The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2013

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Trefethen Family Vineyards winemaker Zeke Neeley. Chihuly Garden and Glass Chihuly Garden and Glass is a dazzling collection of Northwest glass-master Dale Chihuly's most eclectic sculptures, shown in a custom-built space at the Seattle Center in the shadow of the iconic Space Needle. A must visit for tourists and professionals alike, the art mimics nature in a completely unique way. Try both day and night passes—lighting is the key to the exhibitions and can be very different at various times. Monday and Tuesday were led by distinguished speakers including German wine writer Ursula Heinzelmann; Emily Wines, Master Sommelier and Director of Wines for Kimpton Hotels; Professor Ulrich Fischer from the Center for Wine Research in Neustadt, Germany; television host Leslie Sbrocco; and various producers including Chateau Ste. Michelle Head Winemaker Bob Bertheau, Tom and Sam Berry of Jim Barry Estates, Frankland Estate's Hunter Smith, Wilhelm Weil and Ernst Loosen. Seminars on topics such as Riesling's Outer Limits, To Blend or Not To Blend and Marketing Riesling wowed the crowd, many featuring in-depth tastings, both blind and non-blind. An extraordinary German Grosses Gewächs exhibition included a discussion of recent changes in German wine regulations concerning vineyard classification, wine style and nomenclature. There were also a plethora of pairing demonstrations that showcased Riesling's compatibility with various local foodstuffs such as oysters, cheese and smoked salmon. The final event was a farewell reception at Chihuly Garden and Glass, a mind-blowing permanent exhibit of some of the world's greatest glass sculpture. Marketing Riesling One element of continued controversy in the wine world, and one that kept coming up in the seminars, involves how to best market Riesling to consumers. Should we emphasize terroir by focusing on regional differences and how those traits interact with various foods? The difficulties that seminar attendees and expert speakers had during blind tastings in distinguishing terroir, to the point of often not being able to tell New World from Old World, suggests that perhaps it makes more sense to sell the grape's tremendous food-friendliness and crisp, easy-todrink character, regardless of origin. Many such gatherings claim to speak on behalf of a variety and the producers of the resulting varietal wines. The Riesling Rendezvous actually accomplishes this to an extraordinary degree. While the first four conferences took place in Seattle, upcoming gatherings will rotate on a triennial basis between Seattle, Germany and Western Australia. Top Riesling Picks SPARKLING Chateau Ste. Michelle 2010 Riesling Brut Tantalus (available only at winery) WHITE Trefethen 2012 Dry Riesling, Napa Valley, California ($19) Fox Run 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York ($18) Koenig 2012 Riesling, Idaho ($16) Milbrandt Vineyards 2011 Traditions Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington ($11) Frankland Estate 2011 Riesling, Smith Cullam Vineyard, Western Australia ($64) Greywacke 2011Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand ($25) Robert Weil 2011 Riesling Trocken Kiedrich Grafenberg Erstes Gewächs, Mosel, Germany ($54) Domaine Wachau 2008 Riesling Auchleiten Smaragd, Wachau, Austria ($30) DESSERT Mission Hill Family Estate 2011 Ice Wine Reserve, British Columbia, Canada ($26/375 ml.) Long Shadows 2009 Riesling Ice Wine, Columbia Valley, Washington ($85/375 ml., available only at winery) Weinrieder Riesling 2008 Eiswein Schneiderberg, Burgenland, Austria ($45/375 ml.) september 2013  /  the tasting panel  /  85 TP0913_063-103.indd 85 8/22/13 9:23 PM

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