"Crisp"

The close of this academic year means the nearing of my one year anniversary working at my current institution. The end of the the 2007-2008 academic year also brings new changes for me in that I relocated to a new apartment, which I moved into this past weekend. As I sat in my old empty apartment the last night I was there (this past Saturday), I enjoyed a bottle from my recent wine guild shipment - a 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling.

As per the label, the grapes in this wine are "pressed" rather than crushed with the "juice fermented slowly in cold temperatures to enhance varietal flavor." The description makes note of this Riesling as "fruity, clean, and crisp, with acidity in balance with sweetness."

I have to say that I am glad to read that "crisp" is one of the ways the winegrowers and makers would speak of this wine, because as I sat in my old apartment drinking it, that was honestly one of the first descriptors to come to mind..."crisp."

This Riesling has a nice clear white grape hue to it. I may have chilled it too much because I was not able to see how it coats the glass. The nose on it though - quite enjoyable. The nose is one that makes you think there are pears combined with the grapes to give it this nice, lightly sweet scent, but not too heavy. The taste on this wine is also enjoyable and pleasant enough that it can be consumed by itself, as I did.

The taste of this wine can really only be described as "crisp." One of the first things you taste is this combination of pears and grapes. The reason I think you might taste pears is because the grapes of Rieslings are a little sweeter, but not overly. As such it may make you think of a pear mixed with a grape. But this sweet flavor lingers just a little bit on the palate, with a hint of acidity. The sweetness slowly melts away to a light and gentle tartness of the grapes, which is the last taste on your tongue.

This "crisp," clean, and enjoyable wine was a great way to end the time I spent in my first apartment in the Willamette Valley.