[I completely forgot to post the latest wine. This month’s recipe is Massaman Curry…it’s done, and it was pretty delicious. Post coming this weekend hopefully.]
Riesling is a white grape variety grown historically in Germany. Dr. Ferdinand Regner, grapevine breeding and genetics expert, suggests Riesling wine history starts with one parent of Riesling, the Gouais Blanc (known to Germans as Heunisch Weiss), brought to Burgundy from Croatia by the Romans; the other parent being a cross between a wild vine and Traminer (Sauvignon Blanc). This is believed to be the start of Riesling wine history.
Riesling vine history traces back to the year 1435. Reportedly there were other “first plantings” in Rheinhessen and the Alsace region with dates 1402 and 348 respectively, to name a few. Riesling wine history presumes the Riesling was born somewhere in the upper valley of the Rhine, but with parents from either side of the Adriatic the cross could have happened along the way.
The grapes for our 2010 vintage of Riesling came from Jones Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington. Washington is arguably the best Riesling growing region in the United States & certainly the largest producer.
Most of the Washington Riesling acreage is grown in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range on the east side of the state within the Columbia Valley appellation. One particularity of the viticulture in this region is the quasi absence of rootstocks. Classic soils of the Columbia Valley of Washington are wind-blown loess on the top of granitic deposits from the Missoula floods sitting above the basalt bedrock. The wines are usually ripe, often slightly sweet (though not necessarily so), with notes of peach and expressing excellent minerality.
Our grapes are grown in the same area as classic Riesling producers such as Chateau Ste. Michelle/Eroica, Pacific Rim, Hogue, Columbia Winery, Poet’s Leap, Owen Sullivan and Woodward Canyon.
The 2010 vintage of Riesling is a blend of 87% Riesling and 13% Sauvingon Blanc. Enjoy this pretty wine with all the flavors of fall! Stock up because this wine will be perfect with Thanksgiving dinner!
Aroma: flowers, peaches, honey, tropical fruits
Palate: floral, fruity, spicy
Body: medium
Finish: clean and acidic
Foods: pork, sauerkraut, Asian cuisine, pumpkin, turkey, blue cheese
(Staff Note: It’s the perfect hot tub wine!)