Pacific Rim White Flowers Sparkling Riesling NV

This is the must have bubbly for tonight!

Yes, this is a Washington State sparkling Riesling. Pacific Rim, a Riesling focused winery, was originally located in California, but is now located in West Richland, Washington about a 10 minute drive from my home. They moved here because the grapes are grown here. Makes sense to me. The grapes used in this sparkler are from their Selenium Vineyard — located north of the Yakima River at an elevation of almost 1000 feet.

Riesling is not a traditional varietal for sparkling wine. You might even expect this wine to be over the top sweet, but it's not. This is a gorgeous, dry, crisp, lovely bubbly wine. It has a fragrant floral nose, which leads to a mouth full of crisp apple flavor and a snappy finish. I've already enjoyed two bottles of this wine in the last week. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some too.

Although reasonably priced at $16 on their Web site, you may be able to find it for less locally (I certainly did). However you enjoy bringing in the New Year, a bottle of Pacific Rim White Flower Sparkling Riesling would be a great addition.

My suggested pairing is with something spicy; Thai food would be good, or Chinese (spicy grilled shrimp comes to mind, or a lovely chicken curry). How do you celebrate the New Year?

Pacific Rim Winery Web: http://rieslingrules.com/

Happy New Years, Cheers!

Three Albariños and Several Food Pairings | Taste Rías Baixas

As promised, more reviews of Albariño wines from Rías Baixas. My previous post ( My Favorite White Wines this Summer are from DO Rias Baixas ), I emphasized more traditional food pairings, grilled shrimp, Ceviche, and watermelon. This time, I wanted to try some different pairings to see how well Albariño wines would match. I love seafood, but I was curious about the flexibility of this variety. My test pairings began with a series of mini quiche I made at home, spinach, hamburger, tomato, dill and steak. Following are my tastings notes on the wines and the food pairing results. Results were mixed. Map of DO Rías Baixas and sub-zones. While twelve grape varieties are permitted in DO Rías Baixas, the white Albariño grape represents 96% of all plantings. Albariño refreshes as a drinking wine and appeals to diverse cuisine. Albariño from Galicia delivers for me on many levels. Bright acidity, refreshing citrus flavors and that compelling salinity which in...

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine. That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d...

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle ...

William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

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