Tag Archives: White wine

Thirsty Thursday: Refreshing Riesling from High Desert: Mercer 2012

Posted on August 20, 2015 by waywardwine

Damn. Summer and record droughts will not go away. I tire of sweating in bed (as does my wife). Therefore, chilled whites are still required to fool me into imagining myself cool. Oddly, let’s go to a hot, sandy, desert: … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Germany, riesling, summer, travel, Washington, washington wine, White wine, wine, yakima valley | Leave a comment

Thirsty Thursday: Cape Mentelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Margeret River, Australia 2014

Posted on November 20, 2014 by waywardwine

This Thirsty Thursday we travel to Bordeaux….via Australia? Yes, far away from the famed/derided/wallabied land of Shiraz in South Australia, on the Western coast flows the Margaret River towards India: Like Bordeaux’s Gironde River, Margaret draws moisture from the Indian … Continue reading →

Posted in Sauvignon Blanc, White, White wine | Tagged Australia, cape mentelle, margaret river, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, White wine, winter white | 1 Comment

Thirsty Thursday: Pre Labor Day White Garnacha Blanco Vina del Vero

Posted on August 28, 2014 by waywardwine

This Thirsty Thursday we need something interesting. Labor Day will come and we will drink cheap beer. The last thing I need on Labor Day is a conversion about grape clonal types. It is a day to eat, drink, and not think.

But until the brainwashing, let’s test that gray matter with something familiar but not: Grenache. Now Grenache has starred in award winning red roles such as: Châteauneuf du Pape, Rhône, Rioja, Priorat, anything big red and Languedoc, and rosé from Provence. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Grenache Blanc, Grenache noir, La Miranda, Labor Day, Somontano, Spain, Vinas del Vero, White wine, wine | 1 Comment

Calling Summer: Picpoul de Pinet, Gérard Bertrand, France 2011

Posted on March 27, 2014 by waywardwine

Drink Picpoul, any Picpoul, and summer will come early. The shear pulling of your cork will turn the Earth a little closer to the sun. Snows will melt. Frosts dissipate. For you will be drinking sunshine.

While Monday’s EU Austerity Drinking Tour dipped its toe in Toulouse. A bit further to France’s coast sits an appellation called Picpoul de Pinet.

Hot-hardy red grapes dominate the land. But the village of Pinet has held resolutely to the green grape Picpoul.

Named for stinging (Pic) lips (Poul), the grape exudes saline, mouthwatering, citric acidity: perfect with seafood. It helps that below its vines spreads France’s second largest lake: the Étang de Thau: the only place outside of Normandy that France certifies oyster production. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged France, Gerard Bertrand, oyster pairing, Oysters, Picpoul, Picpoul de pinet, summer, White wine | 5 Comments

Thirsty Thursday: Arneis, Seghesio, Russian River Valley, CA 2012

Posted on March 13, 2014 by waywardwine

Spring has sprung, at least where I live. Time for an odd, snappy white.

The grape in question is Arneis: roughly translated, it means “little ass”. Either the vine is a pain to manage, or the resultant wines tastes just as prickly. Etymology aside, the grape comes from NW Italy’s Piedmont.

Folklore claims Arneis drew birds away from the prestigious Nebbiolo vines of Barolo and Barbaresco. It made for a decent white. But once wines became 100% Nebbiolo, Arneis disappeared.

While Arneis declined in Italy, the Seghesio family left the Piedmont and started making Californian wine in 1895. By 1992, Pete decided to plant Arneis. He had already upped their game with hand-harvesting and small lot batches. Seghesio’s Zin and Sangiovese were garnering respect. But Arneis was a risky throwback. 26 vines remained more than any in the US for years.

Today, 8 acres of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County real estate fill our glasses. Continue reading →