What’s Hot
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have become yesterday’s news and Malbec and Riesling have replaced them as the most popular wines. There are several reasons. For one thing, wine drinkers are becoming more knowledgeable about wine. Newspapers have food and wine sections, and websites – like Twisting Vines, offer wine reviews and suggestions for food pairings. When you go to buy a wine to go with dinner, you have some idea what to expect before you make that choice.

Also, in the past couple of years wine prices have fallen, allowing us to be a little  adventurous and try new wines that were previously just out of our price range.

Of course, not to be overlooked is the fact that wines just keep getting better as winemakers become more knowledgeable about growing the best fruit and improving their winemaking techniques.

White
Riesling has recently become the most popular white wine with sales worldwide continuing to increase. What’s not to like about this versatile wine? It can be dry or sweet and it’s food friendly or great all by itself.

The grand dame of white wines, Chardonnay,has lost it’s luster and sales, worldwide, have been dropping. It seems the top selling California white wine is now associated with baby boomers, so it has the image of a geezer image. Too bad, because California Chardonnays have only gotten better as they’ve gotten away from the heavy oak and now produce wines with complexity and style.

The west coast of the US has some serious contenders for great Rieslings coming from Oregon and Washington State. The fruit is excellent and the winemakers are tops in their field. Because US Riesling growers don’t have to contend with steep hillsides, harvesting the grapes is much easier which keeps the prices lower than many German or Alsace imports.

2008 Chateau St Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling
Okay, I’ve reviewed this wine before but I have to tell you, each year’s vintage is better than the last. Last week I served this with chicken and noodles – a match made in heaven. I also like to have a glass while I’m cooking.

A beautiful straw color with aromas of pears and peaches, with hints of honey and citrus. Flavors of peaches, citrus and pears with hints of mineral and tea. Crisp and light-bodied. Slightly sweet but still on the dry side. Complex flavors evolve in the glass. Get an extra bottle to have on hand. $18 at K & L.

Red
Malbec from Argentina is becoming the darling of the red set. A less expensive alternative to Cabernet Sauvigon, in the past year everyone I know is talking about Malbec. Friends are serving it at home and it’s even appearing on the menu in family style restaurants. A good California Cabernet Sauvignon under $40 is not easy to find, but it’s pretty easy to find a very good Malbec under $20. Because production costs for wine in South America are considerably less than here in the US, we can enjoy a perfect wine paired with our favorite grilled rib eye steak.

Susana Balbo Mendoza Signature 2007
Medium ruby color. Aromas of dark berries, licorice and oak. Flavors of dark cherries, plum with hints of vanilla, cocoa and oak. Full-bodied, good tannins with a long, fruity finish. Open 45 minutes before serving.
$20 at Hi-Time Wine Cellar in Costa Mesa

A Crazy Year for Wine
Just like California and Oregon, the Washington State wine grape harvest has been delayed – by about 2 weeks. The harvest reports that have come in are all very positive. The cooler temps, and longer time on the vine have made for very flavorful fruit.

While California growers worried about getting the grapes in before the start of the rainy season, Washington State growers were concerned with an early frost. All along the coast, the pickers have been working feverishly to complete the harvest in record time. It looks like their hard work is going to pay off.

Meanwhile in Italy, winemakers aren’t smiling. The combination of extended heat waves and severe hail storms in the Barolo region, the weather has taken it’s toll on the vines. Instead of a late harvest, Italy had to begin their harvest several weeks early – the earliest in 30 years. The warm weather in March and April caused vines to germinate two weeks in advance of “normal” years and the continuing high temperatures caused vines to flower 20 days earlier than usual. Hopefully, next year will be better for Italy.

Brian Carter Cellars 2007 Byzance, Columbia Valley
Brian Carter is a blend master. His Byzance was a double gold medal winner at this year’s Washington State Wine Competition. The 2007 Byzance is a crafted blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes. Deep Garnet color. Aromas of dried cherries, flowers, white pepper and spice. Flavors of blackberry and dark cherry with a hint of spice and vanilla. Well balanced with a smooth finish. This wine goes great with grilled lamb chops – see recipe. Still available from the winery. $30

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Columbia Valley Riesling
This Washington wine favorite is widely available but becomes harder to find as we get into the hot days of summer, so grab a few extra bottles because you will enjoy it with most of your warm-weather meals.

