White Wine Varietals

Question 1

Riesling - Germany

Answer 1

Producers
Barth, “Allure” Halbtrocken (Rheingau) $45
Van Volxem, Saar (Mosel) $80
Schlossgut Diel “Schlossberg” G.G. (Nahe) $140

Pair with roasted pork, roasted duck or goose, seafood, and salads

Vintages
2016 - Bad Vintage (Rain and Insects)
2015- Good Vintage
Good Past Vintages = 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011

Question 2

Riesling - Alsace

Answer 2

Flavors of gun flint, steel, minerals, limey citrus, oily texture and more body than German Riesling

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, 2012 $80
Domaine Weinbach, “Cuvee Ste. Catherine” GC $110
Trimbach, “Clos Ste-Hune” 1990 $1230

Pairs with oysters, shellfish, seafood, pork, chicken, foie and pate

Vintages
2015 best vintage in recent history
2005, 2007, 2009 also were good

Question 3

Riesling - Australia

Answer 3

Pewsey Vale, Eden Valley $50
Pikes, “The Merle,” Clare Valley $100

Pair with raw/lightly cooked shellfish like prawns, crab and seared squid or light noodle dishes with seafood

Vintages
Mostly quality vintages over last 10 years
2010 and 2015 were exceptional

Question 4

Champagne NV

Answer 4

Pierre Paillard, Extra Brut, “Les Parcelles” Bouzy $120
Phillippe Gonet, Le Mesnil Sur Oger $165
Jacques Selosse, “Cuvee Initiale,” Avize $330

Pair with Oysters, Caviar, Foie Gras, Eggs

Vintages
1990, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2004

Question 5

Champagne Vintage

Answer 5

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils, “Cuvee Paradoxe” 2006 $135
Duval Leroy, “Femme de Champagne” 2000 $310
Salon, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, 2004 $955

Question 6

Champagne Tete de Cuvee

Answer 6

Taittinger, “Comtes de Champagne” 2006 $360
Moet & Chandon “Dom Perignon” 1990 $750
Krug “Clos du Mesnil, Les Mesnil Sur Oger 1982 $4000

Question 7

Sauvignon Blanc - California

Answer 7

Cliff Lede, Napa $55
Spottswoode, Napa $100
Peter Michael “L’Apres Midi” Knights Valley $140

Pairs with Ceviche, Fried Calamari, Green Vegetables

Vintage
2016 was good vintage for CA, 2015 received good fruit but not plentiful

Question 8

Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand

Answer 8

Craggy Range, Martinborough $55
Cloudy Bay, Marlborough $70

Pair with Asian style seafood dishes, grilled swordfish, dishes with greens or herbs (lamb with salsa verde), salads with goat cheese or feta

2015 & 2016 good vintages

Question 9

Chardonnay - California

Answer 9

TWP, “The White Queen,” Sonoma County, 2014 $65
Lewis Cellars, Russian River Valley, 2015 $120
Peter Michael, “Belle Cote,” Knights Valley 2010 $385

Pair with meaty fish and shellfish, subtly seasoned poultry, dishes with natural sweetness
(Shrimp and Grits, Scallops, Lobster)

Vintages
2013 & 2014 strongest vintages across CA

Question 10

Gruner Veltliner - Austria

Answer 10

Leth, Wagram 2015 $50
Rudi Pichler, Federspiel, Wachau 2015 $70
Rudi Pichler, Smaragd, “Wosendorfer Kollmutz, “ Wachau 2015 $165

Fish and shellfish are accented by Grüner Veltliner’s citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It can also work well with foods that are difficult to pair such as bitter greens and asparagus. Pair with branzino with herbs and sausage, grilled shrimp in lemon vinaigrette, or lemon-pepper chicken.

2016 - Wet spring led to reduced yields, but warm summer early fall helped produce quality wines

Question 11

Pinot Grigio - Italy

Answer 11

Alois Lageder, “Dolomiti” Alto Adige 2016 $50
Venica & Venica, “Jesera,” Collio Goriziano 2016 $65
Silvio Jermann, Collio Gorziano 2015 $80

It is paired with fish soups, chargrilled seafood and various dishes based on field mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. This wine is wonderful with squid ink lasagnette pasta and crayfish sauce. Gnocci/Risotto

Vintages
2007-2010 all good vintages
2016 was wet and led to fungal infections

Question 12

Pinot Gris - Alsace

Answer 12

F.E. Trimbach, 2012 $65
Zind Humbrecht, “Vielles Vignes” 2011 $115
Albert Boxler, Sommerberg, Grand Cru $175

Game, veal, pork and poultry, particularly when served with rich sauces, roasts, kidneys, mushrooms, risotto, polenta, etc. Can accompany both sweet and sour

Vintages
2016 is the first vintage in over a decade that hasn’t seen the production of any botrytis wines; due to the late vintage and the optimum health of the grapes, very little grey mould developed. Nevertheless, the long growing season and favourable weather will guarantee wines of great depth, purity and elegance.
2009 last high quality vintage

Question 13

Albarino - Spain

Answer 13

Burgans, 2015 $40
Do Ferreiro, 2015 $75

Loves seafood, and can be paired with a variety of marine delicacies. Its distinctive waxy texture and lemony acidity make it a perfect pairing with fresh sardines, oysters, octopus, or squid.

