2009 Frisk Prickly Riesling

A half bottle of this is $6 at Whole Foods but they also sell it in four packs for $20. It's a blend of mostly Riesling with a bit of Muscat Gordo thrown in.

A candied pear quality is present on the nose - pear Jelly Bellies or even

Every so slightly effervescent - as in there are bubbles that linger in the glass and a bit foams up to the top of the glass, but no streams. A nice balance - sugar and acid are well integrated with neither being terribly noticeable. The flavor profile is actually fairly unique - kiwi, pear, unripe honeydew, even a bit of guava.

An apple thing - pink lady - lingers on the finish for quite a decent length.

We enjoyed several bottles of this over the summer at Ravinia and I'll be drinking more over the coming months. This is not what you may expect from an Australian dessert wine, served blind you may guess Germany - good stuff.

Score: 89

2008 Wurtz Riesling

I got this at Whole Foods - the pricetag said $32 but it was on sale for $22. After a bit of research, $32 would be too much to pay, but $22 is a fairly solid price. Three liters, meaning four bottles, of a German Riesling.

This reminds me of a tasting I went to a few years back - it was just Fran, myself, and another older, snootier looking couple at the table. They tried some wine that they liked and grabbed the last bottle off the table - apparently wanting more, they asked the guy pouring if he had any more. He replied: "Not in bottles, but check this out" and whipped out a box of the stuff. I don't recall what the wine was sadly, but the box was around forty bucks (compared to $17 or so for the bottle). The woman of the couple was so appalled that the wine was sold in a box, she actually put the bottle back on the table and said "well I won't be buying any wine sold like that." Crazy.

Lime and even a bit of that much desired petrol thing on the nose.

Shockingly dry - I mean, this is, in no uncertain terms, a dry Riesling. Lime, slate, white grapefruit, not the most complex of wines, but still a nice, crisp wine for a hot summer night.

Lime and white grapefruit on the finish fade fairly quickly.

Considering this works out to just over five bucks a bottle, I have no complaints. If you think of Rieslings (for better or worse) as light sweet wines, this may surprise you - it's a legitimate dry Riesling and well worth a shot. If I were having a cookout with brats and such, I wouldn't hesitate snagging another box.

Score: 85

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Whole Cluster Riesling

This goes for fourteen bones through the winery. A "whole cluster" Riesling means bunches of grapes - stems and all are pressed without crushing.

Pear mostly on the nose.

Nice balance, definitely on the sweet side but enough acid to bring it all together. I'm getting red and pink apple, a bit of vanilla, green grape, white grapefruit, and even a bit of a stemmy quality.

Green apple and pear on the finish.

Nice balance, good depth, some odd things come out - presumably from the whole cluster aspect - but it all works nicely. Though this bottle was comped, it was tasted and reviewed blind.

Score: 88

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Ship of Fools

This retails for $14 through the winery. It's a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir.

A somewhat sweet smelling nose which I'd describe as peachy.

Surprising! I was expecting a sweet, perhaps flabby peach bomb - instead, it's a very mild, light bodied, dry wine with white grapefruit. The acid is present, but mild - it doesn't really need much though. A nice sort of quaffable summer wine.

Pithy notes - grapefruit or even lime pith - linger on the finish.

This bottle was comped as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan virtual Twitter tasting which took place on Monday, June 7, 2010. All attempts have been made to be honest and unbiased. I enjoyed this wine, but it was probably the lightest and most gulp-able of the bunch.

Score: 87

2008 Shady Lane Cellars Dry Riesling

This wine retails for $16.50 through the winery. We tried this comped bottle as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets! During the Tweet and Taste I was not on my A game for an array of reasons we'll avoid here, so by all means check that out, but you may be better off ignoring the comments from @thewineauxs.

Spicy apricot hits me immediately on the nose, with some slightly unripe golden apple, maybe even apple blossom. Apple flavored herbal tea comes to mind.

So, when I read "Dry Riesling" I admit the occasional eyeroll, but I'll be damned, this s.o.b. is dry. Lots of acid, fruit and floral notes, but very little - if any - sugar. The fruit is slightly unripe with pear, apple, maybe even green grape. There's a definite petrol quality - the sort of thing you'd expect in a much pricier Riesling, and a funky kind of asparagus thing. The mouthfeel is slightly viscous, but the acid creates a good pucker that makes it barely noticeable. Everything here comes together nicely.

Lengthy finish - unripe stone fruit, peaches mostly. You know, it's kind of like if you take a peach, squeeze out all the juice and somehow remove the sugar - the way back end of the finish has this pungent dry peach thing that, lame as it sounds, is somewhat exciting.

