I am, generally speaking, fond of the wines of New Zealand. I have never been there, but the place appeals greatly, possibly because I enjoyed the 1970s in the UK and the chance to do it again (if the rumours are to be believed) is strangely attractive.
This week's white wine is not made with the Kiwis' most famous grape, but with another favourite of mine, the classic German variety: Riesling.
Week W (2015) Main Divide Riesling, Pegasus Bay, Waipara 2013. Majestic £10.86
I bought this one in Majestic, Aylesbury, where the manager asked after I had selected it whether I had had it before. I told him I hadn't and he assured me I had chosen well. He offered the advice that it would go well with lightly spicy Asian foods and then raised an eyebrow when I told him that I intended to serve it with Salmon.
I did exactly that, having cooked the Salmon in a sauce made with chicken stock, finely chopped leeks, peas, board beans and crème fraiche and then raised my own eyebrow as it was further off-dry than I had expected.
My bonus daughter, home for a free lunch, was first to comment, favourably, that it tasted like a dessert wine but not so sweet. That's a fair description. The One thought it delicious and her mother declared it to be so good that she herself would fund the purchase of half a dozen bottles for future consumption.
So, three generations of the distaff side can't be wrong. This is delicious, but perhaps would have been better with either something less creamy, or perhaps if I had not unscrewed the cap until the apple and maple syrup cake was presented.
Having said I am fond of the wines of New Zealand, but not an expert, I should fess up to a failure I enjoyed earlier this year. I am one of those irritating people who sit in front of TV quizzes and get lots of answers correct, mostly by guessing well. The One, who has suffered long enough, put forward the obvious challenge: "if you're so bloomin' clever....", so I did. Telephone audition for Mastermind? Simples. Face-to-face? Hmm,... Anyway, I won't have to study the wines of New Zealand any time soon.
This week's white wine is not made with the Kiwis' most famous grape, but with another favourite of mine, the classic German variety: Riesling.
Week W (2015) Main Divide Riesling, Pegasus Bay, Waipara 2013. Majestic £10.86I bought this one in Majestic, Aylesbury, where the manager asked after I had selected it whether I had had it before. I told him I hadn't and he assured me I had chosen well. He offered the advice that it would go well with lightly spicy Asian foods and then raised an eyebrow when I told him that I intended to serve it with Salmon.
I did exactly that, having cooked the Salmon in a sauce made with chicken stock, finely chopped leeks, peas, board beans and crème fraiche and then raised my own eyebrow as it was further off-dry than I had expected.
My bonus daughter, home for a free lunch, was first to comment, favourably, that it tasted like a dessert wine but not so sweet. That's a fair description. The One thought it delicious and her mother declared it to be so good that she herself would fund the purchase of half a dozen bottles for future consumption.
So, three generations of the distaff side can't be wrong. This is delicious, but perhaps would have been better with either something less creamy, or perhaps if I had not unscrewed the cap until the apple and maple syrup cake was presented.
Having said I am fond of the wines of New Zealand, but not an expert, I should fess up to a failure I enjoyed earlier this year. I am one of those irritating people who sit in front of TV quizzes and get lots of answers correct, mostly by guessing well. The One, who has suffered long enough, put forward the obvious challenge: "if you're so bloomin' clever....", so I did. Telephone audition for Mastermind? Simples. Face-to-face? Hmm,... Anyway, I won't have to study the wines of New Zealand any time soon.
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