Heresy you may say to drink a white wine with a gutsy red meat. Not so as Buzz learned during a couple of dinners that featured dry German wines not usually found here in San Diego. One dinner paired a dry Riesling from the Rheingau area of Germany with braised lamb shanks and the diners were happily surprised with the duo. If you’re one who thinks (as many do) that all German wines are sweet, prepare yourself for a great awakening. While many fall into that taste category, many others are dry and quite comparable to those from France, California and Australia.
Where can you find such wines and have a quick German wine 101 tutorial while you taste? Right here at Truly Fine Wine, Inc. on Morena Boulevard (just south of Costco). Owners Damon and Sabrina import a select group of high quality, small production German wines that include pinots, Rieslings and even some very good sparklers. Buzz dragged a couple of skeptical pals (they were sure all the wines would be sweet) to meet Damon and Sabrina at the shop. We tasted and talked and the skeptics became believers!
Still not a believer? Then trust your taste buds and come try the wines this Saturday, February 9 at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center. Truly Fine Wine will present a tasting on the wines they import. Golden Gourmet Mushrooms is also a part of event where the fun runs from 4:00pm to 6pm. For more information call 619-231-6400. If the 9th doesn’t work, Firefly Grill and Wine Bar in Encinitas will host a German wine dinner on February 19th. Call the restaurant for reservations: 760-635-1066.
I must confess, I was stunned with the quality of what I expected to be lousy wines. I’m headed that way this morning to grab a case of the “pinot noir”. It was most interesting with the body and character of a French Burgundy, but with a misty, smokey, darkness that made it more than exotic.