Weekend Wine

Last weekend I cooked some belly pork for my wife and I on the Saturday evening and we decided to push the boat out a bit and open a good bottle of wine. Many wines go well with pork but one classic pairing are the white wines from the Alsace region of Eastern France. Being right on the border with Germany this part of France has changed hands many times over the centuries and produces mainly wines made from Riesling and Pinot Gris grapes (among a few others) and these wines are characterized by being light, fruity and distinctive, being somewhat a blend of Burgundian and German in style. 

The particular wine we opened was a top flight Riesling from one of the regions best producers Zind-Humbrecht and from one of the most sought after "fields" or "clos" in the Hunawihr area which is nestled in between the towns of Riquewihr (which I visited some years ago with my Dad) and Ribeauville. I love the way the towns in this region have hybrid French / German names, it evokes the turbulent history of the place. The wine had some age on it (as you can see in the photo), I purchased it many years ago (2003) for about £20, but it was holding up admirably! A light-amber colour and a delightful aroma of lychees, toast and white flowers it was dense, oily and rich and accompanied the dish perfectly, we both loved it.

I find it fascinating the way old wines like this are able to transport you back to the time and place where you first tried them or where they featured in memorable meals or parties etc. This one reminds me very much of my Father who loved this style of wine and I remember vividly the weekend we spent in Riquewihr and that region travelling around trying wines of this exact kind with great food and buying a few bottles (like this one) to take home, good memories.