Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION May 4th, 2006 White Pinots! *************************************************************************************** RETAILERS WHO SUPPORT THIS COLUMN AND HAVE HAD THIS LIST OF WINES IN ADVANCE. Corner Wine & Art, 1402 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306 -- 404-875-8810 Home Town Wine & Spirits, 4856 Hog Mountain Rd, Flowery Branch, GA --770-965-6058 The Colors of Wine, 2355 Cumberland Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 -- 770-432-2828 Sigman Bottle Shop, 425 Sigman Road - Conyers, GA 30012 -- 770-929-8797 Shiraz, 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 400, Athens, GA 30601 -- 706-208-0010 Windward Beverage, 12915 Hwy 9, Alpharetta, GA 30004 -- 678-566-3301 IS YOUR WINE SHOP NOT LISTED HERE? HAVE THEM CALL 770-668-0435 *************************************************************************************** Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco 2004 Alto Adige, Italy Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Clean, fresh scent of almond and white peach, with steely, crisp, mineral-rich white stone fruit flavors, etched with a touch of lime. Refreshing, with lively acidity. Very long finish, clean resolution, leaving the palate singularly refreshed. Touch of almond in the close. Delicious work at a great price. Stainless steel. Well-chilled, about 50 degrees. Creamy goat cheese (with or without fresh herbs); crab/lobster dip; grilled scallops or shrimp with rémoulade sauce (but not heat spicy); tarragon chicken salad with almonds; shrimp or scallops on grits with garlic cream gravy; chicken breast in whole mustard cream sauce; calamari with lemon aioli, veal scaloppini with lemon Quality Wine & Spirits $14 90 ************************************************************************************* Pighin Pinot Grigio 2004 Grave del Friuli, Italy Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Intense aromas of white stone fruit, a floral note, and a suggestion of warm stone (minerals!), and mineral-rich white fruit flavors. Long finish is clean and slightly tannic. This is classic Friuli Pinot Grigio, crisp, with good acidity, pure flavors, and a silky texture. Mid-palate fairly bursts with flavor. Stainless steel. Great value. Chilled, about 55 degrees Everything short of steak. An aperitif with classic French onion dip and chips; warm crab/lobster dip; herbed fresh cheeses, grilled garlic shrimp. Also pasta with herbed cream sauces; grilled scallops with garlic aïoli; creamy dishes with white poultry, fish or veal; baked halibut with garlic; baked crab-stuffed tilapia, flounder or shrimp; whole baked Dover sole; grilled herb-stuffed trout National Distributing Co. $15 90 ************************************************************************************* Domaine Marcel Deiss "Bergheim" Pinot Blanc 2001 Bergheim, Alsace, France Full-bodied slightly off-dry white wine; medium deep gold. Exotic aromas of honeysuckle and tropical fruits. Suggestion of honey (taste not sweetness). Pleasing, distinctive fruit flavors, with hints of ginger and quince. Crisp, fruit-filled finish. Interesting to taste one of these with some age on it, as it brings about an exotic evolution of flavors. Slightly chilled, about 60 degrees in tall tulip-shaped glasses. Winery is committed to environmentally friendly agricultural processes-so no herbicides, for instance. Creamy crab/lobster dip with crackers; lentil salad with orange and sweet onion (especially good), poached or baked salmon, nice with smoked salmon too; rich chicken pot pit, crab-filled creamy fish (such as tilapia); mild Thai seafood and chicken dishes, butternut squash ravioli with olive oil and garlic sauce, chicken, rabbit or pork tenderloin with whole-grain mustard cream sauce Grape Expectations $19 92 ************************************************************************************* Hering Pinot Gris 2004 Alsace, France Medium-bodied dry white wine; pale greenish yellow. Gentle aromas suggest slight caraway note and minerality, while flavors focus on classic white stone fruit, touch of the taste of honey, and minerals galore. Long, rich, acid-backed finish takes its time on the palate. Totally at home with food. Classically styled. Moderately chilled, about 55 degrees, in tulip-shaped glasses. Wide range of food companionability: Scallops wrapped in bacon, grilled, with mustard-mayonnaise; poached chicken breast with trace of curried mayonnaise on a bed of greens; Caesar chicken salad; grilled chicken apple sausage; chicken or shrimp tarragon; lemon Pommery shrimp; crab and crab cakes; grilled or poached salmon Grape Expectations $21 93 ************************************************************************************* Etude Pinot Gris 2004 Carneros, CA Full-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Awesome aromas of white stone fruits, with a whiff of warm stone on a hot day. Flavors focus on the same white stone fruit (white peach) character, with minerality like crazy setting it apart from the crowd. Not a shred of oak. All stainless steel fermentation. Owes much to the Alsace, but with a decided California exuberance. The finish doesn't know how to quit. Wonderful! Serve moderately chilled, about 55 degrees. The 2005 will be released in June. Can handle exotic flavors, such as sweet (not hot) curries, from Indian biryani to classic curried chicken salad with minced apple and celery. Also try with Malaysian curries, which are sweeter rather than wicked hot. Chicken with lemon and olives, grilled chicken apple sausages; lemon Pommery shrimp, grilled scallops with honey mustard, classic Southern fried chicken or catfish. United Distributors $24 93 ************************************************************************************* King Estate Signature Vin Glacé 2004 Oregon Full-bodied sweet white wine; medium golden straw. Floral, .spice, sweet fruit aromas introduce flavors focused on ripe apricot/peach, with suggestions of honey (its taste rather than its sweetness), orange zest and pineapple. Complex, with good acidity prolonging the flavors on the palate. Concentrated flavors with a silky, viscous texture. Residual sugar 14%, balanced against superior acidity (.91). Grape type: Pinot Gris. Serve chilled, about 50 degrees, in small tulip-shaped glasses. Certified organic vineyards. Not too sweet desserts, such as simple lime sugar cookies; orange almond tarts, English almond tarts, custard tarts,, sautéed pears with creamy blue cheese; panna cotta with fresh fruit; poached chilled peaches with crème anglaise. National Distributing Company $24/375 ml. bottle 90