Posted on 11/16/2002 3:43:04 AM PST by WaterDragon
Thunderbird and Night Express are a couple of the classier ones!
CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE
I have tried a lot of California, Washington, and Oregon Riesling, and so far nothing, regardless of price, has matched an average one from Germany. And Alsatian Riesling is even better than German - though the prices there are much higher.
I'm glad to see some American wine makers are finally trying to make good Riesling. I've long thought we had the right climate and soil if only someone would take the time to do it properly.
ALL German wines, American Rieslings and Gewertztraminers are "sweet," and are usually not considered serious wines, let alone "fashionable."
To each his own, however. I would drink a Trochenberenauslese or Late Harvest Spatlese as an aperitif, and enjoy it immensely.
There are loads of excellent dry German Rieslings (not to mention the sensational Alsatian Rieslings and Gewurz). They're routinely rated among the best in the wine press, but popular conceptions that they're not "serious" wine persists.
However, keep preaching that sort of stuff sink. If the word gets out, the price might rise. I'm perfectly happy with the status quo. :-)
(Incidentally, their American versions sadly deserve their inferior reputation in my experience so far.)
Well, I'll take your word for it, as none of the Alsatians I've tasted could hold a candle to a good California Chardonnay or Fume Blanc. Too sweet for my tastes.
But, as I said, to each his own. I love wine, and am glad so many others do as well. The vintner's product is one of the delights of life!
Like you said... to each his own. 90 percent of the California Chardonnay and Fume I've tasted is like sucking on an oak 2 X 4 (as I've heard it described - "oak - the MSG of the wine world"). I got tired of paying 40 dollars a bottle for California chardonnay that was indistinguishable from 15 dollar a bottle California Chardonnay. The non-oaked stuff from New Zealand kills the stuff from California at a fraction of the price, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc. But since the climate is so different, it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison.
Of course, as I keep trying to explain to my non-wine drinking friends, the only real test of a wine is whether or not you like it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.