A Variety of Great Seafood Wines
The past month of June was
very exciting for me as I (and my wife) retired from our day jobs of
advertising and public relations (she after 50 years at the company where she
began in high school). As we deal with this dramatic transition, I will have
more time to continue wine writing in between the adventures associated with
major life change.
This week I finish up my
review of white wines to accompany summer seafoods. Light finfish of halibut, cod and rockfish join
exotics like swordfish and mahi mahi on the menus of many restaurants that
serve seafood and the universe of appropriate white wines to accompany them are
limited only by your preferences and pocketbook.
If you are looking for
complete wine touring information and guidance, please visit the excellent
website: WinesNorthwest.com.
Rhone Whites Roussanne and
others
DeLille Cellars 2018 Roussanne, Red Mountain - $35
This delicious wine came
from grapes grown at the famous Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Washington’s Red
Mountain AVA. My tasters enjoyed the wine’s complex character, which makes it
highly versatile with fish and shellfish. Look for aromas and flavors of
cantaloupe, stone fruits and pear with notes of lime, honeycomb and dusty
mineral.
Browne Family Vineyards 2018 Rhone White Blend, Columbia Valley - $32
I have always enjoyed the
Rhone variety Grenache Blanc for its bright aromas and crisp palate of earthy
mineral, dried herbs, rich stone fruits and floral notes. The variety makes up
62% of this blend with Marsanne and Picpoul filling roles of additional
complexity and palate structure respectively. Stone fruits, honeysuckle and
floral aromas and flavors begin the adventure with crisp notes of mineral and
citrus on the palate.
Novelty Hill 2018
Roussanne, Columbia Valley - $23
Winemaker Mike Januik and
his staff crafted this flavorful wine from grapes grown at the winery’s estate
Stillwater Creek Vineyard on Washington’s Royal Slope (east of the Wahluke
Slope AVA). Bright aromas of melon, peach and fruity beeswax lead to a lightish
palate of stone fruits, green apple and hints of mineral.
Viognier
Harbinger Winery 2017 Viognier, Yakima Valley - $27
Winemaker/owner Sara Gagnon
marshals her staff of dedicated Olympic Peninsula residents to create and
market wines from her regional winery and Olympic Peninsula icon. Stop by the
location on Highway 101 west of Port Angeles and don’t miss the adjacent
business Adventures in Kayaking for your paddling and mountain biking needs. Sara’s
Viognier is blended with just the right amount of Roussanne to make it a
near-perfect seafood wine. Aromas and flavors of apricot, tropical fruit, pear
and spice are exotic and delicious.
Mercer 2017 Viognier, Horse Heaven Hills - $18
The Mercer family is one of
Washington’s original winegrowing families of the modern era and boasts a
farming tradition going back to the turn of the last century. Viognier grapes
came from the winery’s estate Culloden Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Pair
your best seafood dinner with this Viognier, offering white peach, pear and
lychee with notes of orange blossom and lemony acidity.
Griffin Creek 2016 Viognier, Rogue Valley - $30
This Viognier from the
Quail Run Vineyard in Southern Oregon offers a rich style of Viognier that
demands seafood in cream sauce or rich exotic fish from the grill. Barrel
fermented and barrel aged, look for ripe tropical aromas and flavors with a
palate-coating viscosity and notes of vanilla crème, coconut and honey on the
long finish.
Season Cellars 2017
Viognier, Southern Oregon - $22
Scott and Jennifer Henry
continue the family winemaking tradition in Southern Oregon at their Season Cellars,
founded in 2012. Their Viognier offers a tropical fruit profile featuring
aromas and flavors of mandarin orange, citrus and pear with rich complexity
from partial barrel fermentation.
Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc Blends
L’Ecole No 41 2017 Luminesce, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Estate - $21
L’Ecole No 41 has been a
champion of the Semillon variety since the winery’s founding in the 1980s. The
grapes of the wine came from the venerable Seven Hills Vineyard, also founded
(planted) in the 1980s. The wine was barrel fermented and barrel aged yielding
complex aromas and flavors of lemon curd, white peach, pear and earthy mineral.
Browne Family Vineyards 2018 Meritage White, Columbia Valley - $34
This blend of 74% Semillon
and 26% Sauvignon Blanc offers fresh aromas of white peach and pear with hints
of spice and vanilla. The palate is bright with citrus and crisp acidity
pairing everything from shrimp to scallops to fish and chips!
Riesling
Lobo Hills 2018 Dry Riesling, Yakima Valley - $17
Tony Dollar crafted this
excellent food-friendly Riesling from grapes grown at Lonesome Springs Ranch
and Airport Ranch vineyards in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. The wine drinks bone dry - a touch of
residual sugar and high acidity balance it out. Look for aromas and flavors of
white peach, honeysuckle perfume and apricot with a finish of tangy tropical
fruit.
Mercer Estates 2016 Riesling, Small Lot, Yakima Valley - $20
Winemakers from Mercer
Estates fermented and aged 10% of this blend on the skins, creating a wine with
amazing aromas and textures. The wine offers layers of complexity. Up front
aromas and flavors of white peach, lychee and orange blossom mingle with exotic
notes of honey and beeswax. The finish introduces steely minerality and crisp
acidity to create a very food-friendly wine.
Ponzi Vineyards 2017 Riesling, Willamette Valley - $22
The Ponzi family began its
relationship with Riesling in 1974, producing a dry style wine annually from
that year until 1993. When consumer interest in Riesling slowed, the winery
discontinued production of the variety until 2005 when a resurgence spurred
production of the wine once again. This wine from Ponzi Estate vineyards offers
bright aromas of citrus, honeysuckle and lychee leading to flavors of nectarine
and peppery spice.
Montinore Estate 2018 Almost Dry Riesling - $18
This Willamette Valley
Riesling offers the best of both worlds for the seafood lover: a hint of
sweetness as well as mouth watering acidity to pair with fish and shellfish of
all types. Look for aromas and flavors of melon, key lime and nectarine with
notes of honeysuckle, Meyer lemon and orchard blossom.
