Varietal: Riesling
Wine: Riesling
Label: Columbia Crest Grand Estates
Region: Columbia Valley / Washington State
Year: 2006
Date Tasted: Jan. 2010
Notes: Our purchase of this wine was a result of a Wegmans sommelier taking some time to chat, as well as the fact that as we are soon to add an in-law from that region, it's worth knowing what's worth imbibing up there.
This mid-sweet wine of moderately light body has a mellow, fruity tone. With tastes of apple, apricot, and caramel, this thoughtful (at least, thoughtful for a sweet) wine finishes aromatically and makes a slight smile play while you pause before taking another sip. This wine's age seems to have worked well for it, and at a surprising $10 a bottle, bears an excellent price to taste ratio. The gravitas of this white is enough that I would recommend drinking before the winter is over and you switch to the brighter whites.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
#25 - Scuppernong
Varietal: Scuppernong
Wine: Scuppernong
Label: Duplin
Region: North Carolina
Year: 2008? (not listed on label)
Date Tasted: Jan. 2010
Educational notes: Scuppernong is a varietal of Muscadine grape (Vitus rotundifolia), which as I understand it, is genetically unrelated to European wine grapes (which are in species Vitus vinifera), and do not even have the same number of chromosomes. Muscadines are very resistant to phylloxera, making them ideal for growth in the southeastern U.S. At the risk of offending the wine purists, I am including these grapes in our list. (It is a slightly arbitrary decision, as I am excluding other non-grape wines, such as a New Mexico plum wine, but hey, Muscadines look and feel like grapes.)
Tasting Notes: Sweet wine with a medium body that I can only describe as a "wet" body in the way it flows over the tongue. I call a strong taste of tangerine with hints of almond and fresh-mown grass. There was minimal finish, and the wine did not demand a pause before moving on. Overall, this is a satisfying and easy wine to drink, with a bold, happy flavor. We had it with barbecue chicken ranch pizza (wheat dough with ranch sauce, cheddar cheese, and topped with chicken pre-cooked in barbecue sauce and bacon), and it was an excellent companion for a simple full-flavor meal. Don't expect a religious experience from this wine, but particularly given the low cost, the fun factor is well worth raising a glass.
Wine: Scuppernong
Label: Duplin
Region: North Carolina
Year: 2008? (not listed on label)
Date Tasted: Jan. 2010
Educational notes: Scuppernong is a varietal of Muscadine grape (Vitus rotundifolia), which as I understand it, is genetically unrelated to European wine grapes (which are in species Vitus vinifera), and do not even have the same number of chromosomes. Muscadines are very resistant to phylloxera, making them ideal for growth in the southeastern U.S. At the risk of offending the wine purists, I am including these grapes in our list. (It is a slightly arbitrary decision, as I am excluding other non-grape wines, such as a New Mexico plum wine, but hey, Muscadines look and feel like grapes.)
Tasting Notes: Sweet wine with a medium body that I can only describe as a "wet" body in the way it flows over the tongue. I call a strong taste of tangerine with hints of almond and fresh-mown grass. There was minimal finish, and the wine did not demand a pause before moving on. Overall, this is a satisfying and easy wine to drink, with a bold, happy flavor. We had it with barbecue chicken ranch pizza (wheat dough with ranch sauce, cheddar cheese, and topped with chicken pre-cooked in barbecue sauce and bacon), and it was an excellent companion for a simple full-flavor meal. Don't expect a religious experience from this wine, but particularly given the low cost, the fun factor is well worth raising a glass.
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