It is impossible to make great wine if you don't know what great wine tastes like. Knowledge is a winemaker's important tool. When we taste a wine that inspires and teaches us, we call it a "mentor wine."

Weinbach Pinot Gris 2010

This wine was unexpectedly inspiring. During harvest our dining options are limited due to time and exhaustion. We had been making easy, simple dinners which rarely emphasize vegetables and freshness. The fridge was full of produce and we needed a healthy dinner. The wok was fired up and stir fry and lots of ginger went into the mix.

Weinbach is one of my favorite Alsatian producers. Although best known for their Rieslings, the potential sweetness and richness of Pinot Gris made sense for our stove top dinner. Complex, layered, harmonious, the little bit of sugar in this wine was a perfect pairing with the heat and spice of ginger.  Age had been very kind and rewarding.

I forgot how well a wine with residual sugar can pair with the right food. As cool weather approaches and harvest activity wanes, time will afford us the opportunity to cook with intention rather than convenience.  Indian spices, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds with Petit Manseng, inspired by this chance pairing, will be top on the list.

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