What You Don’t Know, Won’t Hurt You

By Nikki Berglund
Staff Writer

Looking back on your summer of white wine buying, you may have come across some different and maybe even intimidating selections in the domestic white wine aisle of your local wine shop.

It’s one thing to be walking through the imported wine section and not recognize some of the grape varieties you see in front of you. Italy and especially France can be difficult to navigate even if you consider yourself fairly knowledgeable about wine.

As Fargo becomes more and more wine-savvy, some unfamiliar types have started to pop up in the section most of us are most comfortable with, meaning California and its surrounding areas. If the thought of having to pronounce these wines, let alone figure out what to serve them with, throws you into a panic, you are not alone.

If you choose to avoid them, you will be missing out on some new and intriguing options for your summer wine drinking pleasure and that would be sad.

Riesling is one of the most popular white wines we sell in our store. It is a sweeter style that appeals not only to beginning wine drinkers but also to those who are looking for a great food wine.

But what about its sister wine, Gewurztraminer? I think the name is what scares people away. I mean God forbid you have to actually order a bottle at dinner or ask a store clerk to grab you a bottle!

This is a great alternative to Riesling, and one that pairs well with a huge array of foods.
Gewurztraminer (pronounced geh-VERTZ-trah-mee-nur) is a straightforward, off-dry or semi-sweet white wine that is common in France, Italy, and Germany, but is more recently making a killing in California and Washington State.

When you see this on an Indian or Chinese restaurant menu, order it and you will never be disappointed. I often suggest this wine for Thanksgiving dinner since it also pairs fabulously with turkey.

The Chateau Ste Michelle Gewürztraminer is one of my favorites. It is inexpensive and so versatile that having a bottle of this in your fridge will get you out of many a wine pinch. Normal retail is around $9.99, but it’s often on sale for as low as $7.99.

Another potentially unfamiliar wine you might come across in the domestic white wine section is Rousanne(pronounced ROO-sahn), originally from the Rhone Valley in France and is now an increasingly popular California grape.

Bon Appetit magazine once called it “the anti-Chardonnay” so if you are not a big Chardonnay fan (like myself), it may be the white wine for you. This varietal is a little finicky and can be difficult to grow, and bottles will often be a little more on the expensive side due to lower production. They are rich and complex with reminders of honey and peaches on the tongue. They often have a uniquely herbal aroma and can be aged for many years.

With seafood or grilled chicken you have a match made in heaven. Zaca Mesa Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley makes one of the best I have tried. A bottle will run you right around $29, but is well worth the extra cash.

One domestic white wine I have been seeing a lot more of as of late is Viognier (pronounced correctly as VEE-ohn-yay but more often massacred as VAWG-ner).

Viognier is a nice change of pace for all of you Chardonnay lovers out there, but also appeals to what’s known as the “ABCers” or “Anything But Chardonnay” crowd. It has the full body of a Chardonnay without all of that oakiness that some people do not love (again, me included).

This ancient grape, another of the increasingly popular Rhone Valley wines being planted in the U.S., is usually low in acidity and high in alcohol. It is another winner with spicy food, so anything from Thai to Indian to Mexican food will go nicely.

To me these wines smell like flowers and taste like apricots. The British wine writer Oz Clarke once described Viognier as a “wine that just oozed sex and sensuality.” Since they are best consumed young, you may want to drink them right away rather than tucking them away for a later date.

The Renwood Red Label Viognier is a fuller-bodied wine that is crispy and well balanced and very reasonable at around $10.99 per bottle.

If you want to spend a little bit more, Toasted Head makes a tasty version with aromas of orange blossoms and hints of mango and vanilla. This one retails every day at about $16 but can be found on sale for $11.99 or so.

Before the summer officially ends and it’s just too dang chilly to drink white wine, go out and try one of these interesting wines that are just a little off the beaten path.

It will be a nice change from the other whites you may be getting tired of, without forcing you to prematurely take that leap into red wine season, which for many of us means that fall is officially upon us.

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