What if I told you that I had a great dry French white wine that goes well with a wide range of foods and costs under $20? Better yet, it's widely available. Sounds like a great deal, right? Where do I find it?
Well, there is one small problem. This particular type of wine has a bit of a bad rap. It's like the uncoordinated kid that always gets picked last for the schoolyard baseball team - if you leave it out during a party, people will choose everything and anything else first. Even then, they will expect mediocrity. Yet, when they drink it without knowing what it is, most people like it. So, open your mind and stay with me on this one.
The wine in question comes from the Alsace region of France, just west of the Rhine river and a little south of Strasbourg. This is one of the most northerly and coolest wine regions in France, and therefore its wines tend to be acidic and relatively low in alcohol. Alsace has alternated between Germany and France many times, depending on who won the last war, but it has its own distinct style. Because of the Germanic influence, in Alsace, unlike most of France, wines are labeled by grape variety rather than the appellation. Our wine of the week is. . . a 2017 Trimbach Alsatian Riesling ($17 retail). Trimbach is a family estate (see photo above) that has been in business since 1626.
Let's carry our sports analogy a little further. An Alsatian riesling is the sleek cousin that frequently gets confused with its chubby (off-dry) German relative. Many people (including me) dislike German rieslings because they traditionally have noticeable sweetness. Unfortunately, when most people think of riesling they think of the off-dry German version. But the Alsatian versions are bone dry, with good acidity and minerality.
One last thought: although the basic Trimbach riesling is good for most occasions, if you're having a special occasion the Trimbach "Cuvée Frédéric Emile" ($65 retail) is stellar. Although it isn't mentioned on the bottle, the grapes come from Grand Cru vineyards, and it is a more powerful, complex wine that will do well with gourmet foods. This wine can also be cellared for 15-20 years.
Jim, this exactly the wine for me! Would it work with tacos, too?
That’s a great question, because it brings up some key pairing principles:
(1) in addition to the protein, consider the sauce and toppings when selecting a wine, and
(2) if the taco is is hot spicy, pair with something low in alcohol and tannins, and perhaps a little sweetness.
So, yes you can have a great wine pairing with tacos, and the Trimbach Riesling would work well for many taco dishes, including when you add lime.
– A Riesling would go particularly well with veggie, grilled fish and Al Pastor tacos. (An Albarinio would also work great with grilled fish.)
– With hot spice, I’d move to an off-dry German Riesling.
– For steak tacos, a Malbac or Rioja would be a better pair.
One other thought: a rose or a sparkling wine will pair well with most tacos.
Bottom line: try it, and let us know what you think.
Great thoughts on this wine that would not have been a first choice compared to other wines. You mention the specific year of 2017, how does that compare to the 2014, 2015, an 2016 years for the same wine? just curious since you mentioned that year specifically. Also, where are some good places to purchase?
The Trimbach Riesling is pretty consistent across vintages, so any of the recent vintages would be fine. This wine should be consumed within 3 – 5 years of the vintage date, so at this point anything before 2014 wouldn’t be ideal.
The great thing about this wine is that it is widely available nationally. You can find it a Total Wine, and in the Austin area some places to look include Specs, Twin Liquors and Austin Wine Merchant.