Of the 1500 or so grape varieties grown worldwide, it’s
generally acknowledged that there are only 6 noble grape varieties. These are
the six varieties that produce outstanding wines on several continents and if
you’ve ever sampled wine, you’ve probably sampled at least 3 if not all 6 of
these noble grapes. All of the noble grapes have their origins in Bordeaux or
Burgundy, France except one which I call the 6th noble grape.
Cabernet Sauvignon
If you’ve ever sampled a red wine from Napa Valley, I’m
pretty sure it was either pure Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Sauvignon based.
Though it’s considered the King of red wines especially in the Napa Valley, its
parentage is from a red grape, Cabernet Franc and a white grape, Sauvignon Blanc
hence the name Cabernet Sauvignon. And though you may believe that Cabernet
Sauvignon’s fame originated with the Napa Valley, its roots go all the way back
to the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary in Bordeaux where the Garonne and
Dordogne rivers meet. Here the First Growth houses of Chateau
Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux and Chateau
Latour rightfully can claim first dibs on the King of the red grapes.
Merlot
Though the popularity of Merlot plummeted after the 2004
release of “Sideways” where Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles disparages Merlot
based wine, some of the loss in sales may also have been due the quality of
Merlot produced in the Golden State twenty years ago. While most wineries
focused on Cabernet Sauvignon as their highlighted wine, Merlot was simply
bottled to be “easy drinking” almost like a red wine for white wine drinkers.
Not a lot of character or complexity. Something you might use for sangria. But
thankfully, the new generation of winemakers in the Golden State are trying to
create their own versions of Merlot based wines in the classic style of the
Right Bank. In fact, those Right Bank wines of Chateau Petrus and Le Pin which
are produced totally from Merlot command 2 to 5 times the price of their First
Growth neighbors on the Left Bank.
Pinot Noir
Though the vineyards of Cote de Nuits in Burgundy, France
produce the most desired Pinot Noir based wines arguably in the world, a lot of
the New World has made tremendous advances in their production of Pinot Noir.
While they aren’t the same as the revered wines of Romanee Conti, La Tache or
Richebourg, Pinot Noir produced in the Sonoma Coast, Mendocino, Santa Maria
Highlands, Willamette Valley and even New Zealand are delicious on their own
merit. Some of the resurgence Stateside may also have been by the release of
“Sideways” as while Miles disparaged Merlot, glowed poetic about Pinot Noir.
Chardonnay
Other than Cabernet Sauvignon, I’m sure you’ve also
sampled a glass of Chardonnay. Like Cabernet Sauvignon, its parentage also
comes from both a red grape, Pinot Noir and a white grape Gouais Blanc. Whether
it’s those buttery rich versions from Napa Valley, the sharp, mineral driven
wines from Chablis, the complex and long-lived wines of the Cote de Beaune or
the refined versions from Washington State, chardonnay has found a permanent
home on several continents.
Sauvignon Blanc
Like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc has found a permanent
home on several continents as it offers a wide range of flavor profiles from
the steely wines of the Loire, France that pair perfectly with raw oysters to
the richer renditions when blended with Semillion in Bordeaux to the grassy,
herbal wines in New Zealand and Australia to the perfect marriage of all of
those qualities in Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, the Golden State had
its own rendition found nowhere else when Robert Mondavi started aging his
Sauvignon Blanc in toasted oak barrels giving it a new name, Fume Blanc.
The 6th
Noble Grape
Like that misunderstood brother-in-law, Riesling has
always remained in the shadows of its noble French siblings. Perhaps because it
hails from Germany though more likely due to the predominance of cheap bottles
that were found on the lower shelves of supermarkets 30 to 40 years ago.
Remember those bottles of Zeller Schwarz Katz, Havemeyer Piesporter Goldtropfchen
and Blue Nun Liebfraumilch? Simply sweet with little bit of acid. But because
of Riesling’s inherent acid, residual sugar and lower alcohol levels, it’s the
perfect wine for spicier Southeast Asian cuisine. The acid cleanses the palate
between bites, the sweetness pairs with tropical fruits and sweet peppers while
the lower alcohol levels doesn’t magnify the burn of Sriracha, kocho-jung or
shichimi. And Riesling found these days are leagues above what was sold 30 to
40 years ago. So while Riesling still might not be the favored noble sibling
Stateside, it should be in your refrigerator as it’s the perfect partner for
our local cuisine. In mid August, Vino hosted a dinner created specifically for
Riesling.
KOJI CURED TAKO
mizuna salad,
ginger sesame vinaigrette and house made tsukemono
wine: 2014 Dr F Weins Prum Kabinett Feinherb
“Graacher Himmelreich”
MISO CHILEAN SEA
BASS
smoked wilted
tatsoi, choi sum, squid ink pasta, fukujinsuke & roasted garlic butter
wine: 2011 Dr F Weins Prum Kabinett “Urziger Wurzgarten”
SAKE BRAISED PORK
BELLY NITSUKE
grilled bok choy,
roasted Japanese taro, Chinese five spice demi and house-made kim chee daikon
wine: 2015 Dr F
Weins Prum Spatlese “Wehlener Sonnenuhr”
(his last vintage)
DESSERT
green macha
tiramisu, sweet azuke beans with shichimi & yuzu sorbet
Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya paired the three savory
courses with wines created by Bert Selbach of Weingut Dr F Weins Prum who also
created the Estate Riesling for Chuck’s own CF Wines label. However, after
creating these Riesling for the past 37 years, Mr Selbach retired after the
2015 vintage so Chuck also decided to retire the CF Estate Riesling at the same
time. All of the wines paired beautifully with the Asian inspired menu and
thankfully, you can find the Weingut Dr Weins Prum label at specialty wine
shops in the 50th.
And if you missed the Riesling dinner at Vino, this year’s Hawaii Food and Wine Festival has a Riesling tasting at the Halekulani on October 27th at 12:30pm highlighting several vintages of Hans Wirshing, Weingut Gunderloch and Reinhold Haart Riesling paired with dishes created specifically for those wines by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.
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