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After being cooped up inside during this unrelenting winter many of us are eager to spend as much time as we can outdoors this summer. The balmy summer nights call for al fresco wining and dining. Perhaps our New England palates are preprogrammed to look for lighter meals and lighter wines in the summer months? Riesling with all of its many styles fits the bill beautifully for its light body, pure tropical refreshment, and versatility with season dishes. However, it is one of the most misunderstood varieties because of its range of wine styles. Rieslings around the world can be bone dry to richly sweet, a simple quaff to elegantly complex. It is important to know what to look for and where.

Riesling is one of the “noblest” white grape varieties. No matter where it is grown or how it is vinified it maintains its signature light body, stone fruit aroma, and high acid. Riesling is grown around the world but it is not well suited for every climate. Its native home and arguably at its best Germany where a long, slow, overall cool ripening period results in complex aromas and high levels of sugar. So why aren’t you drinking more of it? German and Austrian labels are intimidating (see tasting note below). To add to the confusion, their labels have what are called “pradikat” (quality) levels on the “wines of quality.” The level of quality is based on the amount of sugar the grape juice was able to achieve in a given year. At the lowest levels of ripeness, Kabinett and Spätlese, the winemaker can decide to turn all of the sugar into alcohol or leave some residual sugar to balance out high acid or bitterness, leaving the wine dry or off dry. Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, are highest in sugar content but are balanced by high acid. Any easy way to remember the quality levels from lowest to high is the mnemonic KSABET. (The E is for Eiswein/Icewine) Keep in mind that this system only considers prefermentation sugar levels, which is only one component of true quality. Can a Kabinett taste better than a Spätlese? Yes! Confusing, I know, but there is hope! In an effort to make these wonderful wines more marketable globally, many producers bypass the pradikat level system in an attempt clean up the clutter on their labels. If the wine does not have a level indicated it does not mean that it is poor quality. When all else fails the back label on these wines can give you an indication of what the wine will taste like. Many times the back label will give you a sweetness rating from low to high. If it says “trocken” it is dry! There will also be an importer listed. Rudi Weist, Moseler, and Terry Theise are solid importers with a palate proven track record.

If you don’t want to have to study your wine bible before picking out your next bottle of Riesling you can look to the New World and you don’t have to look very far. The Finger Lakes in New York have several notable producers making well balanced, dry Rieslings. However, our Worcester market has been slow to warm to them and as a result Finger Lakes Riesling is scarce. Be sure to ask your retailer! Washington State Riesling has very good representation on our local shelves and wine lists, as does cool climate New Zealand and Australia. However, even with these easy to read front labels it is difficult to know what you are going to get in the glass. In addition to reading the back label, give the alcohol a look. A good rule of thumb with Riesling is the lower the ABV percentage the higher the sugar. Most Rieslings are not sweet but rather “off dry” in order to bring balance to a wine that is naturally high in acid.

Riesling is a versatile wine for food pairing. Light bodied enough to be served as an aperitif, and has the depth and complexity of flavor to work into the main courses particularly during spring and summer fare; hard or soft cheese, Greens, fruit salsa, grilled fish and chicken with citrus sauces, also a surprisingly fire extinguisher for spicy barbecue rubs. Save your full bodied, high alcohol, buttery, oaky Chardonnay for the crisp first nights of autumn. Refresh yourself with a glass of Riesling. Even at its simplest, it offers light refreshment and flavor without a big hit the palate or the wallet.

All three are screw caps! Hurrah!

2009 Studert-Prüm (producer), Wehlener Sonnenuhr (vineyard), Riesling (variety) Kabinett (pradikat), Mosel (region), Germany (country ;-)) 9.0% ABV $15

Pale straw with green hue. Intense, complex aromatics exhibit tangerine, lemon, apricot, honeysuckle, subtle graphite, white pepper, and ginger. Excellent balance, light weight, off dry, juicy acidity is slow to emerge through the fruit extract. Long finish is dominated by lemon, citrus, and stone fruit.

2007 St. Ludwin, Bernkastler Kurfürstlay, Riesling Auslese, Mosel, 8% ABV $20

Brilliant, pale, 10 karat gold with a slight green tinge and copper highlights. Intensely aromatic tropical fruit, papaya, mango, peach, honey, coconut, and caramel. Medium body, off dry, medium plus, refreshing, acid struggles to emerge through medium viscosity. Concentrated, complex, elegant, finish lingers for an eternity on the palate and reproducing the aromas found in the nose.

