Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION July 27, 2006 A World of Rieslings *************************************************************************************** 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 *************************************************************************************** Jekel Riesling 2004 Monterey, CA Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium gold. Classic but not overwhelming diesel-y aromas that can attend Riesling as it ages; some like it while others don't. Flavors focus on pear and melon, Long, crisp finish. An elegant style, with a pleasing juiciness and attractive flavors. Great value. Squash bisque; potato salad with minced celery/onion and chopped egg; chicken slow cooked on a bed or caramelized (Vidalia!) onions; grilled scallops or shrimp with a Dijon mustard mayonnaise; seafood or fish cooked in parchment paper with ginger-soy-sake seasoning; roast lemon thyme turkey breast Empire Distributing $13 88 ************************************************************************************* J.B. Adam Riesling Reserve 2004 Alsace, France Medium-bodied technically dry (just .3 RS) white wine; medium greenish straw. Aromatic tart green apple scent, with flavors that integrate green apple and pear. Slight paachiness. A classic. Moderate acidity and alcohol. An ideal combination of sweet fruit and a dry finish. Totally tasty work. Ceviche of salmon with cucumber and cilatnro, citrus juices; good potato chips and French onion dip (surprising!); mild curry chicken salad; seafood, pork or chicken with ginger and citrus, Chinese fare of all kinds if not spicy, from egg foo yung to chicken and seafood dishes; seafood cooked in parchment paper with ginger, soy, and exotic seasonings; grilled shrimp or scallops with spicy Rémoulade. The winery suggests it with traditional Alsace choucrout (sauerkraut) garni, but we'll wait for cooler weather to try that pairing, although it likely should work. Grapefields $14 90 ************************************************************************************* Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Riesling 2005 Columbia Valley, Washington Medium-bodied off-dry white wine; medium gold. Sweet aromas of crushed ripe white fruits, pear and melon; delicious, juicy, sweet pear/melon flavors. Sweet but not cloying. Good acidity, yielding long crisp finish. Suggestions of aromatic brown spices and mandarin orange. Complex and compelling. Very tasty work. Grapes come from Indian Wells Vineyard and others within eastern Washington's Wahluke Slope, one of the driest and warmest zones in the state. The warmth enables the tropical fruit flavors in the wine. Exotic flavors: Light curried (not hot) chicken or tofu salad or cooked chicken dishes with curry, such as Country Captain; grilled chicken apple sausage; poached or soft smoked salmon fillet; grilled chicken salad with yellow fruits, light curry-flavored dressing; pork tenderloin with baked apples stuffed with sweet potato; sweet potato-or pumpkin-stuffed ravioli. United Distributors $18 89 ************************************************************************************* Lalla Gully Riesling 2005 Tasmania, Australia Medium-bodied dry (.25 RS) white wine; medium greenish straw. Delicate just slightly diesel-y fruit aromas, emphasis lime, juicy but delicate white peach flavors with a hint of lime zest. Crisp acidity, and a long, vibrant, dry finish. Good minerality. Pipers River region of northeast Tasmania. As they say in Australia, "a nice drop." Reserve for delicate flavors: Good lightly salted potato chips and French onion dip; cocktail-size potatoes stuffed with herbs and sour cream; crab cakes; ceviche of salmon with minced cucumber and citrus juices; lightly smoked breast of chicken; baked mildly flavored fish (flounder, sole, tilapia); Winery suggests raw oysters with a squeeze of lime. Empire Distributing 88 $20 ************************************************************************************* Trefethen Dry Riesling 2005 Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, CA Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Initial slightly diesel-y aromas wave off to be replaced by delicate floral, citrus, white peach scents, ginger that introduce a citrus/slightly white peach-y palate, finishing with crisp tart apple. Elegant, refined, yet with juicy fruit flavors that sweep the palate with a x range of fruits. Less than 1 gram residual sugar per 100 ml, with good acidity (.81) and a wicked low ph (2.84). So the palate reads this as a dry wine. Supremely delicious. A wide range of foods: Classic potato salad; dill-cured salmon with yogurt dill sauce, crab cakes or fritters; fish or shellfish steamed in parchment paper with Asian seasonings; white-vinegar-dressed Vietnamese salads with green papaya, green mango, apple and chopped peanuts, pad Thai or other Asian noodle dishes (but not hot), mild curried fish or chicken dishes, grilled pork steak with apple chutney Atlanta Wholesale Wine $18 93 ************************************************************************************* Persimmon Creek Riesling 2005 Georgia Light-bodied dry white wine; very pale greenish straw. Delicate aromas of white flowers, with pears and a slight hint of sweet hay. Flavors \suggest white stone fruit, with a slight suggestion of orange. Clean, long finish, tart, like taking a bite out of a good apple. Less than 1 gram RS, and low ph, 3.1. These are young vines planted in a cool spot at about 2,000 feet above sea level. If this is what it does when these vines are young, think what the wine will be like in a few years!!! A family operation, owned by Sonny and Mary Ann Hardman (he's a pathologist) and their three young sons. Placed at numerous fine Atlanta restaurants. Cured salmon with dill/yogurt sauce; grilled trout; crab cakes; seafood salad; soft-shell crab; cold shrimp with lemon and whole-grain Pommery mustard; Thai-style green papaya; mango, apple salad with peanuts; cold Asian noodle salads; poched or parchment paper-cooked fish with Asian seasonings; baked halibut or sole meuniere; grilled scallops; lemon thyme-rubbed breast of turkey, roasted Persimmon Creek $19 88