Skyleaf, Riesling, 2009

White or Red: White

Grape(s): Riesling

Origin: New Zealand

Vintage: 2009

Price: $10.00 unless you shop on Broadway

Overall:
I know, we need more whites.  Well, a trusted source got in my ear about just that.  So I challenged her to tell me what she was sipping as of late and a text later I got Skyleaf.

It's simple, cheap and tasty.  

First, you need to know riesling can produce a wide variety of attributes - one could be very dry and another could be sweet and there's a lot of in between.  So if you've been anti you're likely missing out. Second, there's the country stigma- all great riesling comes from Germany.  Not true, if you ask those from down under. 

Skyleaf is absolutely on the sweeter side of the spectrum.  However, it is light enough that you can drink a few glasses and not feel overwhelmed like a dessert wine.  I get ripe peach, pear, green apple and melon from the first sip- but not from "concentrate" if you know what I mean.  When you swallow you get this sense it has some gerth to it- not like pinot grigio which is on the lighter/dryer side and sorta slides by.  This has a footprint.

With the holiday around the bend, Skyleaf is a "sit on the deck and reflect if that guy from Oakland is crazy or really knows something we don't" wine.  Would go well with a variety of foods or in warmer weather.  Nice for a party or the active ingredient in a sangria since the price is right.  Serve this guy really cold.