Forrest Estate Riesling 2008

It appears the wine drought is easing. A funny situation to find yourself in when all around there appears to be a wine glut (mostly 2008 Sav no-one could shift). But there you have it. All we could fit into the redesigned, recession-ed, baby friendly budget was bargain plonk from the discount end of the supermarket stock.

I don't think the budget has changed all that much but I wasn't that bothered for some reason.

So, for that insidious love of a good tipple to creep back upon me suddenly was a surprise.

It appeared in the shape of this excellent Riesling. It was like a little ray of sunshine. The fruit purity surpassing pretty much anything I've drunken all year. It was so assured. Prettily balanced. It tasted like ripe summer nectarines but in a graceful, restrained riesling-y way.

It came from the local off license in my far flung patch of suburban Auckland and cost $17.95 so a little more than we've been paying recently. Still, given the quality very nice value for money.

Rich Riesling at Reasonable Price

The Main Divide Waipara Valley Riesling 2007 is a good drop for these frugal times. At around $20 retail (and possibly less bought in case lots) this would be on my list for Christmas cheer. Made with fruit purely from the Waipara Valley it's a weighty style of Riesling despite its lovely low 11.5% alcohol. It smells like stonefruit and green apples set against the backdrop of typical Waipara salty tang. Whether that's the terroir or some judicious lees work I can't be sure but Waipara Rielsing has a common thread of weight and salt that sets it apart from its Marlborough cousins.

The palate continues in a stone-fruity style, minerality providing freshness rather than the Marlborough zippy, acid citrus tones. Off dry, balanced and terribly agreeable this is one to snap up and then wash down at Christmas with the Ika Mata. The fat, pineapple nose a dream pairing with the fish and coconut. a 4 glass wine.

Jacob's Creek Riesling 2007

Some time back, in these pages, I told myself off from being so dismissive of 'supermarket wine'. Some wineries (in that instance Villa Maria) manage to produce consistent, varietally correct wines at low prices which hit the mark when the budget is tight and/or it's just a mid-week dinner.

To be fair we only bought the Jacob's Creek Riesling to play a part as cooking wine in the Oxtail Stew that's featuring at tonight's dinner party. And I'm only drinking it now because I'm too greedy to wait for the Verdejo we're having as an aperitif to chill.....

So what is sub $10, mass-produced supermarket Riesling like?

Sugar wafts up on the nose dominating any fruit flavour that might be lurking underneath and after the initial shudder of introduced acid (?) fades the over-riding impression is of..... cooking apples. Lemons and scary not-for-eating cooking apples. It's a short and narrow wine, flat of structure and plain of song. Cooking apples. Is it.

Rich reckons it's redeeming feature is so confidently asserting the flavour he remembers of cooking apples. I think it's verging on undrinkable. But that can't be right as I'm drinking it. I'm not much surprised that Riesling is a poor cousin to other aromatic whites if this is most peoples introduction to it.

Mesh Eden Valley Riesling 2006

Initial impression is of savoury fruit?? An oily palate with a yeasty soy character along with kerosene and manuka honey.

And. Ta Da. Tart tamarillo (it took a while but we got there in the end). A savoury fruit. This is an intellectual wine and takes some getting used to. Dry and interesting (is that like a girl being 'pale and interesting'?). Bone dry with a granite core.

Stratford Martinborough Riesling 2005

I'm finding this wine hard to pin down. Last night, after a few sips, I found it too austere for casual imbibing and gave up. Today in a less sleepy frame of mind and willing to turn my attention to the liquid in my glass I'm seeing the Stratford in a new light.

Lovely greeny straw colour with an aroma of lavender talc and lemons. If this wine isn't bone dry then it's close to and the chalky texture and zippy acidity certainly make it seem so. The palate is very puckering Granny Smith and lemony iced tea with a floral note bearing out the nose. Intriguing and sophisticated.