 Old World Riesling: Mosel Saar Ruwer (The Un-Cola)

For this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, Tim Elliott from Winecast brings us to Northern Europe where we find some of the best examples of Riesling. I admit I'm not a huge white wine drinker but, I do enjoy a nice dry Alsace Riesling. Since, WBW is all about trying new things we decided to try a sweeter Riesling. We settled on a Mosel Saar Ruwer producer.

St. Urbans-Hof Winery is located in the village of Leiwen with estate vineyards scattered on various slopes of the Mosel and Saar Rivers. This wine is designated Qualitatswein which is the basic level of German wine quality. So, was this sickly-sweet plonk or a fine example of terroir-driven wine made from Germany's 'King of White Wine Grapes'?

Weingut St Urbans-Hof
Riesling

Vintage: 2007
Growing region: Mosel Saar Ruwer
Alcohol: 10%
Price paid: $14.99

Color: light hay
Aromas: limon*, pineapple, wet stone/slate, honey
Flavors: apple, pineapple, orange blossom, lemon, lime, mica

First pour was a touch warm and smelled remarkably similar to a warm 7•Up...or maybe it was Sprite (*I noted 'limon' in my tasting notes). AH-HA-HAaa... Beyond the clear citrus-effervescence notes, are ripe pineapple and soft hints of wet stone. The back label notes the fruit came from sites featuring slate soils and I concur it's easy to find slate on the nose. On the palate we find apple, pineapple, and orange blossom. Also there is a rich mineral component that reminded me of Mom's Mary Kay lipstick (which I thought would be best described as "mica"). The wine has medium light body and a moderate citrus and mineral finish--not cloying. This is a basic wine with a light touch, delicate sweetness and nice round mouthfeel.

We tried this wine paired with a few different dishes but by far the best pairing was fish tacos topped with lime-tossed cabbage, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and creamy chipotle sauce. The light sweetness and effervescence of the Riesling is a perfect foil to the spicy, smoky sauce and creamy avocado. Before having tried this combo my mind would usually zero in on Corona with lime for fish tacos. Now I can't imagine anything better than an off-dry Riesling to go with Baja cuisine.

Once again, we have to give a shout out to Tim for this month's WBW theme. Also a big shout out to another Riesling advocate and WBW Founder, Lenn Thompson. I will definitely be picking up more Mosel Rieslings to go with my lighter summer fare this season.

Dill-Licious Flavors of Spring!

I was attracted by a display of all things green in the produce section the other day. As my eye wandered over fleshy green mounds of swiss chard and collard greens, my nose caught the pungent and bright aroma of something wonderful and herbaceous. It was dill: Piles of lacey dew-laden bunches of tangy dill beckoning me from three feet. "What would I do with d-" oh screw it. I'm not leaving without some of this stuff.

What to do with Dill
Cucumbers are famously well-paired with dill. So, of course, I made some tzatziki (recipe follows) but, really when you have fresh dill in the house, dill goes with just about anything.

We had some chicken thighs with a side of purple/red potatoes dressed with a little butter, sea salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a healthy dose of dill. Fresh dill is very mild yet tangy which makes it great with anything that you would season with lemon such as fish, like salmon.

When it comes to wine pairings, I don't think you have to be timid. We aren't talking about pickles here. I think most whites would do. Why not try an Alsace Riesling such as Domaine Zind-Humbrecht? The brightness of the wine and the dill play off eachother and heighten the citrus notes of orange in the wine and the green notes in the dill. So go ahead: Dill out!


2005 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
Alsace Riesling
Aromas: apple, butter, vanilla, lychee
Flavors: citrus, sweet apple, mineral

Tzatziki
1/2 C of good Greek Yogurt (if you have to use sub-par greek yogurt, you're going to want to drain it in cheese cloth overnight to get rid of the excess moisture)
about 1/2 a cucumber grated (drained on paper towel for 1-2 hours)
1-2 cloves of roasted garlic, minced
dash of ground thyme
pinch of sea salt
1.5 T fresh finely chopped dill
1/2 t olive oil
serves: 2-3

I Heart NY Whites - Riesling (Finger Lakes)

So far we are two for two on the New York wines we picked up on our recent visit to the state. Taster A asked me to post my impressions of this 2006 Riesling out of the Finger Lakes region since he's not a big Riesling fan in general. However, he did say this would be an excellent summer wine, and I agree.

Dry Riesling
Ravines
Finger Lakes

Vintage: 2006
Price: $14.32
Aromas: pear, honey, butter
Flavors: pineapple, grapefruit, lemon/lime
Body: light
Acidity: crisp
Sweetness: off dry
Finish: moderate

Summary:
Definitely a great summer wine with a fruity palate and slightly fizzy mouthfeel. Would pair nicely with fish. Also wasn't bad with the goat cheese and proscuitto appetizer (pictured above). Comparable to the Alsace Riesling (Trimbach) we tasted in October.

Flight of Whites (Wine School Assignment #1) Taster A

Riesling
Trimbach
Alsace
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $16.99


Color: yellow to green
Intensity: medium
Aromas: lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, melon, allspice
Flavors: lemon, grapefruit, mineral
Body: light
Acidity: crisp
Sweetness: dry
Finish: moderate

Summary: This was my first taste of Riesling since the ‘80s. I left the region because I found the wines to be on the sweet side and like so many others, found the Chardonnays of California.

