Monday, August 09, 2010

Bored With White Wine? Give a New Grape a Try

It's easy to fall into a wine rut. I love Sauvignon Blanc, but there are times when I just want something different, something I don't drink every day. Same thing with Riesling. Love it to bits, but there are times when I'm not sure I can bring myself to open another bottle.

If you're looking for something new--something that is dry, but not the same old/same old, look for a bottle of the 2008 Schloß Mühlenhof Müller-Thurgau Trocken. ($13.50, domaineLA; available for $11-$14 elsewhere) This dry wine from Germany's Rheinhessen region is like a cross between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling. The grape was created in the late 19th century from a cross of Riesling and a grape called Madeleine Royale (a seedling of the Swiss Chasselas variety). Though the wines made with this grape can be sweet, this is a dry example, and will please people who like their whites to have fruit flavors, but exercise a bit of restraint. It has white nectarine and green apple aromas and flavors, as well as a hint of dry pineapple (I know, but that's what it tastes like) in the aftertaste.

This simple, pleasant wine is very good QPR and a nice change of pace. So if you're bored with white wine, don't get stuck. Just get out there and find something new to tempt your tastebuds.

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