White-wine drinkers eventually reach the “ABC” stage—you know, Anything But Chardonnay. I love chardonnay as much as the next guy (and I will never refuse a Meursault or Marcassin one), but every now and then I just crave something else, especially on summer nights when the St. Louis air approaches drinkability. Fortunately, most ABC wines combine “food-pairability” with great “sipability.” Taste, ask questions, experiment, and take a few notes. Here’s your first assignment.
2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Columbia Valley, Wash.
This wine is made by the crazy and always colorful Charles Smith. Bright and crisp with clean flavors of stone fruits, white peach, apricot, and white spring blossoms, it’s quite dry, as indicated by the high (12.5 percent) ABV. Mr. Smith calls it “Kung Fu Girl,” he says, because girls and Riesling both “kick ass!” I couldn’t agree more. ($11 at The Wine and Cheese Place, Clayton)
2007 Cloudline Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Ore.
This wine is a fine representation of the great pinot gris from Alsace. Dry and fruity with a classic pear-and-apple note and soft citrus on the finish, it’s a fun, easy-drinking wine made under the watchful eye of Véronique Drouhin-Boss of Domaine Drouhin. This one is bottled under screw cap and arrives just in time for summer. ($15 at The Wine and Cheese Place, Clayton)
2007 Vinum Cellars CNW Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, Calif.
There’s not a lot of chenin blanc grown in the U.S., and even less that’s any good. This one comes from old vine stock of noted boutique winemaker Ken Wilson. It’s expressive yet delicate, with subtle fruit flavors of honeydew, bright citrus of lemon and lime, and aromatic wildflowers on the long, lingering finish. The CNW stands for “Chard-No-Way.” ($12 at Straub’s, Webster Groves)
2008 Robert Sinskey “Abraxas” Vin de Terroir, Carneros, Calif.
A dry and refreshing blend of Riesling, pinot blanc, Gewurztraminer, and pinot gris, it’s medium-bodied with massive floral aromas of roses and peach blossoms. Red apple, melon, white peach, and Asian pear combine to make this totally cool, somewhat new product. Its creator, Rob Sinskey, tells us, “The wine was named ‘Abraxas’ after the Egyptian Gnostic god of the 365 heavens.” ($28 at The Wine Merchant, Clayton)
About Our Expert: Chris Hoel, CSW, is the co-founder of St. Louis Wine Clinic and the former beverage director of Monarch Restaurant. He writes this monthly column from Napa Valley, where he is a sommelier at The French Laundry.