Pale straw color. Aromas of peach and apricot with a hint of citrus and honey. Flavors of pear and apricot with the tiniest hint of sweetness. Dry, crisp and refreshing with a clean finish. This is an incredibly versatile food wine that goes well with scallops – grilled or pan fried. A great buy under $8!

Riesling
Riesling is the most food compatible wine in the world. Because of it’s relatively low alcohol content, fruity acidity and a range of dryness levels, it goes well with a variety of foods. It’s also the fastest growing white wine in the U.S. in terms of sales. Washington State’s Chateau Ste. Michelle, is the largest Riesling producer in the country.

Up until now, unless you’ve tried the wine or heard about it, there was no way to know if the bottle of riesling you were buying would be too sweet or too dry. No more guessing! The International Riesling Foundation has come up with a “Riesling Taste Profile” to be used on the back label of the bottle. The simple chart will help the wine buyer find the style of riesling he/she is looking for:

This spring, Chateau Ste. Michelle will feature the “Riesling Taste Profile” scale on two of it’s new releases: the 
2008 Winemaker’s Cabinet Riesling and the 2008 Waussie Riesling.

Dry riesling pairs well with creamy or fatty cheeses like Brie or Munster or salty cheeses like Gruyere or Asiago. The acid in the wine cuts through the fattiness or the creamy cheeses and sets off the saltiness of the saltier cheeses. Chicken and riesling is a no-brainer.

Here’s a tasty recipe for Chicken with Riesling that is easy to prepare and tastes great the next day:

Chicken with Riesling
8 chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 shallots, chopped
3 Tbsp cognac
3 cups dry riesling wine
12 sprigs flat leaf parsley
2 small bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
A pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
Juice of one lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup crème fraîche
Finely chopped parsley for garnish

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp butter in a heavy wide Dutch oven or braising pot. When hot, place the chicken pieces in the pot. Brown the chicken on all sides, turning with tongs from time to time.

Lower the heat, and add the chopped shallots and cook for another 2 minutes or so.

Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Pour in the cognac, return to the cooktop, and flame it. When the flame dies, stir in the wine, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, and nutmeg. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low; simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the chicken is nearly cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in a wide fry pan, and sauté mushrooms for several minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mushrooms are tender. Add the lemon juice and set aside. 

When the chicken has cooked 20 minutes, add the mushrooms to the chicken, along with any accumulated mushroom juices.

Continue to cook the chicken for another 10 minutes and then remove the chicken pieces to a deep heated platter. Cover loosely with foil and hold in a warm place while you finish the sauce.

Finish the sauce: turn up the heat and reduce the braising liquid to about 1½ cups; it can take several minutes for the excess to boil off. Once reduced, remove the bay leaf, parsley, and thyme sprigs, and then reduce the heat to low.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the crème fraîche, and then add to the reduced sauce. Heat the sauce gently for a minute or so, whisking often to avoid curdling, and to encourage thickening. If any juices have accumulated under the chicken, add it to the sauce.

Remove from the heat, and correct for salt and pepper seasoning. 

Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken pieces, sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley, and serve with buttered noodles, spaetzle, or mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 — 6 servings

Columbia Crest tops Wine Spectator’s Top 100
By Alex Saliby – Redmond Wine Examiner
The newest list of the top 100 wines  from Wine Spectator magazine is available in the newest issue, but for those of you who are Washington wine fans and don’t subscribe to the magazine,  here’s a sneak peak at the winners from WA state. The number on the left represents the place within the 100 list where the wine finished.

1. Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon CV Reserve 2005 95pts $27
26. Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Valley Cailloux Vineyard 2006 95pts $65
33. Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2006 92pts $25
36. Efeste Syrah Red Mountain Ceidleigh 2006 93pts $29
38. Ch Ste. Michelle Cabernet HHH Canoe Ridge Estate 2006 92pts $28
60. Spring Valley Uriah Walla Walla Valley 2006 93pts $50
66. Barnard Griffin Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 90pts $8
72. The Magnificent Wine Company Syrah Columbia Valley 2006 91pts $20
74. Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon CV Reserve 2006 91pts $22

Wow, # 1 on the list this year is a Washington State wine from Columbia Crest!  Well done!

