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Clean Slate Riesling 2014
Where: Mosel, Germany. This corner of Germany is a major wine producer and enjoys an excellent reputation for its rieslings. The slate-heavy soil here is partially responsible for the crisp and mineral tasting wines. It's also one of the northernmost wine regions of the world, so you can expect wines from here to be fairly acidic. Don't worry, that's not a bad thing - a good amount of acidity can actually be good for a wine! It helps give it some structure, and it usually results in a wine that pairs well with a wider variety of food.
Appearance: Light-to-medium straw color. Definitely still a "straw" color as opposed to a "golden" color.
Aroma: Citrus, apple, that hard-to-describe (but nonetheless present) smell of wet stone.
Taste: Bright and lemony, with less of the apple than is on the nose when you smell it..and you get some peach instead. Crisp and acidic (as we suspected), medium-light body, doesn't linger super long on the palate, but doesn't go away as soon as you've swallowed, either.
Food Ideas: This is a utility player. Definitely will work well with fish, especially with (say) a lemon butter sauce...the lemon notes in the wine will go well with the lemon in the sauce, and the wine's acidity will help cut through the richness of the butter. This one is also a rock star with salmon. I'd also pair this with lighter chicken or pork dishes.
RED
Chateau Pesquie Ventoux Terrasses 2013
Yeah, don't let the name intimidate you...you don't have to be able to say it for it to be delicious. If you *do* need to pronounce it, aim for "sha-TOE pe-ski-EH ven-TOO terr-AHS." That may or may not be right, but it's close enough.
Where: The Rhone Valley (Cotes du Rhone), France. Wines labeled Cotes du Rhone or Rhine Valley are usually from the southern Rhone Valley...so start thinking French Riviera and you're at least in the ballpark, even if this is still to the north of the coast. If you like food from southern France, Italy, or Spain, this is a red that will have some of your favorite flavors going for it - earthy, herby, savory, zesty. Southern Rhone wines are usually blends from a few types of grapes; in this case, the bottle tells us that it's a Grenache/Syrah blend (70/30, to be precise). This is pretty normal; grenache is usually the main star of the show in Cotes du Rhone reds.
Appearance: Dark ruby. It's not quite opaque (I can still kinda see my fingers wiggle through the glass), but it's really deep in color.
Aroma: Cherry, plum, and some earthy herbs...the fancy term for these particular combo is "garrigue" (gahr-EEG), which is the French word describing the wild herbs that grow in the area...lots of rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender, etc.
Taste: The cherry and plum are obvious, but they've got a hint of spice to them, like they're going into a pie (but without the sugar added yet). There's a bit of acidity, but not too heavy; the wine's medium body, maybe a little on the fuller side of medium. The herbs and earth are there, too, in the background. The tannins are pretty smooth and mild (your tongue notices something kinda clinging to it, but it's not too aggressive) The taste lingers for a good while.
Food Ideas: I love just about any Cotes du Rhone with hearty, herby dishes. Try with some pork spare ribs, lamb, or even a beef roast or short ribs. This would also go well with a heavier vegetarian dish, like a tomatoey lentil stew.
RED
Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Where: Sonoma County, California. Welcome back to this side of the Atlantic, friends...California wines come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but the big difference between a California wine and an Old World wine often comes down to weather. California's fairly warm and sunny compared to most of Europe, so wines from California tend to be fruitier and riper. This isn't good or bad; it's just different. There's more to be explored in the geography here, but we'll save that.
Aroma: Blackberry, blackcurrant, hints of pipe smoke and spice. This is all common for cabernet.
Taste: CREAMY, luscious blackberry and currant - it's almost dessert-like without being sweet. Plenty of vanilla and spice, and almost silky smooth. Full-bodied and rich. It stays in your mouth for a while. The vanilla/spice flavors tell us that this was aged in oak...as does the label, which even tells us for how long. That said, the flavors are dead giveaways in any wine - if you get vanilla plus spices, it's spent time in an oak barrel.
Food Ideas: RED MEAT. I had this with a really good steak and it was awesome. You do need something with some "umph" to it on your plate, or else the wine's going to run over it...don't drink this with chicken.
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