Page 35 - Dr Pamela Peeke

Aromatic wines are not only dessert wines. I am particularly blown tightly with plastic wrap. Set the glass aside. Put the bottle in an
away by a whiff of Viognier (v on yay). Many people don’t order this ice and water bath and chill for one hour or more. Pick a test time,
wine because they can’t pronounce it. I admit it is not an intuitive say 5:00 pm. At 4:40 precisely, take the bottle out of the ice bath
one! I am Canadian and speak French and that is a big help with and pour 2 ounces into a second wine glass. Do not cover this
all these French words! The Society of Wine Educators describes glass. Return the bottle to the ice bath. At 5:00, remove the bottle
the difference between Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Viognier as from the ice bath and pour 2 ounces into the third glass. Now,
“the first two have high notes and Viognier has low, rich notes”. for the test. Arrange all three glasses side my side. On the left
Viognier is low in acid so be careful not to pair it with dishes that is the warm wine (take the plastic wrap off now); in the middle is
need a squish of lemon; it won’t be there. If you like a shrimp salad the glass that has been poured for 20 minutes. On the right is the
with tropical fruits then this is the wine. glass freshly poured from the chilly ice bath. Now, pick up each
glass, one at a time, swirl the liquid around as you cover the top
You will smell passion fruit, mango, guava, and tangerine. Doesn’t of the glass with your hand. Remove your hand and immediately
that sound like a delightful summer pairing? Viognier, the grape, stick your nose deep into the glass and breathe in. Repeat with the
is grown in many places but rises to its peak in Condrieu, France. other two glasses. If you are experimenting with friends, ask every-
Look also for bottles from the Cote Rotie in the Rhone Valley. Cali- one to remain silent. Do not share your comments until everyone
fornia has some delicious ones also and very well priced. Viognier has “nosed” all three wines. It is amazing how your opinion can
is frequently fermented oak free so if you don’t like a buttery Char- be swayed by the comments of others. If you are alone, you can
donnay then try the Viognier; just remember to read the back label talk to yourself! Which wine has the most pleasant and ethereal
for clues as to whether it has been fermented in oak barrels or not. aroma? Repeat this test but this time you get to taste the wine.
Which one has the most pleasant flavor? Can you feel the acid
I believe Riesling falls into the aromatic world. This grape had been nicely balanced with the fruit? Which glass seems heavy and a
getting a bad rap in recent years, perhaps due to some strong, old little overpowering? Which glass has very little aroma and flavor
memories of Blue Nun and her sisters. To make matters worse, compared to the other two?
there are white wines out there masquerading as Riesling when
they are not. They hide behind names such as Grauer Riesling All these questions lead us to the conclusion that serving tempera-
which is really Pinot Gris; emerald Riesling which is a Muscadelle ture is very important to experience a wine at its best. Served too
– Riesling cross; Cape Riesling, Paarl Riesling, Clare Rieslings cold, as in straight out of the fridge or ice bath, you taste and smell
which are really Crouchen Blanc. There are even more but you get little. Served too warm, it may become flabby and unbalanced on
my point. True Riesling has only two synonyms: White Riesling or the nose. I like to take my white wines out of the wine cellar where
Johannisberg Riesling. The aromas to look for are citrus, apples, they have been held at 55 degrees F. and place them in the fridge
and fruits if grown in a cool climate like Germany. Warm climates or ice and water bucket for just 20 minutes. That seems to do the
change the aromas to Juicy Fruit gum and tropical fruits. Many trick. If you have brought the wine home from the store that after-
people do not buy Riesling from Germany because they can’t read noon, place it in the fridge until serving time. 20 minutes before you
the label. Knowing what you are picking up is very important as plan to serve the wine, remove it from the fridge and let it stand, it
Riesling can run the full gamut of sweet to dry. Here is a hint. If will be just about right.
you like a dry Riesling, look for the word Kabinett. If you like a little
residual sugar (excellent choice for spicy food such as Thai) then One last note on serving white wines at the correct temperature: San Diego
look for Spatlese. Thinking dessert, consider the word Auslese. If Never top up someone’s glass until it is empty. Mixing two temper- Woman
you have a big wallet and want a terrific dessert Riesling, go for the atures together is risky business. I like to keep the pours at around
TBA mentioned above. 4 ounces and never more than 5. This allows enough room in the
glass for the aromas to dance and swirl around your nose. After all, 35
isn’t that what aromatics are all about?
Gewurztraminer needs to be added to the
list of lovely smelling wines. I think first of a
sweet spice like litchi nuts (you know, those
white globes of dessert fruit found in Chi-
nese restaurants), then the aroma develops
into roses, ginger, sandalwood, and allspice.
Do not be confused with the spicy nose
and think “I bet that will pair well with spicy
food such as curry and Thai dishes.” That
might be a mistake. It would be a case of
over matching and neither the wine nor the
food would benefit. Instead choose Ries-
ling. When shopping for Gewurztraminer,
go to the Alsace section (France) to start
your search; then move on to Germany and
Austria. Gewurztraminer is a turn-to wine
when you are eating meats such as sau-
sages, schnitzel, pork, or ham and want a
white wine instead of a red. The acidity will
hold up well to the fat in the meats. We have
all had applesauce spiked with cinnamon
or nutmeg with our pork chops and it works
great.

Here is a test for your nose. Buy one bottle
of Viognier or Gewurztraminer. Open it.
Pour 2 ounces into a wine glass. Cover
Issue 2, 2009