Bergström Winery's Dr. Bergström Riesling (2007)

The Riesling wine is said to have originated in Germany, in the Rhein and Mosel river valleys.   The Riesling is a white grape variety that is known for producing fruity and floral wines that can differ based on the terroir.  And there are a lot of terroirs.  Riesling grapes are planted around the world, not only in Germany but also in Austria, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, northern Italy, New Zealand, and the United States (including California, New York and the Pacific Northwest).

Riesling production in the Pacific Northwest is growing in Washington State, but on the decline in Oregon.  Still, there are vineyards and wineries in Oregon's Willamette valley that continue to produce this style of wine.  One of those vineyards is Bergström Wines. I've previously reviewed Bergström's Shea Valley Pinot Noir.  In addition to the Pinot Noir, Bergström also produces the Dr. Bergström Riesling.  When Clare and I visited the Bergström tasting room during our honeymoon, we purchased a bottle of the 2007 vintage.  

The Dr. Bergström Riesling is produced with grapes from four different vineyards: Hyland, Chehalem Mountain, Cherry Grove and the Territorial Vineyard.  The grapes from these vineyards enable Bergström to create a wine that, in its view, mirrors the Rieslings of Germany.  The wine is fermented for five months in stainless steel vats before being bottled.

The Dr. Bergström pours a color that is reminiscent of apple juice or white gold.  Little bubbles dot the sides of the glass, shining like stars through the wine. The wine has aromas of starfruit, kiwi and pears, along with a faint sense of apples and minerality.  As for the taste, the wine has the bright, crisp apple flavor that is one often finds with a Riesling.  Other fruits can be found in this wine, such as a hint of pear and melon.  There is also surprisingly a hint of lemon in this wine.  The wine has a high acidity and crispness to it, which makes it very enjoyable to drink. 

This vintage is probably not available now, but later vintages may be available.  We purchased this wine at the Bergström tasting room in Willamette Valley.

ENJOY!

Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett (2009)

Clare and I participate in a wine club where a bunch of friends get together for a dinner.  One couple cooks a four course dinner, another couple pairs wines with each course, and everyone eats and has a good time.  Clare and I volunteered to do the wine pairing for the July dinner.  We had quite the challenge, because the couple who were cooking the dinner decided to prepare a four course meal of South Indian street food.  Toover Dal with Uttapam and Maangai Thokku, Vada Pav with Coriander and Tamarind Chutneys, and much, much more. Given Indian food is usually paired with beer (like Taj Mahal for example), we needed to do our research.  Based upon my initial research, a lot of people were recommending German Riesling wines as a good pairing with Indian food. 

Although more commonly known for beer, Germany has a fairly developed wine culture.  Given this is my first review of a German wine, a little background is in order.  Germany produces more white wines than red wines, by about two to one.  The most commonly planted white grapes are Riesling, followed by Muller-Thurgau and Silvaner (or Sylvaner).  The most commonly planted red grapes are Pinot Noir grapes.  All of these grapes (and more) are grown in thirteen regions around Germany, including Rheinhessen, Mosel, Baden, Wurrtemberg and Saxony.

There are several classifications of German wines.  Setting aside the classifications for table wines, the basic classification is Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete or "QbA."  The next higher classification, which is for wines of greater quality, is called Qualitätswein mit Prädikat or "QmP." This classfication has several subcategories, such as Kabinett, which refers to a wine made with grapes that are picked after the QbA grapes.  Other subcategories refer to grapes picked after the Kabinett, such as the Spatlese (late harvest grapes picked about 12 to 14 days after the Kabinett grapes) and Auslese (grapes that are hand selected from other pickings).

With this background, I can now turn to Dr. H. Thanisch's Bernkasteler Badstube.  This wine is made with Riesling grapes grown in and around Mosel at vineyards such as Graben, Lay, and Alte Badstube am Doctorberg.  The winemaker uses only sustainable practices to make this wine.  No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used on grapes.  

This wine pours a golden apple color, which is suggestive of the flavors in both the aroma and the taste.  The aromatic elements feature green applies and Bartlett pears in the nose.  These aromas are actually very nice and light.  The wine is light in terms of body, although not as light as other white wines that I've tried.  The taste of the wine is also full of apples both in the front and the finish.  I particularly liked this wine because it was sweet without the sticky and sugary residue of other semi-sweet or sweet wines. 

Obviously, the Bernkasteler Badstube can be paired with Indian food, but it can also be paired with seafood and poultry chicken dishes. I think it could have gone well with my Roasted Turkey Thighs and Collard Greens.  The sweetness of the wine could have been a good contrast to the bitterness of the collard greens. 

I found this wine at Whole Foods and, if I recall, it was over $20.00 a bottle. Still, it was worth the money. 

ENJOY!

For more about Germany's wines, check out Wikipedia.

Riesling Steamed Hake with Sauteed Red Chard

I have to admit that I completely winged this recipe.  We have had a few ingredients that had been sitting around in our vegetable basket, like a sweet onion and a couple of shallots, that needed to be used.  Those ingredients can be used in a lot of ways, but neither really stands out as a principal ingredient, at least for the dish I wanted to cook.  

So, I bought some Hake and some red chard.  I immediately faced a problem.  Although very healthy, chard is a bitter leaf vegetable.  I needed to think of some ingredients to use to help smooth out the bitterness.  I bought a small bulb of fennel, which would provide some anise and licorice flavors. However, the ingredient that I thought would do the best job of taming the bitterness of the chard is wine.  And, not just any wine, but a Riesling.

Rieslings are white wines full of fruit flavors, such as pears, peaches, and other refreshing fruits.  Germany is well known for its Rieslings, as is the Alsace region of France.  However, I decided to go with an American Riesling.  I bought a Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington and proceeded home to make this dish. 

The dish basically involves the steaming of the hake with the Riesling wine.  I did not have a steam plate, so I used the sweet onion as the platform, filling the pan with wine until it was just below the top of the onions.  I put the hake on top and set the heat on high.  This dish is still a work in progress and I will update the post if I make any changes to it. 

RIESLING STEAMED HAKE WITH SAUTEED RED CHARD

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients: 

1 pound of Hake fillet, cut into even-sized pieces

1 bunch of red chard, stems diced finely and leaves sliced

1 large sweet onion, cut into thick slices

2 shallots, sliced

1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 small bulb of fennel, stalks trimmed off and diced finely

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 bottle of Riesling
1 tomato, cut into eighths
1/2 lemon, cut into quarters

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions:

1.  Saute the chard.  Heat the butter and oil in a a large saute pan on medium-high heat.  Add the chard stems and fennel.  Saute for about five to eight minutes until the chard stems and fennel are soft.  Add the chard leaves and continue to saute the chard for about a minute or two.  Add about 1 1/2 cups of wine and let the chard cook until the wine cooks down, about five to eight minutes.

2.  Steam the fish.  Place the onions at the bottom of a rounded saute pan and pour about 1 1/2 cups of wine until the wine is just below the top of the onions.  Heat the pan on high and place the hake on the onion.  Cover and, when the wine begins to heat up and steam, it will cook the fish.  The fish will need to steam for about eight to twelve minutes depending upon the thickness of the fish.

3.  Finish the dish.  Remove the chard and place in a colander over the bowl to help drain any excess liquid  Then plate the chard first and the fish on top of the chard.  Plate with tomato and lemon wedges.  Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

As for the rest of the wine, drink it.  Rieslings are great, refreshing wines.

ENJOY!