You can’t judge a wine by its bottle or color or When Not To Run Screaming from an Unknown Bottle of Wine

I see it everyday. If a bottle is tall and skinny, people think horrible thoughts about the fermented grape juice within it. Perhaps we all have a Liebfraumilch story which may or may not be worse than our collegiate tequila story.Let’s look at this bias and see if we can eradicate some fear:

The Tall Skinny Bottle: Admittedly I do not know what the technical term for this shape is and I refer to it as an Alsatian-shaped bottle. Yes, there were scary sweet gross white wines made here in the USA and in other parts, sold on grocery store shelves while masquerading as one of the noblest and most misunderstood wines of all, Riesling. Yes, Riesling can be sweet but good German, Alsatian, American and whoever winemakers make it this way on purpose. When that’s the case, it will say something about that on the label, for example: Spatlese, Auslese, and Late Harvest among other designators. This is dessert wine and that’s the place in the meal where it rightly belongs.

Rieslings lower in residual sugar, such as those with the Kabinett designation are wonderful things to drink. They can be very fruit-forward which I can see folks labeling the sensation as “sweet”. However, I sometimes wonder if it’s psychosomatic; the palate can detect residual sugar starting at a level of approximately 1.2g/L. Many dry Rieslings have residual sugar levels of 0.8g/L and lower. It’s just that the grape is generous with its fruit. When vinified with care, it will be generous with everything else: minerals, floral nuances, and acidity to name a few characteristics.

Other varietals live in tall skinny bottles as well. Most Alsatian whites -Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris to name just a few – have traditionally been bottled in tall green bottles. Of these, I feel the need to defend Gewurz the most. A bastardized grape, it has shown up in the New World as sticky sweet junk far removed from the complex spicy wine into which it can be made. It is often overlooked and feared for both its glass home and its name. Too bad, because it is one of the most enjoyable white wine experiences one can have. The grape’s origins are in Italy where it was called Tramino. Its present day name in German simply means “spiced Tramino.”   And indeed spice, especially baking spice, is a predominant feature of well-made Gewurz. But again, sweetness is not the deal here. It’s fruit, spice, acidity and minerality. Not to mention the wine’s versatility with cheese and food across the board.

The proof lies within the bottle itself. As always with wine, the final verdict is yours and yours alone. Come on in and we’ll taste some things. Fearlessly and, hopefully, with great enjoyment for your palate!

Cheers,

Candy the Winemonger