Wines that make you go 'Ahhh '
PAID CONTENT
They fit you like a favorite pair of jeans; comfortable, easy and they are the ones you go to, because right then, it is exactly what you want. You might be by yourself after a long week. You could be with friends or family on a special occasion. It could be any number of factors, from the weather, to your mood, to a place in time, or just a place you love. They are the wines you go to when that spirit, that set of circumstances, is just right for that wine which is just right.
For me, and I’m guessing for many of us, it goes beyond producer or winery. It has more to do with style, with appellation, with aromatic and flavor memory. At times it is simply the texture of the wine, or the weight of it on the palate, that stirs the emotion we want it to and transports us forward or backward to a time or place. For every wine consumer, these wines that make you go “Ahhh…” are likely different. They should be. That is what makes wine, well, wine.
Some of mine? Just a few? In no particular order here they are. Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, or Carneros, are a group of wines that to me are unmistakable and fit a mood perfectly and can, in an instant, take me back to my time in Sonoma. When in the right winemaking hands they present themselves with a silky mouthfeel and a dense palate weight that is without compare, not just in the world of Pinot Noir, but in the big world of wine. The aromatics of ripe Bing cherries and morel mushrooms cause me to linger over a glass longer than any others. I am instantly transported back to the heart of the Sonoma Valley, enjoying dinner by the pool and loving every sip of the wine as the fog came down the valley from the Petaluma Gap, cooling the 90 degree day enough to go inside for a sweatshirt.
Napa and Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc, with their punch of pink grapefruit on the nose and the palate, is just one of the finest things you can have on a hot summer day. Clean, crisp, no oak and no Semillon in the mix, it is the most refreshing thing you will drink. It makes you willing to drive far and wide to track down a bowl of steamed mussels served with perfect french fries. It is one of those wines that will simply go right down all afternoon, and will feel like a dip in cool water.
Provencal rosè, along with a select few made here in the States, is another of those fresh and refreshing wines that for every hot summer day you encounter, you need a bottle in the fridge. These wines from the South of France are just different, and set the standard for all those coming from other places. A long time ago, while in France, we were fortunate to spend an afternoon on the beach in Bandol. This tiny town on the Mediterranean in Provence is lovely. The smell of the salt air and the aroma of wonderful food coming from the restaurants nearby is a keen and specific memory. I put my nose in a glass of rosè from this part of the world and it takes me right there.
Washington Syrah is one of those grape/appellation combinations that I don’t think does any better anywhere else! Spend some time with a handful of the really good producers in Washington, talking to them of the marriage of this grape and this area, and you will get it. The savory nose of meat and dried herbs with just a hint of bacon fat, then transitions to a fruit laden and weighty palate for a wine that will not be confused with any other. Since coming to this area to open the shop we have stood in the vineyards of Washington with winemakers that have become good friends, tasting Syrah grapes and sipping some at the same time. They are some of the most rewarding parts of our journey with our shop and our time here in the Northwest.
I could go on. Moscato d’Asti after a big holiday dinner, Napa Valley Chardonnay with perfectly prepared shellfish, tasting through a flight of Northwest red blends with friends, going back and forth about what each offers and why it matters are “Ahhh…” moments that will stay with me. It is not important that you have had the same ones as me or not. I hope for you that you find your own; that every wine consumer, regardless of where you find yourself on your wine journey, finds your wines that are that comfortable of a fit.
If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
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George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The dinner party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018. George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop. You can also follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.