Convincing one’s dinner companions to split a bottle of Chardonnay,
Zinfandel, or Pinot Noir isn’t typically all that difficult. But say
that you want to share some Riesling or Gewürztraminer, and you’re
usually on your own. People will pucker up their faces and protest,
“Ooh, that’s too sweet,” before abandoning you for cocktails, beer, or
wine by the glass.
That’s why the annual St. Nick’s Party hosted by my friends Wendy
and Fredi seemed liked the perfect opportunity for a Riesling tasting.
With a crowd of about thirty people, surely I could find at least three
or four RieslingFreunde. St. Nick himself would be making an
appearance later that night, and surely he must prefer crisp German
whites to Spanish roses or California reds.
In the spirit of the party’s theme, I selected German wines between
$8 and $10. Imagine my surprise when half the party joined my tasting.
It certainly didn’t hurt that the dinner itself was a selection of
tasty Vietnamese dishes with which the wines were perfectly paired. I
liked all four wines, although two clearly stood out to me and the
majority of other tasters.
The 2007 Moselland Riesling Kabinett ($8.99) seemed to
confirm the expectations of most tasters. Those wary of Riesling, such
as Judy and Wendy, found it overly sweet or acrid. But Hu found its dry
finish satisfying, Christine detected pleasant hints of apple, and VW
thought its slight acidity would go well with seafood.
VW also found the 2008 S.A. Prüm Essence Riesling
($9.99) acidic, and two tasters who failed to write their names down
thought it was the sweetest of the bunch — in a bad way. But Hu
found it dry and only slightly sweet, and Wendy thought its light,
fresh flavor made it perfectly suited to warm-weather drinking.
Phil and I loved the mouthfeel of the 2008 Clean Slate
Riesling ($7.99), which danced over the tongue like a good Viognier
and was our favorite of the four. VW detected hints of champagne and a
subtle fruity flavor, which Juliana pegged as a rich, warm aroma of
melon and citrus.
The clear consensus favorite of the batch was the 2007 Blue Fish
Sweet Riesling ($7.99), which Juliana thought had a fresh golden
color, beautifully complex nose, and nice flavors of grass and
honeysuckle. Phil detected hints of citrus, and Hu thought it had an
earthy tang. Perhaps most impressively, even sworn Riesling haters
Wendy and Judy praised its flavor and said they would drink it
again.
I’ll be certain to remind them of that the next time we all go out
for Southeast Asian food.
