Wine Review - Kiona Vineyards White Riesling

Wine is, inherently, a social drink. And while it certainly is fun and appropriate to have your wine with a romantic meal, it's also a good idea to bring together some friends, cook up a blockbuster meal, and have a little wine to get things going.

It was time to take the wine review on the road.

A Saturday night birthday dinner at an ocean bungalow was the occasion, and a Riesling was my choice for the wine. Spicy tortilla soup and chicken burritos presented a unique challenge, at least for me, as I wasn't quite sure what sort of white wine could handle the spice factor. I figured something lightly fruity was in order, something maybe a bit dry. Something from the arid climes of the Red Mountain region of eastern Washington.

The wine:

2005 Kiona Vineyards White Riesling
Red Mountain, WA.
Alcohol: 12%
Retail (approx.): $10.98

The Red Mountain AVA is a subset of the Yakima Valley AVA, which is in itself a subset of the Columbia Valley AVA. You would imagine that there is something special, at the very least dynamic, about such a (relatively) small parcel of land. The AVA was established in 2001, and averages only 6-8 inches of rain a year. Could such an arid land provide a white wine to tame the Mexican food?

The wine had a light white color, and very subtle aromas: Floral, a hint of peach, maybe even a bit of light oak. On the palate it was a little spicy, but also very crisp in flavor, with a light body. Prior to eating I was a little afraid that the spicy overtones might clash with the spiciness of the tortilla soup and chicken burritos, but on the contrary the wine was refreshing and light with the food, and complimented it nicely.

I generally think of white wine grapes as growing in cooler, crisper environments, and while Red Mountain is fairly arid, the close proximity to the Yakima river provides more than ample irrigation. As well, the relatively high elevation (Red Mountain vineyards average somewhere between 500-1500' ft.) allows for cool fall nights, just what a Riesling needs to live up to its full potential.

Admittedly, this was the first time I'd had wine with a Mexican meal. But this fine and reasonably priced Kiona Riesling convinced me that it wouldn't be the last.

3.4/5