Attributes:

Cantina Terlan

Alto Adige, Italy

Gewurztraminer

750 ML

2007: WineSpectator Rating: 88

clean

medium-bodied

focused

delicious

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 88

medium-bodied

delicious

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 88

apricot, smoke, spice

Food Matches:

One of the most fascinating of Italy’s wine regions this is also one of the most beautiful, comprising the northern half of a long, narrow valley stretching up from Verona. Most of the Alto Adige winemakers are Germanic, and there are strong political ties to Austria. Although most of the wine produced here is red, using Lagrein, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, the whites of Alto Adige get the most attention.

(geh VAIRTZ trah mee ner)—This grape makes a deep-colored, full-bodied, soft white wine with aromas and flavors of roses and lychee fruit. Classically a dry wine from France’s Alsace region, there are other excellent wines available from Germany, Austria, California, Oregon and New York.

Attributes:

Fish Eye

California, United States

Chardonnay

3 L

2006: Tastings Rating: 84

tangy

medium body

simple

pleasant

apricot, cedar, clove, rhubarb, vanilla, watermelon

fruity

2005: Tastings Rating: 82

tangy

medium body

simple

apple, lemon

2003: Tastings Rating: 85

clean

medium-bodied

complex

Food Matches:

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.

California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.

Attributes:

Grove Mill

Marlborough, Australia/New Zealand

Riesling

750 ML

Food Matches:

(REESE ling)—a grape that comes mostly from the Mosel and Rheingau regions of Germany (where it is a noble variety), the Finger Lakes region of New York, and Alsace region of France, and Austria. Although often thought of as “sweet,” many Rieslings are quite dry. The word trocken on German bottles indicates dryness. The trademarks of Riesling are high acidity, low to medium alcohol levels, and aromas and flavors that range from fruity and flowery to mineral. Also called Johannesburg Riesling or White Riesling.

When the first growers planted grapes in Marlborough in the 1970s (there is evidence of plantings as early as 1870s), it is unlikely they would have foreseen the extent of the growth and fame that the region’s wine industry would achieve, based upon a single varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. The distinctive pungency and zest fruit flavours of the first Marlborough wines, in particular Sauvignon Blanc, captured the imagination of the country's winemakers as well as international wine commentators and consumers and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom.