2011 Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley - Riesling

I'll admit it: I've never been a fan of white wine. I've tried some over the years, and I've found much of it to be offensive, dry, and tannic. I'm not a fan of those wines, so I've stayed away for the most part. Riesling, however, is one of the few that I enjoy. I first tried a German Riesling a few years ago. Riesling is a white grape variety that's native to the Rhine region of Germany and was first mentioned by the Riesling name in 1435. Today, German Riesling has become very popular, a white wine that's sweeter than most and a little cheaper. I ran into Chateau Ste Michelle's Riesling - from their Woodinville, WA, winery - at Costco and decided to give it a shot. I have several Chateau Ste Michelle bottles in my cellar currently and figured I would give their white a spin.

The Columbia Valley, an American Viticultural Area, spans over 11 million acres in Washington state and Oregon. Many grapes are grown here, like cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, merlot, and chardonnay. Chateau Ste Michelle has been around since 1954; they are now the largest single producer of the Riesling grape in the US. 

The wine chilled nicely and poured freely. It didn't have a strong nose, but had a slight sugary smell.

That sugary smell translates nicely into the taste of wine. The wine is smooth, sugary, with very few alcohol tastes. It's clean, crisp, and delicious. There's a slight aftertaste of pears with some muted alcohol flavors. The wine finishes well and leaves nothing to be desired. I really like this wine, despite not usually liking whites in general. I would definitely seek this out to have kicking around for a lazy Sunday afternoon. But don't wait too long - this wine is meant to be enjoyed in its youth and I would not recommend cellaring it for longer than 6 months. Just drink it.

It's hard to go wrong with a $7 wine. I'm used to drinking $20 wine and this bottle compares nicely with its counterparts triple the cost. While I don't usually drink white wine, I may make an exception for this white. I'd drink this Riesling with some blue cheese and water crackers on a hot summer day. Or I'd just drink it by itself. It's refreshing, delicious, and cheap and is fine for quaffing. There's an edge of sweetness that makes it deliciously palatable and appealing