Give thanks for Rieslings from Michigan
What wine goes with turkey?
Don't think twice: It's Riesling, the signature grape of Michigan and the one grape that lends itself to more styles than any other variety -- from sweet to dry to in-between, and even bubbly.
Whether you buy a late-harvest version, semi-dry or dry Riesling, the crisp acidity and fruit will complement the grand ole bird and satisfy Thanksgiving guests with a wide range of wine experience.
Riesling grapes grown in Michigan have unique flavor qualities that express the soil, climate and topography of the land. The words that most come to mind are honeysuckle, lime, lemon, apricot, green apple, peach and sometimes diesel -- yes, petrol smells, which are not a flaw but a special feature that shouts Riesling as it's grown in Germany.
Above all, it's the acidity and minerality that set Michigan Rieslings apart. For acidity, think of the tart crispness of fruits like lemons, limes, red grapefruit and Mineola oranges, a cross of grapefruits and tangerines. Acidity is necessary to balance and lift up the ripe fruit flavors. Minerality? Think Perrier water, or any of those German sparkling waters that taste like they were infused with limestone.
A helpful new form of labeling by some producers is a sweetness scale on the back side of the bottle, which indicates just how sweet or dry the wine is. The flavor scale was devised by a noted California wine writer and fan of regional American wines, Dan Berger, to take the guesswork out of what you're buying. But even before Berger and the International Riesling Federation went to work on this scale, some wineries like Michigan's Chateau Grand Traverse and Glenora in New York had such a sweetness indicator in place.
So as you head to the supermarket or wine shop for your Thanksgiving Day table, don't work up a sweat. Buy a Michigan Riesling. Vintages? If you see any bottles from the 2006 vintage, you'll be assured of intense aromatics and crisp acidity. Winemakers run out of superlatives for the white wines they made that year. The 2007 was a riper vintage, with the emphasis on big, ripe fruit. Depending on the winery, these wines may be a little bigger, more peachlike than apricot, and higher in alcohol.
Here's a roadmap to some of the Michigan Rieslings you'll likely see in stores:
• 2007 Chateau Grand Traverse Dry Riesling, $12. In a long, hot vintage, this wine has a strong backbone of acidity and minerality to balance the ripe tropical fruit. It's an amazing wine for the price, and so food-friendly
• 2007 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi Dry Riesling, $12. The aromatics are intense: An amazing lime zest, honeysuckle nose with green acidity that penetrates the nostrils, along with a subtle honeyed sweetness.
• 2006 or 2007 St. J Riesling, $9.99. Next to St. Julian's Solera Cream Wine, this wine is the company's biggest medal winner. It leans to the dry side and has a delightful punch of lemon, lime and minerality.
• 2007 Braganini Reserve Riesling, $20. This is St. Julian's premier line, named after owner David Braganini. It sees time in neutral oak, which does not impart any wood or smoke tones but lengthens the flavors and adds weight.
• 2007 Longview Riesling, $17. This amazingly light and elegant wine is like inhaling the essence of ripe pear, honeysuckle, and honey. On the palate, it delivers another helping of pear, propped up by tart green acidity and minerality.
• 2006 Shady Lane Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling, $18. The weight and minerality are powerful, in the style of Riesling from Germany's Pfalz. It has the crisp-tart sweetness of a Mineola orange.
• 2007 Fenn Valley Vineyards Riesling, $12. Flavors are so concentrated it's like a German Auslese. The nose is floral, peach and mandarin orange.
• 2006 Round Barn Dry Riesling, $16. The floral, white grapefruit, lime acidity and minerality are typical of the Riesling style in Southwestern Michigan.
• 2007 Forty-Five North Dry Riesling, $18. This one is a cocktail of citrus, green apple, apricot and floral notes. It is so varietally correct, and so bold.