I am digging this one a lot. My advice - and the consensus of many people on the Twitter feed - is let this one warm up a bit before drinking. This bottle has been out of the fridge for a full two hours and can be be described as "cool" and I think it's at its finest point. I originally gave this one an 88, but after it warmed up it completely elevated to a new level.

Though this review was not done blind and the bottle was comped, my opinion has not been consciously swayed. That being said, I'm not afraid to say a crappy wine is just that - this is solid.

Score: 91* *not blind

2004 The Furst Vin d'Alsace Riesling

So I was at a performance of a local theater company which had a silent auction going. They had a few different lots of wine which I bid on, and won. This is one of the wines in question. At a retail cost of $12, this is almost certainly too old to drink.

A slight petrol thing, some floral notes, with an array of unripe tropical fruit - pineapple and papaya.

Not a hint of sugar on this one - dry to the bone. A dried unripe fruit quality - take an unripe pineapple and dehydrate it, it probably tastes like this. Maybe some peach or nectarine, even melon of the cantaloupe variety, even a bit of green grape - once again, all unripe. Some floral qualities too, this may be the first wine (in quite a while, if not ever) that I've gotten very distinct rosewater from. Don't drink this one any colder than "cool," it is far better closer to room temp.

The dry, unripe, dried fruit thing continues on the finish.

Certainly well made, but not quite to my palate. If you have one of these in the cellar, it's probably time to pop it open.

Score: 85

2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling

This bottle retails for $16.50 through the winery. We tried this as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets!

Grapefruit, I'm going to say mostly white grapefruit, on the nose.

Mostly grapefruit again, tart citrus, kind of a pomelo thing. After a bit of air, some very nice spicy pear qualities come through. I want to say this wine has a bit of sugar but the more I swirl it around and think about it, I do think this is one of these very fruity wines that gives more of an illusion of sugar than is actually present. Sugar or not, this has tons of acid - it leaves the mouth watering big time and begs for food. With a bit of air (and allowing it to warm up) I get some green apple candy - Green Apple Now and Later specifically - as well.

Yet again grapefruit on the finish, along with spice, and tons of acid - crisp indeed.

The downside of visiting the various wineries in the Traverse City area is that they all do Rieslings and they all do them fairly well, so there's an urge to try them everywhere you go - this leads to overkill and a painful tongue. That being said, this is one to check out. A solid offering, excellent balance, and a wine I'll be buying in the future.

This wine was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped. These facts do not intentionally cloud my description or rating, but full disclosure is a must.

Score: 90

2006 Pierre Sparr Extrem Riesling Alsace

This was on super ultra mega discount - kicking it down to three bucks from I think ten. Not only is it an EXTREM Riesling, it's also an EXTREM value! Remember kids, listen to Poochie and always recycle - TO THE EXTREM.

Enough joking, wine is serious business....TO THE EXTREM!

A somewhat gasoline fueled nose with a punch of lime....key lime, maybe....key lime pie, in fact.

Very light in body, somewhat light in acid, quite light on sugar, and somewhat light on taste - unripe nectarine dominates (sorta like if you absentmindedly take a bite out of a nectarine with the consistency of an apple) with a dash of lime rind. There's even a sort of cherry skin quality here - imagine peeling a Rainier cherry and just eating the skin - sorta like that. There's even a sort of good vodka like quality here - clean, smooth, not exactly burn, but certainly a spirit quality. Interesting.

Really more of the same on the finish - unripe nectarine, lime peel, and cherry skins.

This is the sort of wine that as it opens, I become more convinced of its quality - the first hour I wasn't quite convinced but after a couple hours, I feel this really began to shine. I am a stupid stupid human for only buying one bottle at three dollars. Stupid.

Wine: 7
Value: Yep, even at full price

2007 Funf Riesling

We're back from Michigan, our palates have recovered and I decided, on a blazing hot day, to pop open a German Riesling that went for around seven bucks.

An odd grapey nose with little else.

This is a Riesling? From Germany? Come on man! I feel like Andy Millman! No, I don't buy it. Seriously. This is white grape juice spiked with a shot of vodka. This is either the lamest Manischewitz white wine ever made or it's a joke. Come on! Really? The Germans can make this ridiculous of a Riesling?

Where's Dom DeLuise and the Candid Camera crew? He's pulling pranks on me from beyond the grave! Always a kidder, that Dom. Did you ever see that movie Fatso? Hilarious. Just thinking about that move makes me hungry. Speaking of works of art with Dom that make me hungry - he was the voice of Pizza the Hut in Spaceballs. That's easily one of my top five favorite movies....

