In an attempt to create community in the age of Coronavirus, my neighbors and I have started cooking for each other. Monday is Janet’s night, Tuesday is Debbie’s night, and Thursday is mine. While we don’t actually eat together, it’s a good way to connect, try new recipes, and, most importantly, get someone else to cook two nights a week.

Last time my turn came around, I added a Wine Tribe tasting as part of the experience. My neighbors were game, so it was just a question of finding food friendly white wines to go with the chicken, rosemary, and roasted garlic recipe I found online. (Thank you, Aunt Bee. It was delicious.) To keep things easy, I wanted to use wines with reasonable price points and availability at the grocery store. You know, we’re in the middle of a pandemic so no need to make multiple shopping trips or throw around big money.

With that in mind, I chose a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Gris, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier, and a dry Riesling. All of these varietals are known to be food friendly white wines and to pair nicely with herbaceous, garlicky dishes.

Here was the lineup:

A Great Anytime Wine from New Zealand

From Marlborough, New Zealand, the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc was the big winner with the Balanced and Developed Tribes. This is a great wine, with aromas of kiwi, green apple, and grapefruit. Tasters liked the slightly grassy flavors of tropical fruit, minerals, and citrus. Also, this wine hit the right levels of acid, which helped it cut through the butter (so much butter!) in the chicken without fighting the taste of the meal. Because it is totally drinkable both with and without food, we are giving it two thumbs up.

The Ponzi Pinot Gris did not fare so well. I really like Pinot Noirs from Ponzi Vineyards, which is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley (they have a beautiful tasting room if you’re ever in the neighborhood). But this wine, while totally drinkable, wasn’t anyone’s favorite. We all agreed that aromas were “delicate and ephemeral,” but we couldn’t agree on the likeability of the wine. Some people liked it with food, but others found it overpowered the meal. Overall, the wine had enjoyable tastes of broiled grapefruit, lime, and peaches along with baking spices.  It’s not bad but, meh, there are better wines out there.

Which Wine: On the Sweet Side or More Complex?

The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier was a clear winner for the Accessible Tribe, and I predict it would please anyone who likes their wines on the sweet side. All tasters appreciated the lush scents of peach crisp, honey, and earl grey tea. But for some, the sweet tastes of buttery honey, ginger, and mango overwhelmed and clashed with the food. Still, if you relish a bit of sweetness, this is your wine.

Last but not least, we tried the Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling. I don’t know about you, but I’m always a little suspicious of Rieslings. Even when the label says the wine is dry in style, I expect overpowering sweetness. Didn’t happen here. In fact, this was the favorite wine for the Complex Tribe. Scents of pineapple, peach jelly, and minerals led to clean tastes of poached pear, sweet citrus, gravel, and clay (which sounds a bit odd, I know, but folks liked it). Interestingly, two people described it as “zippy,” which is a testament to balanced acids that helped the wine pair well with food. This is an easy- to-drink wine at a great price point. If you’re in the Complex Tribe, definitely give it a whirl.

Here is yours truly and some socially distant neighborly tasters
Cheers from your socially distant tasters!

Cheers!

 

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