I've enjoyed a few Grüner's before when visiting family in Europe, and occasionally you see one on a wine menu in a good restaurant in the upper valley. So it was a pleasant surprise to see this wine in the powerbuy section of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet.
When I first looked at the label I thought it was from Austria, the writing looked like ones from Europe. As it turns out the wine was from California, but it is very much in the style from Austria or Switzerland.
The Niven family has been farming this land since the early 70's, the grapes are sustainably grown and they are SIP certified. This means they have to adhere to strict standards for land management as well as treating their employees well and working with the community.
Upon opening there are notes of apple, honeydew melon, gooseberries, and a hint of peach in the nose, the palate brings matching flavors, with a bit of a spicy note (in a good way) and the fruit flavors fade away nicely on the finish. There is good acidity, which helps clear the palate when enjoying certain foods such as cheese fondue or a dish with a higher fat content.
This was a perfect match with the Chicken Marbella recipe from the Silver Palate cookbook, which has all kinds of ingredients. This would also pair well with a number of cheeses, aged Gruyere, Gorgonzola, a 3 year old sharp Cheddar. I also think grilled shrimp or scallops would pair well with this wine, as would grilled chicken rubbed with garlic and paprika.
Or you could sip this wine by itself, it's pretty darn good. I'm thinking this would be good on a warm summer evening out on the deck or patio.
Available at most of the NH Liquor outlets for $10.99, and a few other retail sites for $17.00 to $20.00 per bottle. It's a good value, and there is also a 15% case discount which brings the price down to $9.35 per bottle. At that price buy a case and save a few for this summer....
Cheers!
Ed
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