Shooting the Driver

I confess that for a long time I only really, truly loved red wine.  I was attracted to oaky California Zinfandel (although ultimately only carnally satisfied by Chateauneuf).  I wandered long in the gardens of Rioja, and feasted on Super Tuscan after Super Tuscan.  But then I had Meursault.  And Condrieu.  And lush Alsatian Pinot Gris.  And slowly, the composition of my case of wine shifted to the whiter side of pale.  Now I find myself drinking white all year long.  This wine is made from a blend which I initially questioned as perhaps too… fusion: verdehlo, vermentino, sauvignon blanc and viognier.  Luckily, I didn’t read the label first, and so I bought it anyway.  It’s sturdy, reasonable, quick-witted and bright; not unlike Senator Sherrod Brown on the Senate floor this week.  The vermentino gives a nice acidity, and the steely sauvignon fences in the over-the-top fruit that California viognier can bring.  It’s a white wine for winter; comforting and substantial, but affordable enough for parties.

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