Benchmark Wine Tasting Class: Aromatic Whites

Back in mid-January, I had the privilege to participate in a Benchmark Wine Tasting at Penn State University with the Penns Woods Winery crew. Needless to say, for a wine-nerd like me, it was an awesome experience! First of all, I got to taste approximately 30 different wines - made with different varietals and produced in different regions. But as an added bonus, it was interesting (and somewhat refreshing) to not be the biggest wine nerd in the room!

This series will discuss the wines that were tasted and provided an overview of the region and/or grape of each wine. To keep the posts (relatively) short, the series will be broken up into multiple posts, organized by the flights we tasted. First up, we tasted a flight of aromatic whites, including three Rieslings and two Gewürztraminers. I will also discuss the two Moscatos that we tasted at the end of the day, since Moscato (while sweet) is typically a highly aromatic white wine.

(Above are some of the labels we tried. These images are intended to identify the producer and not necessarily the specify wine/vintage).

So what is the definition of aromatic?

Webster's tells us that, generally, the term "aromatic" means "having a pleasant and distinctive smell." But, we know know that when it comes to wine - everything has multiple definitions. When I hear aromatic, I think white wine. I expect a strong, fruit-forward or almost floral, aroma from the wine. Officially speaking, wine professionals agree the most common winemaking techniques used in the production of "aromatic wines" include: fermentation in stainless steel or concrete and harvesting the grapes later in the harvest to yield high acidity and low alcohol wines.

So what should you look for in the wine store if you want an aromatic white? The most popular varietals include: Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Viognier. For now, our discussions will stick to a comparison of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Moscato.

Photo Source. The International Riesling Foundation (a fine foundation indeed!)

Riesling.

Call me a broken record, but Riesling has a bad rep... especially in the United States. Americans either love it or hate it, but most assume its a honeyed sugar bomb. I can not say it enough -- drop the Riesling assumptions and taste with an open mind. The blog has discussed Riesling a few times, check out the feature here, but we have yet to dedicate a full tasting to this noble grape. Before I give you my thoughts on the individual Rieslings, remember the grape's best qualities, including:

• Ability to withstand cooler climates, 
• Notably food friendly, and
• Light body and naturally high acidity.

Nimble Hill Riesling 2011

Where it's from. Pennsylvania, specifically Sugar Holland Vineyard.

My Thoughts. The room was amazed at the complexity of this Pennsylvania Riesling. I thought it was tart (in a good way), astringent and high acidity, with flavors of stone fruit and citrus.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2011

Where it's from. Columbia Valley, Washington.

My Thoughts. This wine was tart as well, but not nearly as astringent when tasted. The group thought it tasted of citrus, grapefruit and even petrol. (not sure where some get this taste from - I'm looking into it!)

S.A. Prum Kabinett Riesling 2009

Where it's from. Mosel, Germany.

My Thoughts. I think one of the reasons Americans (and wine-drinkers internationally) fear Riesling is the ever-daunting German wine label. Germans are nothing if not thorough, and so are the wine labels. So when you see "Kabinett" on the label, remember that the wine was made with late harvest grapes that can be semi-sweet or dry (trocken). When I tasted this wine, I was definitely intrigued. When I heard "Kabinett" I assumed it would be on the sweeter side - I was so wrong. It had a subtle sweet apple flavor without the overpowering honey.

Photo Source.

Gewürztraminer.

Gewürztraminer is distinguishable from Riesling because it has only moderate acidity and is full-bodied. It's primarily grown in the Alsace region of France. I notice the prominent bouquet of aromas from this grape, including: rose, passion fruit and lychee. 

Paul Buecher Gewürztraminer 2011

Where it's From. Alsace, France.

My Thoughts. This wine was awesome. It had a powerful floral aroma including rose and honeysuckle. But the taste was completely different from the aroma. It had an almost hoppy flavor, spicy up front with a mellow finish.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewürztraminer 2010

Where it's From. Columbia Valley, Washington.

My Thoughts. This wine was mild in flavor. Drinkable but nothing to write home about.

Photo Source. 

Moscato.

"Moscato" is the Italian name for the Muscat grape. It is known for making semi-sweet, lightly sparkling, and low alcohol wines

Montefiori Moscato

Where it's From. Piedmont, Italy. Moscato is most commonly grown near the northern town of Asti (hence the term Moscato D'Asti, meaning Moscato from Asti).

My Thoughts. This wine totally surprised me. As a fan of red wine and dryer reds I was expected to not enjoy this wine. But I loved it! (As did most of the room). It had a beautiful aroma of rose water, honeysuckle and lemon. It tasted similarly to it's smell and was wonderfully fresh. We compared it to Barefoot Moscato, which even given the price, was flat and less enjoyable than the Montefiori version.

All in all -- it was a great day of tasting wine! Stand by for follow up posts from this benchmark tasting series!

Cheers!

Food and Wine Pairings: Pan Roasted Barbecue Chicken

Hey there friends! As promised, I am expanding the blog to include posts on more than just wine exclusively. Don't worry wine-nerds, I won't be skimping on the wine discussions! 

Today, I will be sharing one of my other passions with you -- cooking -- via a discussion on food and wine pairings. Before I share my tips on food and wine pairings via this delicious recipe, it is important to share my cooking philosophy. As a foodie, I definitely focus on flavor and aspire to recreate those delicious restaurant dishes at home. But as a realist, I know this is frequently impossible. So when cooking at home, I have three main goals: great flavor, fast clean-up and budget friendly. 

Food and Wine Matching Basics.

When it comes to food and wine pairings, I really live by only one rule - if it tastes good to you, then it is a spot on food and wine pairing! Seriously - I think too many wine writers over-complicate the process of pairing food with wine.

