JULY WINE CLUB NEWS -- RIESLING BATTLE ROYAL!

The July meeting had two themes: hot and sweet! We met in Mom's backyard and BBQ'ed while we conducted our battle of the rieslings, pitting rieslings from different regions against each other to see which is our overall favorite. Now, it was about 90 degrees out that day, and there we were, huddled underneath a tent in the backyard (gracefully donated by the Williamses, Mom's neighbors), drinking wine, of all things, and it wasn't even Arbor Mist! So maybe we were a little crazy, but we sure enjoyed ourselves.

Nine rieslings were sampled that day, and they represented regions from Australia to Germany to Washington State. Here are the results of our battle (hope I get this right; it's been 2 weeks!).

THE WINNER
Donnhoff Norheiman Kirschbach Spatlese -- representing Germany, this wine came out on top for its sweetness without being syrupy. This wine was smooth and reminded us of our favorite Schmitt Sohn (more on that later), and tasted even better chilled. In fact, one member who shall remain nameless actually added ice to his glass. You know who you are!

2ND PLACE
Hogue 2006 Columbia Valley riesling -- representing Washington State, the Hogue featured a bright, lemony color and was fruity on the nose and palate. This was my personal favorite because it wasn't too sweet, though some members felt it was dry and a bit tannic.

3RD PLACE
Selbach-Oster Auslese -- hailing from Germany's Mosel region, known for riesling, this was a very sweet wine that Eslin actually described as like fruit juice only thicker and with a kick. Robin picked up honeydew on the palate. Loretta liked the long finish; she said the sweetness wouldn't go away. We nicknamed this wine the Cellblock, 'cause it just sounded cool, and 'cause we were probably suffering from inebriation and heat stroke by that point.

THE REST:

Jacob's Creek Reserve 2007 -- An Australian riesling that we found very minerally and fruity, dry but not very, with apple and melon on the nose.

Hugel Alsace riesling, 2004 -- A dry French riesling with faint hints of lemon on the nose and the palate. Laura described this as lemonade for adults and that was dead on. This wine really demonstrated that acidic quality that people love so much about riesling.

Dr Loosen 2007 -- We went back to Germany's Mosel region with the Dr. Loosen, a sweet riesling. We did try it behind two rather dry rieslings so that likely affected our palates, but you could tell how sweet this was just by the nose alone. If you're a fan of spatlese rieslings, this one's for you.

St. Urbans-Hof 2007 -- Another sweet Mosel riesling; this was actually too sweet for some of us. Strangely, Arthur did not find it sweet on the palate at all. Hmmm...

Schmitt Sohne Auslese -- An old favorite, and a smooth, pleasant German wine. The auslese is a sweet riesling, not as dry as the French or Australian wines we tried. If you like your rieslings drier, go for the spatlese or kabinett varieties.

Dr. Beckmann Auslese -- This is a pretty darn sweet auslese; Arthur found it way too sweet. By the time we got to this riesling we realized that yes, you can have too much sweet wine (without going over into port or sauterne territory).

Rieslings are known primarily for their fruitiness (typical notes are apple, peach, melon, and citrus fruits) and their acidity. The sweetness is something you can pick and choose according to your taste. Germany's Mosel region is the undisputed king in riesling grape production, so if you're looking to explore rieslings, you can start there and work your way around the rest of the globe. But be prepared, because rieslings can be just as varied in taste as any other wine. Remember, the point is to find one (or two, or three...) that works for YOU.

We tackle rose next, and the meeting is scheduled for Saturday August 16. Happy shopping!