Chicago Riesling Summer Wine Picks with Jessica Altieri

2017 Riesling Summer Wine Picks

Jessica Altieri | CEO | Wine Channel TV Media

You’ll love the fra­grant fresh sips I suggest, not that I don’t have a few reds to spring on you too! Wine Channel TV Editor Jessica Altieri shares some of her favorite Summer Wines for you to enjoy! Watch the video for a “Cheeky Riesling from New Zealand.

Riesling

Germany, Austria, New Zealand, the U.S.—it seems vint­ners everywhere are getting into the Riesling rage these days, and for good reason. This funky varietal boasts a stunning range, from rich and sweet to ultra crisp, zippy and dry. Yes, I said dry. Wine lovers around the globe have expanded their taste buds to embrace this chic native of Germany’s Rhine Valley.

Snapshot

Rot is rot, you say? Noble Rot begs to differ. Take the Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling for starters. Those crafty Germans let the grapes age and rot and wrinkle like rai­sins, intensifying the sugars and the caramel and honey bouquet. At the other extreme, Kabinett Rieslings are like late spring in Death Valley—nearly bone dry.

Millennials—the biggest, boldest wine consumers today—seek out the new and aren’t afraid of change, but they also demand to be informed. Which is why the Riesling Taste Profile scales (on the sides of many wine bottles now) are, in a word, genius! 26,000,000 bottles in the U.S. market now help you predict the taste in a particular bottle of Riesling.

This is sweet Riesling music to my ears!

Fave Sips

• Mud House Riesling Waipara Valley New Zealand 2014
• Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling Semi Dry Riesling 2011
• Dr. Frank Dry Riesling 2012
• Jim Barry ‘The Lodge Hill’ Dry Riesling 2013
• Spy Valley Envoy Riesling 2009
• Tierce Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2009
• J.J. Prum 2010 Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese

Great Eats

If you go the sweet route, Asian fare, Indian food, spicy sausage and charcuterie perfectly contrast that Riesling sugar kick that cools down spicy grub. If you grabbed a dry Riesling, choose crisp seafood, shellfish or grilled chicken to complement the crisp mineral, zesty lemon/lime and tropical stylings of this favorite spring varietal.

The Unforgettable Kiss

Tierce Dry Riesling from Finger Lakes, New York, gained rock star status in 2013 when President Obama served it at his second inaugural luncheon. When I judged the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competi­tion—created by winemakers Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Winery, and David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars—my taste buds were ravished by this amazing white. Wine genius Dan Berger recently dubbed a 2008 Tierce “the best dry Riesling ever made in the United States.” Enough said!

Happy Summer Sips and stay tuned to Wine Channel TV for more summer sips coming next month!

Wine Storage Guide with Jessica Altieri

Taking Wine Home and Storage

What to ask for

Taking wine home is not always an easy task. If you transport it the wrong way, you could very well damage your precious wine! There are different ways of taking wine home and storing it. The interesting thing is that it really isn’t that difficult!

In a Box?

One of the most vital questions that most people ask is whether they should transport their wine in a box. If you have the space in your car to transport it, by all means, transport it in a box. This will keep the wine away from sunlight and ensure that it does not sustain any damage during transportation. Keeping it on its side is usually best as that’s how it would be kept in a cellar on a wine rack.

Another reason to want a box to take your wine home in is due to the weather. In summer, it is not a good idea to keep wine in sunlight due to the harshness of the sun as I mentioned before. Sunlight will react with the phenols in the wine and can spoil it, which you definitely need to avoid. This is why it is a good idea to ask for a box when you plan to transport your wine any particular distance.

Chilled or not?

One of the most common questions that most people ask is whether to buy chilled wine or warm wine. The one thing that you need to remember is that wine is usually kept chilled when it is in the store. This is to keep it from warming over too much and spoiling..

How to Transport it Home

When transporting wine, ensure that it is covered. Try to transport it in a box or a cooled bag.

Buying Cases

Scouring for the Right Case

Buying a wine case is never an easy job, trust me! There are a few factors that you have to consider before you make your purchase. These considerations include the duration of storage and your storage location. These two elements will determine the type of case that you’ll purchase.

If you have absolutely no idea of what wine case to buy, you should always go online and look at many user reviews. I’m a real advocate for the internet, and as I have said before, it is a very powerful tool that most people underuse dramatically. If used effectively, it can save you a lot of time and money, not just in terms of wine, but for any reason.

You can always scour Facebook groups and see what cases other people have bought. What may look great to you in the advertisement may actually have a common problem, some sort of batch default. Some bags may have durability problems; a problem not usually listed in an advertisement (well, obviously, who would advertise a glitch!)

By reading the testimonials and reviews of other fellow wine lovers, you will be able to buy the perfect wine case.

How long will you be storing it

The most important question that you have to ask yourself is how long you will be storing your wine? The fact is that the duration of storage is the primary factor determining how expensive or affordable your case is, and should be.

If a case is being sold at a high price, you can rest assured that it will keep your wine cool for a long time. If it is being sold at a low price, the wine case is probably ideal for a few hours only. If you are going to make short trips to a relative’s house or a friends place, it may be a good idea to buy a wine case that will keep your wine chilled for a few hours.

Not only is this ideal, it actually brings the price of the case down significantly! When it comes to wine, always buy a bag that will keep your wine chilled for an hour more than you will actually need it for. If nothing else, you might be enjoying the party a little more than you realize!

Where will you be storing it

So where will you store the wine?

If you are planning to keep it in a place where sunlight reaches the case, it may be a good idea to get a wine case with a shiny surface. This will help reflect sunlight so that the case does not absorb it – it would otherwise destroy your newly bought bottle!

If you are planning to keep the wine case in a place where there is very little sunlight, it is a good idea to forego that shiny UV protection. After all, every layer of protection does add to the cost. If you live in a relatively cold climate, you may just need to keep the bag away from sunlight, nice and simple!