Category Archives: Riesling
Latah Creek Riesling & More
The month of April has been quite a busy one for me, unfortunately I’ve been mostly busy with things keeping me
2009 Latah Creek Riesling
away from blogging. However, on a more positive note I think that Spring may have finally sprung, and the best way to celebrate the arrival of spring is by drinking some good wines. There is nothing like relaxing on the porch with a nice refreshing glass of wine, especially in the warm weather. About a week ago with temperatures pushing 80 degrees, I thought a Riesling would be nice, so I tried a 2009 by Latah Creek. Latah Creek is a winery located in Spokane WA, and just recently celebrated 30 years in the business. They have quite a lineup of wines, which includes a Huckleberry Riesling, and they are also known for producing some great Merlot. This Riesling was clear in color with a hint of pale green to it. On the nose I got aromas of honey and apricots, and it had nice acidity on the finish, with hints of tropical fruit along with just a touch of sweetness. It really was the perfect glass of wine for a hot day. Also, at $8 retail it was a fantastic deal for the price.
Another wine I recently tried was a 2009 Viura from Rioja, Spain. Viura, also known as Macabeo, is one of the most widely planted white wine grapes in Rioja. Aside from on its own, you can find Viura blended with Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia in White Riojas. This particular bottle called Vetiver was 100% Viura and produced by Bodegas Ontanon. This wine was a clear pale yellow in color, and had hints of tropical fruit and toasty oak on the nose. It was smooth on the palate with mellow acids and a creamy finish. This was aged in oak for 6 months, and the oak definitely stood out, but overall it was a refreshing wine, and also would be good on a hot day.
I also tried a red wine just recently that seemed to be good for the arrival of Spring. This was a 2009 Col Di Sasso, produced by Banfi.
2009 Banfi Col Di Sasso
Col Di Sasso which is Italian for “Stony Hill”, is from the Tuscany region of Italy and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. This was a very pleasant wine, and it had a bright ruby red color, with a nice earthy leathery nose with light fruit. It had a nice smooth finish with good acids and tannins with a hint of ripe red cherry. This was a perfect companion witthe grilled tri-tip steak that I had with it.
So if you haven’t yet, make sure you break out some of your favorite wines and celebrate the arrival of Spring!
Cheers,
Seth
Riesling from the Nahe
Well it has been a pretty busy last few weeks, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to blog much, but I have of course
2005 R Fusion Riesling
been able to sample a few good wines. This past Easter weekend I tried an excellent Riesling that was produced in the Nahe region of Germany. This is a smaller wine producing region known for producing high quality Riesling and is located in Southwestern Germany, between the Rheinhessen and Mittelrhein regions. There are around 12,000 planted acres of grapes, which include Riesling, Muller Thurgau, and Sylvaner. Most of The vineyards are found around the banks of the Nahe River, which is a tributary of the Rhine. There are some diverse soil types found here such as limestone, loess, and sandstone. On the sandstone is where the finest Riesling vines are grown. Wines from this region are quite unique in aroma and flavor, and this particular Riesling definitely was unique. This was a 2005 R Fusion, and it was quite a nice bottle. This wine had a nice pale, light green color, and on the nose a very pronounced hint of petrol along with honey and ripe apricot. Along with smooth acidity it yielded a nice crisp finish with a lingering taste of apricot. I thought it was a
great glass of wine, and it paired nicely with the relaxing afternoon. This wine also went quite well with ham, and I’m sure it would pair well with similar meals. So if you are in the mood for a Riesling, think about trying out R Fusion if you happen to stumble upon a bottle, it will definitely be worth the effort.
Cheers,
Seth
psychedelic grape 