2011 Twelfth Night Riesling, Central Otago, New Zealand, 12.8% ABV $17

Shiny, pale straw yellow with green hue. Intense aromatics are citrus driven, lemon, lime, fresh pine, and meringue, with a hint of chalk, smoke, celery seed. Dry, light body, tangy bright acidity, alcohol throws no heat but a small prickle on the palate coupled with a touch of astringency. Well balanced. Bright citrus flavors explode on the medium finish. Pure refreshment.

The resurgence of the classic American cocktail has exploded over the last ten years or so. Along with this has come a new appreciation for recipes using fresh ingredients and quality spirits. While there are many advantages to this growing cocktail culture, one of my favorites is the arrival of the home bar. In all honesty, people have been keeping their own home bars as long as liquor has been produced. But the great thing now is, with the growing interest in the classic cocktail these days, you can obtain excellent quality spirits at a very reasonable price. No longer are you stuck with the 1.75 L mega-bottle of cheaply made Mr. Boston’s gin (no offense to the fine folks at Mr. Boston!). Whether you merely have an extra cabinet where you store your spirits, or you have a full-fledged minibar with stools, glassware, and a dedicated ice bin, you can recreate your favorite cocktails at home and experiment with more obscure recipes that you have recently discovered.

This leads me into our topic for this month, and that is: homemade ingredients. Specifically, I want to discuss shrubs. Even though it is springtime, and many people are preparing their yards, I am not referring to the stubby trees you are likely planting outside your home. I am referring to a mixture of fruit, sugar, and vinegar that is sure to add incredible depth to your cocktail and take it to the next level.

In its simplest form, a shrub was a means of preserving fruit and fruit juices in the colonial days. The ingredients needed to make a shrub are easily obtainable: sugar, vinegar, fruit, and perhaps alcohol. The vinegar, in this case, acts similar to acid in a lemon or a lime, and the sugar lends sweetness to the drink. A proper shrub should be both sweet and sour.

The great thing about shrubs are that the opportunities are endless. Depending on the time of year, or what is in season, you can use any fruit from raspberries and cherries to pineapple and mango. And if you really want to kick it up a notch, go ahead and add your favorite herbs or spice to the mixture. Another advantage of making a homemade shrub, is that it will keep in the fridge for quite a while. You can make a small batch or a larger batch and not have to worry about it spoiling in a couple of days. It should keep its freshness and flavor for a few weeks.

There are several methods to making shrubs, and you will find one that you prefer and works well for you. Some people prefer a heated method, where you are essentially boiling down fruit, sugar, and water on the stove and adding vinegar in to the mixture. I myself prefer a cold press method, which is very easy to do, however, takes the longest amount of time. In this method, you are simply combining macerated, or crushed fruit with sugar. Once the mixture is cooled, you can add the vinegar to the mix and let it steep for anywhere from a day to a week, in the refrigerator. By this time, the shrub is ready and is transferred to a glass container after straining out the fruit solids. The theory here is that the cold press method tends to hold the fruit flavor better in the mixture, and I have to agree.

The other variable to think about with this concoction is the type of vinegar you want to use. You can use any vinegar you prefer, just keep in mind the stronger the vinegar style, the more it will mask the other ingredients in the cocktail. If you really want to showcase the flavors in the base spirit you are using, i.e., in a gin and tonic, a mild vinegar such as rice vinegar works well. In other cases, you may prefer an apple cider vinegar or even red wine vinegar. Some ambitious home cock-tailers might even go for a pungent balsamic vinegar, but I would caution against that at first. Once you get the hang of the flavor profiles, then go ahead and experiment away… and remember, when it comes to “shrubbing,” a little goes a long way!

Housemade Raspberry Shrub

1 Container fresh Raspberries
Sugar
1 Cup Vinegar
Glass Vessel or Bottle with a cap
Place raspberries in stainless steel mixing bowl and roughly crush with hands. Add enough sugar over crushed berries to cover. Store in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Add vinegar and mix to dissolve the sugar. Strain out fruit solids and store in glass container with lid.

Gin and Tonic w/Raspberry Shrub

1.5 oz of your favorite gin (Death’s Door gin works well here)
0.5 oz raspberry shrub
Tonic
Combine gin and raspberry shrub in tall Collins glass. Fill with tonic water. Sit back in the hot summer sun and enjoy!

Tag: sugar

Riesling: The Perfect Wine To Compliment Dining Alfresco

Shrubs: A Colonial Technique For The Contemporary Bar

Housemade Raspberry Shrub

Gin and Tonic w/Raspberry Shrub

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