Grape juice on the finish.

Maybe if this come out of a box or something I would've been prepared, but I'm dumbfounded. I've never had a wine so bad that it amused me - that alone made it worth the seven bucks.

Worst. Wine. Ever.

Wine: Ha!
Value: Ho!

2007 KungFu Girl Riesling

I snagged this for around ten bucks because the label amused me, but now I'm wondering if I'm racist.

I can't say I get much of anything on the nose.

I'm thinking this is mostly white grapefruit - I'm detecting some red apple and maybe some pear, but the citrus thing is dominating. Sweet, but balanced reasonably well. I don't mind simple Rieslings, though simple with this profile doesn't work for me.

Some more orangey notes come through as well as an interesting sort of blueberry component on the finish.

The finish wins an extra half point with me since it's interesting, but I still can't say I'd recommend this unless you know Riesling and this sort of thing is your style.

Wine: 6.5
Value: No for me, but based on what you like perhaps...

2008 Two Lads Riesling

We are big fans of Two Lads. I feel that sounds strange, as before visiting their tasting room, I can't say we were "fans" of any wine producer. There are other producers we like, but significant issues are present which present us from geeking out. Two Lads (and L. Mawby) is (are) [a] winery ([two] wineries) that I can, without hesitation, say we're fans of - enough for me to break out bizarre, and most likely, horrifyingly improper grammar. We dig many, if not most, of their products and their pricepoints are right without qualification (as in, not "good for a Midwestern wine").

When the new releases were announced, hesitation was not an option and I made sure we got a few bottles of each varietal. This is their first Riesling offering - $20 a pop – and so limited that if you want it, it very well may be too late. The tasting notes state that this is the best Riesling that Cornel (one of the Lads) has ever made. Some may be persuaded to go into this wine assuming it will be awesome. Me? The cynic? We'll see....

A powerful nose – pink grapefruit, orange zest, with a bit of strawberry and even some lychee.

Sweet merciful crap! A nice punch of pineapple, pink grapefruit, grapefruit zest, a bit of orange, a dash of those irritatingly vague 'tropical' notes I speak of. As close to an ideal blend of sugar and acid that I've had all with great depth – loads of interesting subtle things going on that you don't see much – the slightest touch of vanilla, a hint of strawberry, all with just a touch of peach. It's been a while, but there's something here that's calling out “Crystal Pepsi” - a soda I miss to this day. The people who remember that pop as not being awesome never gave it a chance. I digress.

Fantastic length – the strawberry notes stick around along with a bunch of that grapefruit and fades away with some nectarine qualities.

I don't want to get nuts here and say "this is the best Riesling I've ever had" - I'm going to hold off for the next bottle before I make some bold declaration like that. For now? It just may be.

Wine: 10
Value: Yes

2006 Moselland Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Erzeugerabfüllung Riesling Qualitatswein

Ah yes, the beloved cat bottle. This was $11 at World Market. What's interesting is that this appears to be a different wine than our previous cat wine. German bottles are known as being somewhat confusing, but this has no mention of Zeller as there was last time.

A fairly simple nose – some grapefruit notes for the most part.

More white grapefruit on the palate – quite acidic and a bit of sweetness makes this a fairly balanced though somewhat one-dimensional wine.

The finish is more of the same – grapefruit and lingering acid which makes the mouth water.

While not bad, at $11 for a 500ml bottle, it's hardly a good buy. There's nothing here to dislike – it's fine, but you're absolutely buying the bottle more than the wine.

Wine: 6
Value: No – unless you have a use for the bottle or are buying it as a gift for a cat lover.

2004 Heaphy Moutere Riesling

I can't find any info on this – I have no idea where I bought it or what I paid for it.

The nose has a slight bit of gasoline.

Quite nice. Dry overall with some tart apples, almost a hard apple cider made with Granny Smith apples. Plenty of lime and some good minerality with a hint of eucalyptus oddly.

More lime – lime zest - on the finish.

Maybe, just maybe, a bit simple – but overall very enjoyable, very balanced, and very good.

Wine: 7.5
QPR: ? - recommendable if you find it for under $13.

2006 Hogue Columbia Valley Riesling

Hogue is a reliable producer and I grabbed this because it was on sale for about seven dollars.

Mostly apricot on the nose.

Great stuff – a bit of spice, a bit of sugar, and a bit of acid – as balanced as you'll get, especially at the price. The palate is all lightly spiced stone fruit – peaches, nectarines, apricots. Sweet enough I'd almost call it Auslese in style.

