It's pretty rare that I just open a bottle of wine for the heck of it, but tonight I wanted something to sip on while I got caught up on a few episodes of Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. So I twisted the screw cap on a bottle of 2010 NxNW Riesling, Horse Heaven Hills. I was immediately smitten by the intense honeyed melon and light petrol notes on the nose. On the palate, the bracing, green apple acidity is immediately apparent. Stone fruit and mineral characteristics become more apparent as the wine warms in the glass. And while I wouldn't call the texture oily, I like the medium weight viscosity. There is a small amount of residual sugar in the bottle (0.7 g/100ml) but for all intents and purposes I would consider this a dry Riesling. Offers really nice value in the $10 range.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
2010 NxNW Riesling
It's pretty rare that I just open a bottle of wine for the heck of it, but tonight I wanted something to sip on while I got caught up on a few episodes of Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. So I twisted the screw cap on a bottle of 2010 NxNW Riesling, Horse Heaven Hills. I was immediately smitten by the intense honeyed melon and light petrol notes on the nose. On the palate, the bracing, green apple acidity is immediately apparent. Stone fruit and mineral characteristics become more apparent as the wine warms in the glass. And while I wouldn't call the texture oily, I like the medium weight viscosity. There is a small amount of residual sugar in the bottle (0.7 g/100ml) but for all intents and purposes I would consider this a dry Riesling. Offers really nice value in the $10 range.
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Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef, Bill, these types of programs have changed the world of food; my son loves them and has learned much. Gordon R. used to sponsor Rosemount Australian wines; does he still?
ReplyDeleteThey are kind of trashy (especially Hell's Kitchen), but I just can't look away. Some people get off watching American Idol or Dancing with Stars, I like my reality shows with a side of food (Top Chef) or guns (Top Shot).
DeleteAnd it is indeed amazing how cooking shows have become very mainstream over the past 20 years or so. In the 80s when I was becoming interested in cooking, the only shows were on PBS - Frugal Gourmet, Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, Great Chefs. And even when the Food Network started, it was very information-based with Mario Batali, Emeril and David Rosengarten recording very PBS-like shows. Emeril, of course, blew the doors off the genre with "Emeril Live!" As a refugee of the restaurant industry and holder of a culinary arts degree, I didn't care for the shift. But I totally understand the reasoning behind it.
Now the Food Network is all about doughnut competitions, the Next Food Network Star and Guy Fieri. You have to jump over to Cooking Channel to get any real instruction.
I remember seeing an old British show about students in a culinary program in London years ago on the BBC. The top student in the class won an internship at Ramsey's restaurant Aubergine. He ha the kid reduced to tears in a matter of minutes as he couldn't even properly toss a green salad in a bit of vinaigrette; at least not to Ramsey's standards. This was long before Hell's Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares or anyone in America had even heard of the guy. So I have no doubt that the Ramsey you see on Hell's Kitchen is the "real" Gordon Ramsey.
Different wineries have been a sponsor on Hell's Kitchen. I believe Rosemount was the original sponsor. The last few seasons have featured Stag's Leap Winery (The Petite Sirah specialist). Joe Bastianich's wines have been featured many times on Master Chef. Terlato has been the most recent sponsor on Top Chef.
I tasted this wine at a West Coast tasting, & up against the other Rieslings, I felt this was the least impressive. 2 of our friends agreed, but Doug liked it ok. I don't remember the others it was against, sorry. Not a bad wine by any stretch, it was just outdone by its peers in that lineup.
ReplyDeleteWine is weird.
I don't really drink a lot of dry domestic Riesling (as if there's a ton of it to begin with) so I don't have much of a frame of reference. But I thought this was pretty nice for $10.
DeleteI still think my favorite domestic is the Long Shadows "Poet's Leap." All others pale in comparison.
Currently sipping an '07 Hugel Riesling (Alsace). Delish!
Bill, you never cease to amaze me! I love your style and bet that you can do almost anything; a true American Idol.
ReplyDeleteOh, I've watched Top shot too, but for cooking, I like Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.
I've enjoyed watching Lidia on television. She has a restaurant in Kansas City, but I haven't been to it. My friend, the professional food stylist, had a run-in with her at a photo shoot and doesn't have a very high opinion of her. I know it shouldn't, but that has probably affected my decision to not eat there (plus it's a pretty good hike to Kansas City, MO from my house).
DeleteI'm sure I will get there one of these days. If so, I'll certainly report on it here!
How interesting! Up-tight personalities are no surprise; heck, often enough you can't get a husband and wife to tone it down. I know I have a problem sometimes with taking myself too seriously, but that's an apriori with celebrities.
DeleteI like Lidia because she (her family) makes me laugh, often comments on the wine, and I love her accent.
Really, Dennis? I would've never guessed that you take things too seriously. Hehe.
DeleteSlightly off topic, but on Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef (which I love) I can't really look away either. :) WTF is with all these chefs smoking? How can they taste food? I'm surprised Ramsay has never mentioned that. There are a few people on this season's version from NJ and they seem to be the more "classy" of the crews, thank God. Finally....
ReplyDeleteBut I like Ramsay - I like his approach and after having met him, I like supporting him. Went to one of his places in London and the meal was, well, stunning.
J
Yes, it's pretty amazing how many chefs and cooks smoke. I even know a good number of wine retailers who smoke. I don't get it, either. I think it just comes with the long hours and stress. Not surprisingly, there's a lot of alcohol and drug abuse in that subculture, too.
DeleteI was a pack-a-day smoker when I was at UGA and later in culinary school. I quit cold turkey about halfway through culinary school because it was so damn expensive (I think cigs were about $1.75 a pack back then!). The thing about smoking is you don't understand how it wrecks your palate and how bad it makes your hair and clothes smell until you quit. Smoking numbs your senses and you really can't comprehend what it is doing to you while you're still doing it.
Once you quit, it's amazing how fast your senses recover and even sharpen. To this day, I can still smell a smoker a couple of aisles away at a grocery store or notice as soon as one walks in the door at the shop.