Riesling? You Talking About Riesling? Riesling?

Wednesday nights for me are pretty much set.  A local restaurant has a wine 'class' each Wednesday where everyone tastes 5 different wines from the same varietal.  I guess they do this to get everyone to eat at the restaurant afterwards, which we are reminded of every 5 minutes.  Each week the class displays a different varietal, which happened to be riesling this past Wednesday.  Up to this week, all the wines tasted had been pretty disappointing.  The sauvignon blancs were bland and I'm not fond of chardonnay.  I had high hopes for the riesling.  I figured we'd see two from California, one from Washington, one from Germany, and one from Alsace.  I wasn't expecting anything too great as usually the high retail value of the wines is $20 (not that price is an indicator of quality, but Nashville doesn't get the highest quality of wines, even in the $20 value).  

The first wine had a nice citrus aroma, but was very one dimensional on the palate.  I sensed a little chalk with a very little finish.  This was a medium-dry riesling, definitely not over the tope sweetness.  On a second taste after I had tasted the other wines, I actually bumped it up a couple of points when I got a little cherry sweet-tart action.  I still didn't like it enough to buy it.  The wine turned out to be Jed Steele's Shooting Star Riesling.  Eh...  13/20.

Second wine was, for my palette, not good at all.  Ug.  This wine had aromas of wet rock, petrol, and moss.  I know moss because my parents have mossy rock in their house, which if you spray with water, is the best smell EVER.  Taste was a little better than awful.  It was confusing, with little fruit components.  This was a dry wine with a very bitter finish.  Not good.  Wolf Blass Riesling from Austrailia.  Ug... 11/20.

The third wine was very getting better.  I had some green apple on the nose, with some more citrusy fruit, mainly grapefruit, on the nose finish.  This wine was dry with the same citrus flavors on the palate.  This wine would be great with some food as it was very acidic.  Not a bad effort.  Not my favorite, but up there.  Pacific Rim Dry Riesling.  

The fourth wine was my favorite of the night.  The initial aromas had some orange peel with some more grapfruit and peach.  I love me some peach action.  Favorite fruit of all time.  This was the sweetest wine of the night.  I just had lunch with a friend who put down the riesling varietal because they are 'too sweet'.  I had to explain that the riesling varietal is one of the most versatile grapes out there because it can be very dry or can have some residual sugar and be very sweet.  Well, I must have had a sweet tooth, because I was in like with this wine.  Not love, but like.  I guess it would be a 7th grade girlfriend.  16.5/10.  Rhein River Riesling from Germany.

The last wine was my favorite dry riesling of the night.  Citrusy fruit on the nose with some chalk action.  I found some kiwi and grapefruit aromas, which I like.  A little old world, so a little tough to get anything on the nose.  Palate showed some nice peach flavors, with a medium-dry mouthfeel.  Pretty nice.  A little oily, but not bad.  16/20.  Hugel Riesling from Alsace.

Overall, these wines weren't that bad, with the exception of the Wolf Blass.  Not a big fan of that one, sorry.  I will try to get some rieslings in my cellar as I have exactly zero.

Next week is 'alternative' whites.  He promised me an albarino.  I'd better get it. 

Oh, and Vandy lost to South Carolina.  I could hear Amy celebrating from 4 blocks away.

The Raiders took the interim tag off of Tom Cable.  As coach of U. of Idaho he went 0-3 against Montana.  Just sayin' he might not be the best hire.