Everything is coming up Riesling

By Christina Kelly
Avalon Staff Writer

FThe first time I saw Eroica, a new Riesling made by Chateau Ste. Michelle, I thought the label read, "Erotica."

"I’ll take two of those," I said to the clerk, grinning from ear to ear, oblivious to my dyslexia.

I had visions of the French author Anais Nin, writing erotica for a dollar per page, drinking some version of this Riesling.

The wine, I discovered, was arousing, but the appeal was more to the intellect. This is a wine to think about.

The wine Eroica was named for Beethoven's Third Symphony. It is unique because of the partnership of German and American winemakers Dr. Ernst Loosen from Mosel and Erik Olsen from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington.

Rieslings still haven’t caught on with the American palate, although there appears to be a Riesling Renaissance and much excitement about current releases. You couldn’t pay me enough to drink a Riesling 12 years ago. I thought, like many people, that the majority of Rieslings were cheap and sweet with little character or complexity. It washed down potato salad and was left completely out of conversations.

But good German wines, made from the Riesling grape, can be an excellent alternative to the heavier white wines that taste more like wood than grapes. The best ones balance the sweetness with acidity, giving it a light feel, but layered with subtle flavors.

Based on a recent tasting of the 2000 Eroica, I am quite happy to tout the beguiling appeal of this wine. It comes at a time when spring hits the Northwest, gently blowing in fresh smells of blossoms, cut grass, citrus and earthy musk.

Eroica smells like spring. The taste is full of white peaches, apricots, jasmine and honeysuckle. I remember childhood days that smelled like this, sitting in tall grass, watching delicate white clouds drift by on a spring day. It was an era when there was time to daydream, surrounded by the smell of flowers and warmed by a tepid sun.

As a winemaker, Olsen said he had very little experience with Rieslings when he started as assistant winemaker at Ste. Michelle in 1993. Gradually, Olsen began to explore ways to improve the fruit character and flavor of Riesling.

"Each year I designed a huge array of experiments to look at all the possible ways we could improve the quality of the wine," Olsen said. "As a result, this wine is perhaps the most food friendly wine we make."

With Eroica, Olsen and Loosen developed a wine that exhibits the character of the Columbia Valley, yet has the style and finesse of a European Riesling.

When the winery held a reception for the 2000 Eroica at the Chateau recently, they hired the critically acclaimed Eroica Trio to perform. This all-female, Grammy nominated group, based in New York, performed with aplomb and passion, yet managed to have some fun with the audience. They are, in many ways, like the wine -- plucky, smart and much more complex than meets the eye.

More than 200 people sipped the 2000 Eroica while sampling foods specifically prepared to compliment the Riesling. The consensus seemed to be a thumbs-up for this partnership, with anticipation for many years to come.

If you are predominately a red wine drinker, treat yourself to some of the new Rieslings out on the market. But find a store that has a good section of German wines. Otherwise, you will end up re-tasting that stuff you drank in college because you could afford it, and miss out on some lovely wines that blend with and enhance food.

Food Pairing Suggestions with Eroica: Asian dishes, duck, shrimp, cheeses, foods with caramelized onions and most fish recipes. This is a very food friendly wine, so experimenting is highly suggested.