The aromas exploded out of the glass, the citrus was fresh and vibrant. The aromas came off in layers as the wine opened up…apple…melon…pear…it has a nice crisp taste, dry and light bodied. Images of summer picnics, chomping on cheese and crackers on a Sunday afternoon come to mind.

Sauvignon Blanc
Lockwood Vineyard
Monterey AVA
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $11.99


Color: Straw
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: Lemon, grapefruit peach melon orange blossom, hay, nutmeg
Flavors: Lemon, grapefruit, mint, clove, allspice
Body: Medium
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This wine looked very elegant in the glass. The wine exploded with citrus aromas and as the wine opened up, layers of citrus, peach, melon aromas evolved. Sipping the wine gave flavors of citrus and spice with a very mild mint flavor developing. This wine was chosen because it was not barrel aged…meaning it would be a expression of the grape. This adds variety in the market place, one that I welcome. I would pair this with light fish such as flounder, a good cheese-and-cracker wine.


Chardonnay
Kendall-Jackson
Santa Barbara AVA
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $12.99


Color: Yellow
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Lemon, fig, vanilla, oak, smoky, bacon
Flavors: Lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, hay, stone, clove, allspice, coffee
Body: Medium
Acidity: Moderate to crisp
Sweetness: Off-dry
Finish: Moderate


Summary: This wine was selected for its oak aged qualities and that is very apparent in the wine. The color is rich and stately in the glass. The oak influence in the wine defines character of this wine. The oak permeates the glass as you draw the aromas in. There is no doubt that this wine is all about the marriage between forest and vineyard.

Growing up in the woods of New England and having been a wood worker, I know a bit about oak. Green oak has a distinctive pungent smell to it. Upon sniffing the wine, I was taken back to my days of splitting wood for the family fireplace.

The flavors of citrus started to come alive as the wine opened up and the oak aromas toned down. The pineapple and spicy notes came through as the wine aged in the glass. Those who want to experience a oak crafted chardonnay will truly enjoy this with poultry, heavier fish such as haddock or salmon, or with heavier cheeses.

Those who are looking for a true expression of the grape may frown upon this choice, but give it a try. I’m not a huge fan of heavily oaked wines, but I truly enjoyed being taken back to an earlier time in my life when the air was filled with the smell of oak yielding to steel.

Final thoughts about the flight
Drinking three bottles of wine in one night is not a reality for us, consequently, we had some leftovers. Throughout the week, Taster A took care of the Riesling, I adopted the Sauvignon Blanc for my own. The Kendall-Jackson we shared.

I would highly recommend doing a tasting course at home. When we are out tasting in public areas, we tend to be less candid and not take as much time as I’d like to try a wine.

There are guidelines for tasting rooms that the staff must follow. Most rooms will give a one ounce pour. I find that sometimes makes it hard to let the layers come out. Professional tasters may be able to do the job quickly and get twice as much out of the wine, I have to work at it. It takes me time to identify what’s going on. At home, I can pour that extra ounce out. In a tasting room, that is generally frowned upon. Take your time and develop your skills.



See Kendall-Jackson's Barrel Page!

Flight of Whites (Wine School Assignment #1)

We bought our wines for the first tasting. Wine School gave us a price range of $12-$15 per bottle, and a few dollars more for the Riesling. We've done wine tastings before in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Russian River, Napa, etc, but this was the first time we ever had a list of things to look at and evaluate. We have to note the color, the intensity of color, aromas, flavors, body (aka mouth-feel), taste (acid/sweet), and the finish in terms of length. Also, it was our first time tasting wines in a side-by-side comparison. It was kind of a challenge for me to pick out the aromas and flavors (Taster A finds this easier to do) but, it was fun! Here's what we got along with my tasting notes:

(note: these are not listed in the order that we tasted them: it was actually Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, then Chardonnay last)

Chardonnay
Kendall-Jackson
Santa Barbara AVA
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $12.99

Color: Yellow
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: banana, oak, butterscotch
Flavors: butter
Body: Medium
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Off-dry
Finish: Moderate to long

Summary: Good everyday wine. Very tasty if a bit heavy on the oak. My impression during the tasting was that this wine would be very good with Peking duck. This was my favorite wine during the tasting.

Sauvignon Blanc
Lockwood Vineyard
Monterey AVA
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $11.99

Color: Straw
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: honeysuckle, mineral, mushroom, vanilla, slight butter
Flavors: grapefruit, hay
Body: Light
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate to long

Summary: I had mixed emotions about this one. I found the aroma of mushroom very pungent and compelling yet, when I tasted the wine, it just tasted a bit odd. It was interesting but, I don't think I really liked it. Like when I was a kid and I wanted to like artichokes because they were fun and different, but I just couldn't handle the taste. Maybe this one will grow on me like artichokes did. If I were serving this wine, I'd pair it with fish tacos or Greek food. This was my least favorite of the three.



Riesling
Trimbach
Alsace
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $16.99

Color: Green
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: apple, orange blossom, mint
Flavors: lemon, slightly smoky
Body: Light
Acidity: Moderate to crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This was a pleasant surprise since I didn't think I liked Riesling (I'd only ever tried the sweet stuff). This is a good 'wine and cheese' wine. This actually wasn't my favorite during the tasting but, tasting all three again after they'd been open for a day, this is now my favorite of the three (the Kendall-Jackson seems offensively oaky to me now).