Attributes:

Yellow Tail

Southeastern Australia, Australia/New Zealand

Syrah / Shiraz

750 ML

2006: WineSpectator Rating: 89

blackberry, plum, spices

2005: WineSpectator Rating: 90

bright, lively

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 88

ripe cherry, spice, toasty oak

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 84

light

simple

cherry, peppery, spicy

sweet

2002: WineAdvocate Rating: (87)

medium to full-bodied

well-made

oak, smoky

fruity

Food Matches:

Originally grown in France’s Northern Rhône Valley (where it is a noble variety) this grape has spread to Australia, California, Washington, Italy and Spain. In the Rhone region this grape produces deeply colored wines with full body and firm tannin, however in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, the wines are lighter and fruitier. Aromas and flavors for these wines vary as much as their geographical breadth suggests: berries, smoked meat, bell peppers, even tar.

Australian name for the grape known as Syrah in France.

Attributes:

Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Riesling

750 ML

2005: Tanzer Rating: 99(+?)

deep, rich

bitter, chocolate, lichee, mango, mocha, smoky, spice

2005: Tanzer Rating: 98

fresh

complex, rich

almond, apricot, candied, lemon, pineapple, smoky, spice, spices

concentrated, sweet

2005: Tanzer Rating: 96

rich

unctuous

2005: Tanzer Rating: 96

opulent, rich

elegant

apricot, citrus, lemon, mineral, raisin, spicy

2005: Tanzer Rating: 94

bright

rich

apricot, candied, honey, pineapple

sweet

2005: Tanzer Rating: 93

bright

floral

elegant

delicate, unctuous

2005: Tanzer Rating: 93

grapefruit, peach, spices, spicy

ripe

2005: Tanzer Rating: 92

crisp, lively

floral

elegant, well-balanced

apple, honeysuckle, pear, raisin, spice, stone

viscous

Food Matches:

(MOH zel zar ROO ver)—This dramatically beautiful region of western Germany produces exceptional white wines from the Riesling grape. Among the lightest in Germany, these wines usually contain less than 10% alcohol and they are generally delicate, fresh, and bursting with flavor. With its flowery tastes and aromas, Mosel Riesling is a great wine to drink in the spring. Look for the words “Erzeugerabfüllung” or Gutsabfüllung,” which indicate that the wine was estate bottled and not mass-produced.

(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.

Attributes:

Monsieur Touton

Bordeaux, France

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

Food Matches:

A region in western France that grows famous red wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes and white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle grapes. Situated on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux has a maritime climate with warm summers and fairly mild winters as well as an abundance of rain during harvest time. When young, the finest red Bordeaux wines have a deep cranberry hue and aromas of blackcurrants, plums, spice, cedar, and cassis. For the first ten years or so these wines can be very dry, with tannin masking the fruity flavors. Eventually the wines turn garnet, and develops an extraordinarily complex bouquet and flavor as well as softer tannins. The finest red Bordeaux wines still take 20 years or so before reaching their maturity. Two distinct red wine production zones exist within the Bordeaux region; the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The Left Bank vineyards are located west of the Garonne River and the Gironde Estuary, into which the Garonne empties. The Right Bank vineyards are east and north of the Dordogne River and east of the Grionde Estuary. Of the various wine districts on the Left and Right Banks, four are the most important for red wines: Haut-Médoc; Pessac-Leognan, St-Emilion, and Pomerol. For white wines, the most important are Graves and Pessac-Leognan.

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.