Of course, you had to have been paying attention to your palate in the fall of 2008 when the wine was released, if you were ever to get your hands on a bottle or more of the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cab Sauv…it’s been sold out at the winery literally the month after the Wine Spectator awarded the wine a 95 pt score.  (Those of you who might have forgotten, let me remind you, scores of 95 pts or higher are deemed “World Class Premium” products.)

Good luck searching the shops in and around your neighborhood to find some of these gems.

The Ideal Wine for Food
“In many ways, Riesling is an ideal white wine. It is flavorful–a characteristic that, despite bland Pinot Grigio’s popularity, seems to be a key consideration for mainstream wine drinkers. It is generally not bone dry, just like all those popular, mass-market Chardonnays, and it is delicious with very flavorful foods. It’s fruity, easy to drink and typically has relatively low alcohol content.

We have always loved good Riesling, and we applaud the efforts of sommeliers to entice American wine drinkers by offering Riesling by the glass. Promoting Riesling has seemed to us an uphill battle, however. Riesling, even more than rose wines, suffers from an image of being “too sweet” and therefore the opposite of chic. And yet–statistics don’t lie–Riesling is on the move.” Ted Baseler, chief executive of Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle winery

According to Lynne Char Bennett of the San Francisco Chronicle, “west coast vintners have discovered that this aromatic white is suited to Northern California’s Monterey County and to Washington state’s Columbia Valley. Good domestic Riesling is available for less than $15 a bottle – a bargain when you consider its flexibility at the dinner table.”

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling ($10): When this off-dry Riesling was first produced in 1972, it was labeled Johannisberg Riesling. Consistent, easy drinking and value-priced, with plenty of fruit, including green melon, cantaloupe and citrus; seamless acidity, pink grapefruit on the finish.

2008 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Riesling ($14): Fess Parker’s son, winemaker Eli, and head winemaker Blair Fox now oversee about 700 vineyard acres in Santa Barbara County. Tropical fruit, pineapple and lime; fresh, clean aromas and flavors; weightier body with a fruity, moderately sweet finish.

2008 Firestone Vineyard Central Coast Riesling ($11): In 2007, Bill Foley’s Foley Family Wines purchased Firestone, which was founded more than three decades ago in Santa Ynez Valley by Leonard Firestone and his son, Brooks. This bottling treads a bit on the ripe side; very aromatic and lush with lemon compote, stone fruit and ruby-red grapefruit.

2008 Jekel Vineyards Monterey Riesling ($12): Pear, pineapple and ripe tropical aromas merge on the medium-bodied palate that is not quite as lively as the nose, but will do well by mildly spiced foods. Includes a tiny bit of Muscat.

2008 Maddalena Monterey Riesling ($14): The San Antonio Winery is the last producing winery in Los Angeles. Established in 1917 by the Riboli family, the winery also produces wine from Paso Robles and Rutherford fruit. Lovely aromas and flavors of pear, apple and stone fruit; clean and fresh. This well-balanced off-dry wine is perfect with Asian food.

Eroica Riesling
Last week, Ernst Loosen (of his eponymous Mosel winery) and Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste. Michelle hosted a ten-year vertical of their well-regarded collaboration, Eroica Riesling.

In 1999 Loosen approached then-CEO Allan Shoup to do a joint Riesling project, “to get Riesling back in people’s mind”, according to Loosen. He added, “I didn’t know much about the Riesling in the US in 1999.”

And he wasn’t trying to produce a Mosel Riesling in Washington. He said, “You need to be open and free to allow both sides of experience to come together.”

The wines showed well, especially the higher acid 2002 and 2007 wines. Loosen was particularly impressed with the 2003, from a very hot vintage in the Northwest; he thought it showed very nicely. Bertheau commented that these wines “are not about a terroir-driven blend; they are style-driven.”

Wendy Stuckey, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s newer winemaker (she started in 2008), now handles the white wines at the winery. Having come from Australia and used to making Clare and Eden Rieslings, the balanced sweeter style was new to her. Bertheau said, “Wendy brought ideas about tannin management to our white wine making team. She has also helped to bring down the residual sugar in our Rieslings.”

The group also was treated to a vertical of the expensive Single Berry Select, a 100 percent botrytised dessert wine in the style of a TBA. The 1999 showed particularly well, as did the 2007, although Loosen thought them way too young to drink. “In Germany, ” he said, “you wouldn’t touch this style of wine for at least 20 years and they should last much longer than that.”
By Lisa Shara Hall