Wine Review - Bainbridge Winery Muller-Thurgau

Puget Sound is not really a phrase that conjures up "wine country" in most peoples' minds, especially outside of the area. It is, rightfully so, known as a damp region, even if the amount of rainfall received in Seattle ranks it around 40th overall in the United States, among larger cities.

Fortunately the Olympic Mountains create a mild rain shadow effect, and in this shadow it is possible to grow wine grapes with some success. The grapes tend to be from the Rhine region of Germany, grapes that can excel in mild, wetter conditions. As well, most of the rain falls during the dormant season for the grape vines, and there is little risk of long, hard freezes.

There are over 30 bonded wineries currently in the Puget Sound AVA (est. 1995), most producing wines from grapes imported from the sunnier side of Washington state. One winery that has been producing wines from grapes in the area since 1981 is Bainbridge Winery. I was excited to try a wine from grapes that grew up in the same environment that I had myself. The wines from Puget Sound can be difficult to find, even in Seattle.

The wine:

Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery,
2003 Muller-Thurgau, Puget Sound, WA
Alcohol: 11%
Retail (approx): $11.98

This Muller-Thurgau was a very light white, clear and clean. The aroma was subtle, an unexpected sake or cooked basmati smell that was intriguing, and very dry. On the tongue it had an acidic bite, which is to be expected in a wine from a relatively wet region, and an interesting tart/green apple flavor.

Our meat course consisted of pork/pesto roulatta, and if you're familiar with the old "pork chops and applesauce" cliche, you can probably guess that the wine and meat complimented each other well. The pork accentuated the tartness of the wine, something the wine needed as the flavors weren't fairly pronounced on their own.

This was the wine's slight undoing (admittedly, at our hands) with the rest of the meal. The cous-cous and asparagus were neutral as such that the wine took on an almost flavorless quality. This wine really needs something heavier to cut through, a cream sauce over pasta, perhaps. On lighter, low fat fare, it was too dry and unassuming.

In an attempt to rescue the wine (and our taste buds) we tried it with blue cheese for dessert. While a tart apple and blue cheese together is fantastic, once again we mis-guessed on the pairing. The cheese was too pungent and clashed; a creamier and more subtle cheese would be appropriate, I think.

My wife and I felt the wine was too mellow and dry for our tastes. It was best with the pork, and would probably be a refreshing choice with heavier foods. I would say the mildness of the wine, in this respect, reflects the environment of the Puget Sound region. I'm not fully convinced yet that this AVA has the weather to produce truly outstanding wine grapes.

1.8/5