may WINE OF THE MONTH

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As wine drinkers many of us are set in our ways:      

“I love big reds!”      

“A buttery Chard is my go-to.”      

“I don’t like sweet wine.”      

“Italian wine isn’t bold enough.”       

Do any of these sound familiar? How often do we get out of our comfort zone and challenge our biases—and palates? For the last two-plus years every wine we have chosen as our wine of the month has been new world.       

In May 2022 we slay the prejudices against old world wine and sweet wines by selecting the 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese as our wine of the month.       

Beerenauslese is a German term for a late harvest wine. In this case, Heinz Eifel showcases Riesling, a highly versatile grape. Riesling can range from dry to sweet while also maintaining high levels of acidity. It is a great food wine.       

The 2018 Beerenauslese is deep gold in the glass, nearly amber in color. The wine is full bodied with a floral essence and stone fruit (peach) aromas. The taste confirms the nose. It is sweet but balanced.      

Why is Riesling such a great food wine, even if it’s a sweet, late-harvest expression? Because it pairs well with a wide variety of flavors. In our tasting of the 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese we tried it with acid (lemon), which achieved total harmony on the palate. This was the best pairing of the 36 we tried on the day. It also did well with umami, which is the best pairing for those who might like restrained sweetness. Pairing it with a sweet wafer cookie enhanced both the cookie and the wine. Finally, it even stood up well to spicy hot Doritos (the only wine we tried that could make such a claim).      

We always preach value at Peninsula Underground and this 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese delivers: you can pick up this bottle online for under $30.  There is an entire world of wine out there that is accessible to us. This month we encourage you to get outside your comfort zone and try something new. If you start with our May wine of the month you are well on your way.       

You can follow Weingut Eiffel-Pfeiffer here:  @eifelpfeiffer.