The Final A

The final "A" grape in my A-Z grape project was Auxerrois (awk-sehr-WAH) from the Alsace region in France and the wine that highlighted this grape was a 2007 Paul Blanck Pinot Auxerrois. The Blanck family has been in the wine business in the Alsace region since the late 16the century. Think they know something about wine?
This wine was light, fruity, good acidity with a delightful aroma of pears, pineapple and baked apples. The best part of this tasting was the pairing with Emeri's Blue Cheese Polenta Cakes with arugula, walnuts and caramelized onions. Amazing flavors and a real culinary triumph for Meredith! (who would have thought that my eldest could successfully tackle this recipe?) The fruitiness in the wine was a great match with the sharp flavor of the blue cheese and enhanced the richness of the caramelized onions and the creaminess of the polenta. Sipping through the A's has been been an adventure discovering grapes that were not part of my wine repertoire but also sharing the experiences with old and new friends. Now on to the B's.

Assyrtiko the Greek

Assyrtiko (ah-SYR-tih-koh) is a white grape grown on the Greek island, Santorini and also grown throughout Greece. I decided to explore this Greek grape while dining again at Charlie's Opa! Grill in Dallas (a wonderful BYOB restaurant). The wine that highlighted this grape was a 2008 Boutari Santorini Assyrtiko which after much research, I finally found at Central Market. The wine was a big hit at the restaurant as I was able to share it with those diners who did not bring their own wine. To enjoy the wine at its optimum, it definitely needs to be served chilled. There is a distinctive mineral taste in the wine due to the volcanic soil on Santorini. The flavors in this mildly acidic light wine paired well with a Horiatiki salad; a plateful of Greek tomatoes, cucumbers, Greek olives, Feta cheese and a creamy dressing. The saltiness of the feta cheese, the tartness of the olives and the lemony flavor of my entree, a Grilled Tilapia Lemonati definitely enhanced this inexpensive Greek wine.