Riesling: The Next White Now

That's one reason you should consider attending The New Zealand Wine Fair on Monday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Vancouver's Four Seasons Hotel.

The 2004 edition features some 75 premium wines from 20 wineries, many of which have limited or no presence in B.C. wine stores, public or private. That means your odds of discovering something new and exciting are excellent and if you are lucky, it may come in a bottle bearing a screwcap.

Kiwi wines are built on the notion of fresh, clean flavours and most producers have stopped using corks to ensure all of their wines, red and white, remain pure and fresh.

A number of winemakers will be in attendance to further enhance your experience at the tasting booth. Should you require any further incentive, how about a variety of New Zealand food including lamb, mussels and Pavlova to sample, and you can enter to win airfare for two to Auckland courtesy of Air New Zealand.

Tickets are an affordable $45 (partial proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society), but are available only by phone from Ticketmaster at 604-280-4444 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. There will be no tickets at the door.

Inspired by New Zealand's pure and fresh demeanour, this week we look at the unadulterated (by wood) riesling, including a Kiwi example. The riesling revolution continues to build momentum here on the West Coast for two important reasons: it tastes delicious and it compliments much of the Asian/Indian-inspired food that permeates Lower Mainland cuisine.

We begin with a real bargain. Josef Drathen Bereich Bernkastel Riesling QBA 2002 hints at its Mosel roots on the nose. Look for a wet slate, white floral nose with mineral and baked apple notes. Soft and delicate, it has a sweet palate with reasonable acidity and more juicy baked apple, smoky, mineral flavours. Delicate and clean, it is perfect for Thai food or as a stand-alone summer sipper.

The Lang Vineyards Riesling Reserve 2003 is the best riesling to come out the winery -- and maybe British Columbia -- yet. You'll love its honey, peach, mango aromas mixed with mineral and candied apple notes. It's quite similar to 2003 German Pfalz wines and could be mistaken for one. It has a ripe, round, juicy style with some sweetness and fine acidity, and similar honey, spicy, baked apple, mango, mineral and candied apple skin flavours. Great ripeness and acidity. Impressive -- is it German or Canadian?

Marlborough, New Zealand is our next stop for the wine Stoneleigh Riesling 2001. Its light petrol (Vaseline) scent mixes with lime rind, mineral and green apple skin. It's dry, crisp and smooth on entry but with juicy red apple, lime rind and mineral flavours. A fully mature, off-dry, fruit-driven style that is capable of aging in the bottle or pleasing palates now.

Alsace is the home of top French riesling, and the Pfaffenheim Riesling 2001 is one of two in today's tasting. Look for a pronounced Vaseline nose with buttery, citrus, peach skin aromas. On the palate it is dry and crisp and weighty with more mineral, smoky, apple skin and buttery citrus flavours. It's a lean style that relies more on texture than fruit to impress. Solid but built for food.

Perhaps the best pure riesling in the group is the Selbach Riesling Dry 2002 with the snappy red fish graphic on the label. It has an attractive honey, peach, slate/mineral nose streaked with lime rind. On the palate it is fresh, clean and juicy with mouth-watering, green apple, white peach and spicy mineral flavours. A delicate, easy-drinking, fine value riesling made for most Indian, Thai and Chinese food.

The finale is an ode to Alsace, a serious winemaker and a great piece of dirt. Look for it in restaurants and private wine shops later this summer.

The 100 per cent bio-dynamic, grand cru rated, amphitheatre-shaped Muenchberg vineyard is described by English MW and wine buyer Jasper Morris as "a suntrap protected by the 900m Undersberg Mountain. Its soils are as unique as its microclimate: 250 million year old sandstone with volcanic topsoil that heats quickly, cools slowly and drains well."

In fact, the Ostertag Riesling Grand Cru Muenchberg 2002 is sublime. Slate peach, mango and baked apple aromas mix with a touch of smoke. It's extremely ripe and rich, yet elegant with just a hint of sweetness. The flavours mix fresh lime rind, baked apple, warm mango, honey and spice. Fine intensity and acidity and huge concentration. Outstanding.

Weekend Wine Tasting: Riesling

Wine   Josef Drathen Bereich Bernkastel Riesling QBA 2002, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Price   $10.95
UPC    4006921001146
Score  14.0/20
Remarks       Wet slate, mineral and juicy baked apple notes.

Wine   Lang Vineyards Riesling Reserve 2003, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Price   12.90
UPC    26990020684
Score  15.5/20
Remarks       Honey, peach, mango and candied apple skin flavours.

Wine   Stoneleigh Riesling 2001, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand
Price   $16.49
UPC    9414505982005
Score  15.0/20
Remarks       Mature, off-dry, fruit-driven style that's ready to drink.

Wine   Pfaffenheim Riesling 2001, Alsace, France
Price   $16.99
UPC    3185130051027
Score  14.0/20
Remarks       Lean, mineral style riesling that is built for food.

Wine   Selbach Riesling Dry 2002,
Price   $17.95
UPC    717215001653
Score  14.5/20
Remarks       Easy drinking style to pair with Indian and Chinese foods.

Wine   Ostertag Riesling Grand Cru Muenchberg 2002, Alsace, France
Price   $63.95**
UPC    831906003778
Score  18.0/20
Remarks       Serious, spicy, intense and concentrated, not for beginners.

** coming to Vancouver's savvy wine restaurants late Summer, early Fall.