The acid lingers as well as more of that nice stone fruit.

On the second day, almost all the stone fruit went away and was replaced with grapefruit. Nose, palate, finish – all pink grapefruit with a bit of zest and rind on the palate. The balance of sugar and acid was still acceptable but the flavor structure changed.

If you're interested in QPR, and you like your Rieslings with some sweetness, you can't go wrong here.

N/V (?) Botham Vineyards Riesling

We were in Wisconsin and I saw a section of “local wine” at a shop we were visiting so I figured to grab this one for about ten bones.

The nose here is artificial peach – like a peach Jolly Rancher.

At 10.4% alcohol this one is very light and dangerously quaffable. Very smooth – not a lot of acid, and while it's sweet there's a nice balance here – very light bodied. Mild peachy notes – imagine the syrup of canned peaches but watered down severely. That's about it really.

The finish's peachy notes linger for a surprisingly long time.

So this one depends on what you like I suppose – I prefer my Rieslings a bit sharper, but this one just seems to work for me. It's easy drinking and simple – if that makes you cringe then avoid it but I occasionally go for this type of thing and it more than works as a picnic or patio wine.

2003 Two Hands The Wolf Riesling

This one was ten bones at the wine shop – we've enjoyed some Shiraz from Two Hands and haven't had much Australian Riesling, so it seems worthwhile.

A bit of gasoline on the nose.

Bone dry – some tropical fruit notes and petrol but little else.

Some acid and unripe tropical fruit notes come through on the finish.

Being a 2003, this may just be too old – or it may just not be our style – it's not bad, I won't be pouring it down the drain, but I'm definitely not going to be rushing to buy another bottle, especially in this vintage.

2004 Hogue Genesis Riesling

This has been on the rack for quite a while and I figured it was time to open it up.

Pineapple and do I detect a bit of gasoline on the nose?

A fairly bold Riesling – lots of tropical fruit, stone fruit, a sharp acidic zing, and a fair amount of sweetness. Pineapple, papaya, apricot, grapefruit, some floral notes, and a bit of minerality.

Pineapple lingers on the finish.

This ran me just about $8 – a great bargain. I look forward to snagging a bottle of a newer vintage.

2006 Dr. Loosen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling

I snagged this the other day at the wine shop – we haven't been in much a mood for whites, but with Chinese food for dinner I decided to unscrew a bottle and give it a whirl.

Slate and peach on the nose.

Lemon lime, just a bit of stone fruit, some slate, and dare I say a bit of banana on the mid-palate? This is certainly sweet and the acid rounds it out though not quite as much as it really needs.

Limeade on the finish which fades quickly.

This was about nine dollars and for a German Riesling at that price this is definitely one I can recommend. It's an easy quaff and will be great on a hot summer night.

2005 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Riesling/Traminer

This was $3 at Trader Joes and it was on display right next to the cash register I was at – normally, I wouldn't have considered it but as a last minute impulse buy I figured it would be no different than buying a lotto ticket.

While there's some stone fruit on the nose, it's surprisingly grapey.

The palate is somewhat grapey as well – stone fruit of peaches and nectaines comes through as well, a bit of spice, somewhat sweet, but a solid amount of acid balance it out.

Some spicy – of the pie filling sort – notes linger on the finish.

For $3 – hell, for $5 – I'd cheerfully grab this one again. I can definitely see cracking open a bottle of this sitting on the deck when it's ninety degrees and we're grilling burgers. Light, well balanced, and easy drinking - I'll be grabbing this next time we hit Trader Joe's and saving it for the summer.

2006 Zeller Schwarze Katz Mosel-Saar-Ruewer Riesling Qualitatswein

How can one possibly pass on such an adorable bottle for $10? Oddly you can find the empty bottles on eBay ranging from $5 to $10 - one seller has started bidding at $10 wants $13 shipping - insanity.

The nose I can't decide on – is it just plain old grapes or is it grapefruit? Not sure.

Indeed – I initially thought the nose was grape, but the palate has so much grapefruit it threw me off. I also get a touch of apple, but mainly we're talking citrus. Somewhat sweet, but crisp acid balance this out nicely.

More of the grapefruit on the finish.

At $10 for a 500ml bottle, this is a bit too simple for me to suggest running out and grabbing. It's certainly not bad – in fact the balance is quite nice –my issue is solely with QPR - for $15 (for 750ml) you can get something far more interesting. That being said, if you love the bottle, there's no reason to skip this one.