a break from the heat.
Below is the latest post from press feature blogger, Michael Costanza. Michael is the author of the regular blog Omnivore in the online publication of the New London Day, the day.com.
image found here
Summer tests one’s love of spicy food. In the humidity of June and July, our brows are already moist enough without any help from the heat of habaneros or the char of chilis. On nights like these, a fiery Mexican dish screams out for an icy margarita or a sweaty bottle of lager. But wine lovers might cool the palate with a chilled Riesling instead. After a long afternoon of lawnmowing and cleaning gutters on an oven-hot roof, I found relief in a bottle of Sharpe Hill 2008 Dry Riesling with spicy Guajillo braised brisket and coconut rice.
The Pomfret, Conn., vineyard crafts this wine from its grapes in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The vineyard bills the wine as an Alsatian-style Riesling, or what some oenophiles might consider bone dry, and suggests pairing it with Asian fusion dishes or seafood. The acid of Rieslings balances spicy and smoky flavors and is said to cut through certain fatty meats and buttery or creamy sauces. Some pairing guides specifically suggest beef or other meats with curries or coconut milk, which was what sold me on trying this wine with my leftovers from a memorable dinner at Senor Flacos, a popular Mexican restaurant in coastal Westerly, R.I.
Sharpe Hill’s Dry Riesling is practically clear in the glass, a silver blonde or light straw color. Its nose is bright honeysuckle and floral with the first pour but fades quickly. Its palate, on the other hand, remains consisten through each glass. Each sip starts with light citrus flavor of mild grapefruit, imparts a little pucker, and then disappears through the nose with a tiny burn.
With the meal, the Riesling accentuated and extended the flavor of the beef and, best of all, added to the creamy texture of the brisket’s melt-in-your-mouth fattiness and the coconut rice. Rather than cut the tingly heat of the jalapenos in this dish, however, it seemed to add slightly to it as it built slowly through the meal.
A refreshing dry wine indeed, this Riesling might pair even better with the subtler, smoother spices of Asian dishes (as the vineyard suggested) than with the abrupt heat of jalapenos or other Mexican flavors.
The Sharpe Hill Dry Riesling has won 11 medals in international competitions, as well as the gold medal at the Big E Northeast Gold Wine Competition. At $14.99 a bottle, it’s a steal.
Let me also recommend Jones Family Farms Winery’s “First Blush” for this category. It’s got a crisp, Apple & Pear base, kissed with a touch of Black Currant (about 3%) and is perfect with spicy dishes, especially served nice & chilled!
Great recommendation! Thanks for sharing :)