Wine Class, August 1 - Riesling

Kung Fu Girl Riesling Washington State 2011

Color:  Light gold

Nose:  Bursting with fruit on the nose-green apple, pear 

Mouth:  Lush, full mouth with nice minerality balanced with a light sweetness and lime. 

Price: $12.99 Whole Foods
Conclusion:  We all loved this off dry Riesling from Washington.

Gentil "Hugel" Riesling/Alsace France 2010

Color:  Light gold with a hint of green 

Nose:  Fragrant nose with a pleasant musty with hints of toasty apple.

Mouth: Loads of minerality, a surprisingly light body. Definitely the driest of the group.

Price: $13.99 Whole Foods

Conclusion:  Very enjoyable wine, that paired well with the cheeses.

Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2010

Color:  Golden with a hint of green
 

Nose: The nose bursts with fruit, especially green apple with a hint of smokey campfire. 

Mouth: Plenty of fruit with a nice balance between the residual sugar and the acidity. This was the sweetest of the group which was to be expected.

Price:  $19.99 Whole Foods

Conclusion:  A lovely well balanced wine. A little sweeter than we typically go for, although it paired well with Camembert cheese and apricot spread.

Pairings

Cheeses

• Camembert with apricot spread
• Edam
• Gruyere

Smoked trout
Buffalo Hot Wings
Guacamole with tortilla chips
Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate with caramel

Final Thoughts:

Beth:  What a fun class!! We had avoided tackling Riesling because of the stereotype "blue bottle" Riesling, but Lisa had a great selection of three styles that really showed how varied Riesling can be! My favorite was the pairing of Kung Fu Girl from Washington State with the guacamole. What a great summertime treat!

Lisa:  I used to only think of "sweet" when I heard "Riesling".  But when we were in Oregon this past June one of the wines at a tasting included a Riesling.  My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised!  So when shopping for the class I wanted to find all dry Rieslings and with the help of a sales associate at Whole Foods, he hit the nail on the head.  I enjoyed the Kung Fu Girl the most, especially with the smoked trout.  Maybe Washington state should be our next trip?

Mary Jo:  I have to admit, I went into this class with great trepidation.  We constantly joke about the "blue bottle" and how none of us wanted to be the one to host a Riesling tasting.  Well, I admit it, I was WRONG!  The wines were deliciously different from others we have tasted!  I can't say I would go to drinking them every night, but in the right setting, a Riesling is a true treat!  I have to agree with Beth, I enjoyed the Kung Fu Girl very much, and it was my overall favorite.  This is the very reason I love wine class.  It forces us out of our comfort zone and gives us the opportunity to enjoy wines we would otherwise not drink.  Cheers!