Hello Everyone – I hope you’ve had an enjoyable weekend. We’re now officially into Fall, but we’re experiencing the typical late Summer warmth that is the Fall season in Texas. That’s my segue into this week’s review of the 2015 Hogue Late Harvest Riesling. (I recognize it wasn’t the smoothest transition…) This Riesling is grown in Eastern Washington in the Columbia Valley area. Rieslings are not my favorite wine as they’re generally too sweet for me. This 2015 Riesling was even sweeter than past years given it was a warmer season and the grapes ripened sooner. Perhaps they should have marked through “Late Harvest” on the label and updated it with “Not as Late Harvest”. I did detect a slight scent of rubber which can be a by-product sulfur. Sulfur Dioxide is used in stabilizing most wines. However, sulfur can also present itself in dihydrogen sulfide which is a bi-product of fermentation. I only caught a hint of it, but if your wine has a strong smell or taste of rubber or a burnt match, then feel free to send it back at a restaurant. It won’t harm you, but nobody wants to pay good money for a burnt match. Back to the wine review…the initial taste was of honey and apricot with a hint of apple. I had to research some suggested pairings to the Riesling as I’m just not familiar with it. The suggestions included tuna, hard cheeses, nuts, pears, and apples. A common recommendation was to try it with spicy and citrus-based Asian foods. I did pair it with cheese and spicy guacamole. The Riesling paired well with the guacamole, so I might consider it next time I order a spicy dish. The cheese didn’t mellow the sweetness of the wine, so that wasn’t my favorite pairing. My mother did enjoy this wine. I would recommend this wine for those who like sweeter wines. You can find it in grocery stores for approximately $9.00 per bottle.