Vintages
2010, 2012, 2015 were good, not great

Question 14

Chenin Blanc - France

Answer 14

Didier Champalou, Vouvray, 2015 $55
Francois Chidane, “Les Argiles,” Vouvray $90
Domaine des Baumard, Savennières 2010 $85

The freshness and delicate aromas of the wine make it a perfect partner with grilled fish and white meats, shellfish, roasted vegetables and oriental food. When young, this is also a first-rate aperitif wine.

Vintages
Quality since 2007
2016 was difficult due to early frosts, but recovered with an Indian Summer

Question 15

Sauvignon Blanc - France (Loire Valley)

Answer 15

Franck & Jean-Francois Bailly, “Chavignol,” Sancerre 2016 $60
Domaine Marc Deschamps, “Les Champs de Cri,” Pouilly Fume, 2014 $90

The freshness of Sauvignon Blanc’s flavor lend it to a range of light, summery dishes including salad, seafood, and mild Asian dishes. Sauvignon Blanc settles in with notoriously difficult foods like goat cheese and asparagus

Vintages
2016 was small in places due to frosts, but the quality didn’t suffer
Vintages dating back 10 years have been good

Question 16

Sauvignon Blanc - France (Bordeaux)

Answer 16

Chateau Carbonnieux, Grand Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 2014 $110
Château de Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan 2014 $130
Chateau Lynch-Bages, Paulliac, 2005 $195

Crisp, dry Bordeaux white blends are the perfect accompaniment for raw or lightly cooked seafood, especially shellfish. A more structured, Sémillon-based bottling can stand up to richer fish, chicken, or pork dishes in white sauces. These blends also work well with a variety of vegetables and fresh herbs, like asparagus, peas, basil, and tarragon.

Vintages
Great vintages since 2010
Warm vintage in 2016 should lead to lower acid and more aromatics

Question 17

Gewurztraminer - Alsace

Answer 17

Albert Mann, 2012 $85
Albert Boxler, 2014 $140
Domaine Zind-Humbrect, 2012 $155

Gewürztraminer’s natural spiciness makes it a great ally for flavorful food and is also excellent with dense, oily fish like salmon, swordfish, and mahi-mahi, and works well with a wide range of meats and charcuterie

Vintages
2014 vintage suffered due to Asian Fruit Fly

Question 18

Viognier - France (Condrieu)

Answer 18

E. Guigal, 2009 $155
Saint Cosme, 2012 $175

Condrieu may be enjoyed as aperitif with foie gras, lobster and other rich seafoods, and white asparagus. Viognier is an intense, bold variety that can easily stand up to gutsy food like pork loin with apricot stuffing, chicken Kiev, or rich, spicy fare.

Vintages
2010, 2014, 2015 all strong for N Rhone Whites

Question 19

Torrontes - Argentina

Answer 19

Alamos, Salta, 2016 $45
Susana Balbo, Argentina $40

Stick to lighter fare like poultry, pork, or seafood in sauces that are flavorful but not heavy. Torrontés also makes for an ideal accompaniment to a bowl of fresh fruit.

Question 20

Chardonnay - France (Chablis)

Answer 20

Christian Moreau 2015 $70
William Fevre, “Fourchaume,” 1er Cru 2014 $135
Albert Bichot, “La Moutonne,” Grand Cru 2009 $210

Chardonnay is as versatile at the table as it is in the vineyard. The crisp, clean, Chablis-like styles go well with simple seafood, light chicken dishes, and salads.

Vintages
Good going back to 2004

Question 21

Chardonnay - France (Cote de Beaune)

Answer 21

Jean Michel Gaunoux, Meursault 2012 $135
Domaine Thomas Morey, “Morgeot,” Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru 2012 $170
Domaine Ramonet, “Morgeot,” Chassagne-Montrachet 2013 $290

In general, fish and shellfish are always great pairings, as well as white meats like roasted chicken and even quail. Pastas, polenta and beans provide a textural layer for many of these wines. The more mature the win, the more neutral the food should be, mirroring the flavors of the wine.

Vintages
Good going back to 2004
94-95 points going back to 2009
2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 strongest