Looking to try something new? Well it’s the 6th Annual Riesling Week July 26th-August 1. Sure it’s just another marketing gimmick to pry hard earned dollars from our hands, but so is a Gatorade commercial! Think of it as an opportunity to try a new white wine (Please…step away from the Chard/Sauvignon Blanc, and no one will be hurt;-!). As part of Riesling week there are specials at restaurants in NY, Chicago, SF, Miami, and Vegas.
I say skip the restaurant, and go to your local wine shop and take the dive. Don’t know much about Riesling? Here’s a bit of 411.
Riesling in one of the three “noble” white grapes, along with Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. A noble grape is a term from way way back in the day to describe grapes considered to produce the highest quality wines. Rieslings are certainly that! They’re produced in a wide range of styles from dry to very sweet dessert wines. The best are made in Germany, and France, but you can find U.S. produced Rieslings from the Finger Lakes region of NY, and of course California. What I like about Reisling is that it’s an aromatic grape that typically produces wines with almost perfumed aromas of flowers, and stone fruits (apples, pears, peaches, and apricot), and it’s high in acidity. Because it’s high in acidity, that makes it a versatile wine for pairing with food. In fact, if I had to pick one white wine, and one red wine, and I had no clue about what would kind of food would be served, I’d go with a Riesling for the white, and a Pinot Noir for the red because they’re both high in acidity and go well with the widest range of foods. And if you like Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese, Rieslings go especially well with most Asian cuisines.
Here’s food/wine pairing tip – Spicy foods likes sweet wines…
As for me, I’m going to pop and pour a 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica I’ve stay away from far too long! Check back for my review later this week – click on the http:// cellartracker.com links under “Wine Reviews on Cellar Tracker, etc.. to see my review…
Happy Riesling Week!
M