Page 47 - washington state wine

WHITLEY ON WINE

CHOOSING WINES TODAY IS EASY AS ABC

| ROBERT WHITLEY |

alk into any wine shop with a significant Gruner in the $15 $20 price range. Gruner is crisp and
inventory and most likely the selection firm, with lip smacking acidity and inviting minerality.
will skew toward wines made from the Of these three graoe varieties, Pinot Gris would come
Wworld’s two most popular red and white closest to Chardonnay in texture. Unlike its more aus-
grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. tere cousin, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris offers an oily tex-
ture and ripe aromas of tropical fruits and stone fruits.
They are often referred to as “international” grapes be- J Vineyards Pinot Gris is a regular on my table at about
cause both are versatile andadapt easily to different soils $15 a bottle.
and climates throughout the world, even though histori-
cally Cabernet Sauvignon is most closely associated with Reds: Barbera is a high acid red Italy’s Piedmont region.
the Bordeaux region It is brilliant with
and Chardonnay the tapas and tomato-
Burgundy region – based sauces. Two of
both in France. my favorite Italian
Barberas are made by
There is a sentiment, Michele Chiarlo and
however, among Vietti. Both typically
many wine enthu- retail for less than
siasts to take the $20. Eberle Winery
road less traveled in Paso Robles makes
and challenge the a splendid domestic
taste buds with oth- Barbera for about
er flavors. Those who $22.
choose this path are
commonly known as Negroamaro is an
the ABC crowd. ABC earthy red from
as in anything but the Puglia region
Cabernet or anything in southern Italy. It
but Chardonnay. produces a rich, bold,
That may seem like satisfying red that
a diss, but in reality retails in the $10 $15
it is a noble quest to range. Li Veli and
expand the palate horizon and appreciate wines made Tormaresca are both top notch. These wines represent
from less familiar grape varieties. tremendous value, too.
There are so many possibilities, but for this thought ex- Rioja, despite considerable worldwide fame and acclaim,
periment I have narrowed the potential options to three remains one of the great values in red wine today. A Ri-
white grapes and three red, all of which produce wines oja crianza (meaning it is aged one year in barrel) might
that are increasingly prominent and available in wine fetch $12 to $15 yet deliver the satisfaction you might
bars and wine shops throughout America. expect from a wine at twice the price. Marques de Cace-
res and Montecillo are two of my current favorites, but
Whites: Verdejo is a white grape primarily grown in there are so many to choose from.
Spain’s Rueda region. It is typically lush but with firm
acid structure. Good Verdejo from Rueda can be had in Rioja is typically a blend of Tempranillo and Garna-
the $15 $25 price range. cha, but Tempranillo is the money grape. Rioja is ultra
smooth on the palate, with complex red and black fruit
Gruner Veltliner is one of the flagship white wines of aromas.
Ausrtria, but two U.S. producers, Zocker in California
and Dr. Konstantin Frank in New York, make superb Email Robert at whitleyonwine@yahoo.com.

Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015 47