However, there are a few tips that can take a food and wine pairing from good to spectacular.  First, when you choose a glass of wine to drink, consider what type of food you may be ordering. Whether the main meal is light or heavy, made with a certain sauce or prepared in a particular way will impact what type of wine will match best.

Pan Roasted Barbecue Chicken, Rice and Green Beans.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast
• 1 Yellow Onion
• Barbecue Sauce (I went with a sweet and tangy style)
• Siracha Red Chile Sauce
• Olive Oil
• 3-4 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt (Plain)
• Brown Rice & Side Vegetable of Your Choice (I went with Green Beans)

Pairing Key: Roasted chicken is a great place to start with food and wine pairings, the chicken acts as a "blank canvas" that pairs well with a variety of wines. However, the key element of this dish was the Siracha Yogurt Sauce (pictured above on top right side of plate). It is so simple - yet so delicious. Start with a few tablespoons of Greek Yogurt. Add Siracha to taste. I went with approximately 1 part Siracha to 2 parts Greek Yogurt (but I love spicy so beware). The sauce gives the dish some kick, so when looking for a wine to pairing with it - I wanted something with a touch of sweetness to balance the spice. I paired it with the 2012 Traminette from Penns Woods Winery.

Penns Woods Traminette 2012.

Yes - shameless plug for Penns Woods Winery (since I work in the tasting room there). Well, it would be shameless if the wines weren't so delicious. Traminette is a hybrid grape, part gewurtraminer, so it has a complex nose - smelling of honey and lemon. The taste has some sweetness but a clean, mineral finish. I chose it because I thought the crispness would pair will with the sweet spicy-ness of the Siracha and bbq sauces.

And with that, I will wrap this first recipe post with a warning that every wine-loving home cook should appreciate.

Cheers!

Dessert Wines 101

So much for those resolutions to eat better, work out more and lose weight. Why? - because the lovely ladies and gents of The Enthusiasts! an NYC Wine Tasting Club have chosen a truly decadent topic for this month's tasting - Dessert Wines!

Photo Source. Creme Brulee is by far my favorite dessert!

Personally, when it comes to dessert wines - I am typically NOT a fan. Seems weird, I love dessert and have a serious sweet tooth. My first experience with sweet wines was an Eiswein tasting in Heidelberg, Germany. Then, (age the grand old age of 18) I remember thinking the wine was sweet but delicious. However, a few years later, at a food and pairing event (where I had a white dessert wine paired with cheesecake) I was turned off to dessert wines because the pairing was way too sweet. And last month, when I sampled the Lacrima Dolce from Penns Woods Winery, my appreciation for dessert wines was revived! I am officially a fan!

Full disclosure: I work in the tasting room at Penns Woods Winery (and it's kind of the best job ever!). But, I aim to be upfront about my affiliations and remain unbiased when discussing wines I have tasted here (fun fact - it's actually the law). All disclosures aside, the Lacrima Dolce really did change my perspective on wine - it's merlot based and has ripe cherry flavors with a chocolate and cinnamon finish. I would have gladly had just that wine as the perfect finish to any meal. So even,  if you're not the biggest fan of dessert wines you will keep tasting and maybe there will be a game changer for you out there!

Photo Source. 

Now before you rush to the store to pick up a few bottles of sweet wine, it is important to understand the different types: late harvest, noble rot wines, raisin wines, and fortified wines.

Late Harvest Wines.  Typically, when wine is made, the majority of the natural sugar found in the grapes is consumed by the yeast during fermentation and yields the production of alcohol. So it actually takes a bit of effort to reach the increased sugar levels found in most dessert wines. When reading about dessert wines you may see the term chaptalization**, or the process of adding sugar before fermentation. Many winemakers today consider this cheating and it is an unpopular winemaking technique, especially among higher end producers. Thus, some sweeter wines are made from "late harvest" grapes, or grapes left on the vine as long as possible to increase their natural sugar content. This style of wine is commonly made in Germany, Austria and the Alsace region of France with Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Chenin Blanc grapes. Be sure to check the label, for "late harvest," vendange tardive (French: "late harvest"), spätlese (German: "late harvest") or auslese ("select harvest," even later) - these are the sweeter styles.

Photo Source.  Ew, noble rot!

Noble Rot Wines.  Or 'botrytis cinerea' (if we want to get super nerdy), is a beneficial form of fungus that concentrates the sugar content of the grapes. This process is typically used with white grapes because red grapes become too unstable under noble rot. Also, be prepared to pay more for these sweet styles because this process is very expensive - many of the grapes are unusable so it takes many more grapes per bottle. Some of the best examples are made in Sauternes, Barsac from Bordeaux and Centraol Loire Valley. In Germany, look for "beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslese" or even look to Hungary. The grapes used in each region vary.

Raisin Wines and Eiswein.  Both of these styles involve a process that dehydrates the grapes resulting in wines with high residual sugar. Making wine from raisins is actually one of the oldest methods of making sweet wines. Similarly, eiswein is made from grapes that are exposed to cold temperatures and frozen. 

Fortified Wines.  This is the process of adding alcohol during the winemaking process, either during fermentation or after fermentation has been completed. Common styles include: Port, (made in Douro, Portugal) which is infused with brandy-like yeast or Sherry, (made in Jerez, Spain) which isn't necessarily a sweet style, and even vermouth.  

Regardless of what method is used, expect to pay a bit more for quality dessert wines. It may seem like a splurge, given the smaller size of the bottles, but you are paying for the the extra production costs. If you are looking for values, check out wine made from Moscato or "Late Harvest" Riesling as these styles have higher residual sugars.

Cheers!

**Correction, this term was previously misspelled as "chapitalization" and has since been corrected.