A Candidate for Your House White: d'Arenberg's The Stump Jump

Last week I was extolling the virtues of red blends. After I wrote the post, I realized that though there were many red blends in my cellar, there weren't many white blends. I'm not sure why that's the case, because what goes for reds is true of whites as well: the blending can make the wine especially food friendly and versatile. And, just as with red blends, there is often a very attractive price tag on a white blend.

So I looked in the closet to see if I had any white blends and discovered a bottle of the 2009 d'Arenberg The Stump Jump (suggested retail $10; available for $9-$13) This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, and Riesling. As with most good blends, you can identify the individual components in the finished product. In this case, the Sauvignon Blanc is evident in the aroma which is very grassy, and that grassiness is accompanied by touches of honey from the Marsanne. The flavors have notes of pear, grapefruit pith, and a bit of litchi--so there's more Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling influence there. The mouthfeel is heavier than some whites, thanks largely to the Marsanne. The aftertaste reminded me of a dry Riesling, with its acidity and apple notes. I would have liked the wine to be a bit more fruit-forward--which is not something I say often. Even so, this wine is a good candidate for a house white because of its versatility and very good QPR. I looked over my notes from previous vintages, too, and this wine has consistently been good all the way back to 2004, which is another reason to try a bottle if you see one in the store, irrespective of its vintage.

Proof of the wine's versatility can be had by pairing it with something like this Soba Noodle Salad with Salmon and Asparagus from Bon Appetit magazine. With the rich salmon and avocado, the grassy asparagus, and the ginger-soy dressing, it's a bit of a challenge--but this wine handled it beautifully. The Sauvignon Blanc worked well with the asparagus, the Riesling with the Asian flavors, and the Marsanne stood up to the buckwheat and salmon.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

The Great Australian Riesling Roundup

Time for a roundup of Rieslings to put some zip into your summer. When July turns into August, I always start hankering for some boiled spicy shrimp or a garlic and lemon marinated chicken to break up the BBQ sauce, hot dogs, and steaks that many of us have been indulging in since Memorial Day. If this is how you are feeling, there's nothing better to pair with these lively, vibrant summer alternatives than Riesling. And Australian Rieslings seem ideally suited to the warm temperatures and outdoor dining that dominate this part of the year.

Here are my recommendations, culled from Australian Rieslings I've enjoyed lately:

The 2008 Plantagenet Riesling is a very dry wine with aromas of petrol, lemon pith, and apple peel. (suggested retail $20; available for $13-$21) The flavors are a bit rounder--more like Granny Smith apples and litchi--but they remain dry. Excellent with seafood. Very good QPR, for this classically tasty wine.

Despite its name, 2009 Frisk Riesling "Prickly" isn't prickly at all. (suggested retail $10; available for $9-$13) Instead, it's a simple Riesling with a touch of spritz and lively, slightly sweet apple flavors. Far less dry than either of the bottles here, this would be a good pick for sipping on the back patio with some hors d'oeuvres or for pairing with very spicy food. Very good QPR.

With the 2008 d'Arenberg Riesling The Dry Dam we're back to a wine that is dry and elegant, with similar petroleum and green apple aromas. (suggested retail $16; available from $9-$18)The flavors are dominated by green apple this time, and more petroleum sneaks in to the aftertaste. Nice for the price, and widely available. Very good QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received these bottles as samples.

Red, White, and Tasty All Over

If you think there is something weird about blending red and white wine, think again. As I've mentioned before on GWU$20, I love the mixture of shiraz or syrah and viognier that produces wines that have all of syrah's spiciness, but with floral aromas and a silky quality. And I'm not the only one to like wines that are red, white, and tasty all over. Gary Vaynerchuk is a big fan, too, and you can watch him tasting a few shiraz-viognier wines over at Wine Library TV.

The 2002 Maxwell Four Roads Shiraz-Grenache-Viognier was a lovely example of what makes these red-white blends so appealing. ($14.95, Chronicle Wine Cellar; between $18 and $25 from other merchants) Maxwell Vineyards is a family-owned and operated vineyard in the McLaren Vale region of Australia that was started in 1979. They are well known for being the largest producer of mead--fermented honey wine--in the Southern Hemisphere. But they make excellent grape wine, too, as this bottle proves. (picture of 2003 bottle for reference; the 2002 label does not have the grenache mentioned on the label but it is in the wine nonetheless)

When you open this wine you might be taken aback by the smell of apricots along with spicy red fruit. But you'll find that the flavors are more familiar to red wine lovers, and are based on the varietal characteristics of shiraz and grenache: blackberry, red raspberry, and peppery spice. All of these flavors are wrapped up in a silky package, with the viognier bringing not only enticing apricot aromas but a nice lift to the wine when you hold it in your mouth. The flavors weren't hugely persistent, as they are with many Australian shirazes, but the wine is so bright and lively that I found it irresistible nonetheless. Very good QPR at under $15, and even if you have to pay more I suspect you will agree. What to have with your red-white wine? Thai beef curry, a spicy beef stir-fry, or even a bowl of chili would be perfect.

I should note that some of Maxwell's Four Roads from the 2002 vintage were bottled under Stelvin closures and some under cork; my bottle was under a cork. If anyone has has the screw-top bottle, I would be interested to know if you found the viognier even more apparent in either the aromas or flavors. But under screw top or cork, I think you will really enjoy this tasty and affordable red wine from Down Under.