Cooking
In the previous three Wine Blogging Wednesdays—the monthly wine blogging event concocted by Lenn—the hosts selected themes of New World Merlot from outside the U.S., Spanish Reds, and most recently Australian Shiraz. Enough with the reds already! On the heels of IMBB 9, I find I am the host of Wine Blogging Wednesday 4, and I brazenly offer a white wine theme: New World Riesling. Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible says of Riesling, "[it] is considered by many wine experts to be the most noble and unique white grape variety in the world." But Ed Behr gave the flip side of this in The Art of Eating (issue 64) by pointing out that "the classic wine grape that is the most adaptable with food, Riesling, isn't popular outside the areas that specialize in growing it." Those areas are Alsace, Germany, and Austria, but my question to you, the Internet's wine lovers, is whether anyone in the New World (i.e., outside of Europe) makes great Riesling. The grape, which sometimes goes by the names Johannisberg Riesling or Rhine Riesling, is grown throughout the world. Karen MacNeil lists these New World regions as significant producers: Australia, California, New York State (WBW's founder Lenn should have an easy time with this theme), New Zealand, South Africa, Virginia, and Washington State. She leaves out Canada, which also produces some, most of it as that most delectable of dessert wines, ice wine. In fact, many of the regions that produce dry rieslings also produce dessert versions, for those who like them (I certainly do). The rules are simple: between now and December 1, find a bottle of New World Riesling (or one of its synonyms) and taste the wine, and then write about it on December 1. Spend as much or as little as you'd like. We'd love a picture of the label, and your thoughts about the wine, and even some information about what you ate with it. Think you're a wine novice? Nonsense. I don't care what Robert Parker thinks of these wines, I want to know what you think. Don't be shy. Send me a link to your write-up by e-mail or by leaving a comment in this entry or mine for that day. The day after, I'll do a synopsis of all the wines you've found. You certainly don't have to be a food or wine blogger, and you don't even have to have a blog: if you send me email with your description, I'll host it here.
- Lenn's New York Wine Club
Originally uploaded by Lenn Thompson. New York's wine regions have received good press, but it can be difficult to find the wines outside that state. Our friend Lenn, who champions the Empire State's wine regions in print and from his blog...
- Wtn: 2005 Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York State
I have a back-burner plan to tour New York's Finger Lakes region. I want to visit the closest thing I have to a holy place, and I want to taste an abundance of what many critics consider America's best Riesling. The state's deep lakes, scratched...
- Wtn: 2001 Zlati Grich Estate Laszki Rizling Ice Wine, Slovenia
Ice wine is something that shouldn't exist. The description alone—wine made from the juice of frozen grapes—suggests a topsy-turvy world. Look at the pictures. Pickers tromp through snowy vineyards at dawn in late December. They are...
- Wbw 4: The Round-up
Ugh! Yeah! That pretty much sums up the reactions to my Wine Blogging Wednesday theme of New World Riesling. Some participants kept an open mind, but people in general feel strongly about this grape and its expressions in the New World. Some described...
- Wine Blogging Wednesday 4: New World Riesling (rowson/beckman)
Scott Rowson and Phil Beckman took me up on my offer to host tasting notes from the blogless for Wine Blogging Wednesday. They tasted four wines, including an Alsatian one as a control. They even included a Maryland Riesling. I interspersed their photos...
Cooking
WBW 4: New World Riesling
In the previous three Wine Blogging Wednesdays—the monthly wine blogging event concocted by Lenn—the hosts selected themes of New World Merlot from outside the U.S., Spanish Reds, and most recently Australian Shiraz. Enough with the reds already! On the heels of IMBB 9, I find I am the host of Wine Blogging Wednesday 4, and I brazenly offer a white wine theme: New World Riesling. Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible says of Riesling, "[it] is considered by many wine experts to be the most noble and unique white grape variety in the world." But Ed Behr gave the flip side of this in The Art of Eating (issue 64) by pointing out that "the classic wine grape that is the most adaptable with food, Riesling, isn't popular outside the areas that specialize in growing it." Those areas are Alsace, Germany, and Austria, but my question to you, the Internet's wine lovers, is whether anyone in the New World (i.e., outside of Europe) makes great Riesling. The grape, which sometimes goes by the names Johannisberg Riesling or Rhine Riesling, is grown throughout the world. Karen MacNeil lists these New World regions as significant producers: Australia, California, New York State (WBW's founder Lenn should have an easy time with this theme), New Zealand, South Africa, Virginia, and Washington State. She leaves out Canada, which also produces some, most of it as that most delectable of dessert wines, ice wine. In fact, many of the regions that produce dry rieslings also produce dessert versions, for those who like them (I certainly do). The rules are simple: between now and December 1, find a bottle of New World Riesling (or one of its synonyms) and taste the wine, and then write about it on December 1. Spend as much or as little as you'd like. We'd love a picture of the label, and your thoughts about the wine, and even some information about what you ate with it. Think you're a wine novice? Nonsense. I don't care what Robert Parker thinks of these wines, I want to know what you think. Don't be shy. Send me a link to your write-up by e-mail or by leaving a comment in this entry or mine for that day. The day after, I'll do a synopsis of all the wines you've found. You certainly don't have to be a food or wine blogger, and you don't even have to have a blog: if you send me email with your description, I'll host it here.
- Lenn's New York Wine Club
Originally uploaded by Lenn Thompson. New York's wine regions have received good press, but it can be difficult to find the wines outside that state. Our friend Lenn, who champions the Empire State's wine regions in print and from his blog...
- Wtn: 2005 Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York State
I have a back-burner plan to tour New York's Finger Lakes region. I want to visit the closest thing I have to a holy place, and I want to taste an abundance of what many critics consider America's best Riesling. The state's deep lakes, scratched...
- Wtn: 2001 Zlati Grich Estate Laszki Rizling Ice Wine, Slovenia
Ice wine is something that shouldn't exist. The description alone—wine made from the juice of frozen grapes—suggests a topsy-turvy world. Look at the pictures. Pickers tromp through snowy vineyards at dawn in late December. They are...
- Wbw 4: The Round-up
Ugh! Yeah! That pretty much sums up the reactions to my Wine Blogging Wednesday theme of New World Riesling. Some participants kept an open mind, but people in general feel strongly about this grape and its expressions in the New World. Some described...
- Wine Blogging Wednesday 4: New World Riesling (rowson/beckman)
Scott Rowson and Phil Beckman took me up on my offer to host tasting notes from the blogless for Wine Blogging Wednesday. They tasted four wines, including an Alsatian one as a control. They even included a Maryland Riesling. I interspersed their photos...