Riesling is among the most food-friendly wines, and it’s also one of the most misunderstood varietals. As I mentioned in a previous post, The iterations of Riesling, preconceived notions often deter people from trying new things.
I recently found myself guilty of, once again, falling victim to such erroneous and ignorant thinking (i.e., all Rieslings are sweet). I had been keeping a couple of bottles of Riesling that I received complimentary in my wine cabinet – deeming them even unworthy of the EuroCave. But as the outdoor temperature started to rise, I decided I could possibly put the bottles in the kitchen refrigerator to chill should an opportunity arise that I might want to sample them.
So on a shelf below some eggs and yogurt sat a 2007 Babich from Marlborough, New Zealand alongside a 2008 Genus 4 from Eden Valley, Australia. On a recent warm night, I decided to take a chance on one of the wines. Having tasted Rieslings from the Eden Valley before and liking them, I decided to try the Babich – better to drink the worse one first and keep the better one, right?
On the contrary; the Babich was delicious. The dry juice exhibited expressions of petrol, stone fruits and fresh acidity. I should have realized that given the Marlborogh’s late summer/autumn growing season, characterized by warm days that are tempered by cool nights, the climate is ideal for Riesling.
Yet, no matter how much we try to keep an open mind, we often revert back to what we think we know. But sometimes when we free ourselves from our rigid thinking, we might allow ourselves to find pleasure where we least expected to.
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