By Janice Shiffler, Hop City Krog Wine Manager
As a Hop City customer, we know you’re already cooler than the Fonz. This punishing summer heat, though, is making it hard to stay cool. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies, but the oven-like weather is keeping me away from the stove. I’d love to just set up a beach chair in Hop City’s walk-in cooler until the leaves start falling, but I’m pretty sure management would frown on that. For now, I’m going to try to relieve the hellish heat with some cool dishes and heavenly summer wines.
Frisk “Prickly” Riesling, Alpine Valleys, Victoria, Australia
85% Riesling; 10% Muscat; 5% Gewürztraminer
The Alpine Valley region is nestled in the foothills of the Victorian Alps in South Eastern Australia. Snow covers the high-elevation vineyards in winter, and the blend of highly aromatic grapes invokes the sense of biting into a cold, crisp apple while surrounded by alpine herbs. The juice is fermented in stainless steel, and they deliberately halt fermentation at about 10% alcohol to keep a hint of residual sugar and encourage a light spritziness that further boosts the refreshing aromatics. The relatively low ABV means you won’t feel like you’ve been overly frisky if you drink a glass or three.
Pair me with: Sushi - The sweet seafood, salty soy sauce and pungent wasabi are a trifecta that bounce joyfully off the sweet, spritzy acidity of this wine.
Lone Birch Pinot Gris, Yakima Valley, Washington
100% Pinot Gris
The family has been farming in the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountains for four generations, in the shade of the titular birch tree. Eastern Washington State is a desert climate, which means hot days and cool nights; the grapes get ripe without losing delicious acidity. That brightness is cultivated with a long, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Then the juice hangs out on the lees (the residual yeast that turns sugar into alcohol) for two months before being aged in concrete tanks. This process highlights the mouth-watering notes of peaches and tangerines and adds a little nutty richness for balance.
Pair me with: Arugula salad with grilled peaches, prosciutto, burrata and honey-balsamic vinaigrette. The wine has enough acidity to stand up to the vinaigrette, and the sweet peaches, creamy cheese and salty prosciutto will make the flavors of the wine sparkle.
Bodegas Borsao, Seleccion Rosado, Campo de Borja, Spain
100% Garnacha (Grenache)
Bodegas Borsao is part of a local co-op that has been raising the level of quality for the region’s wine and respect for the Garnacha grape. The Campo de Borja region, just south of Rioja, specializes in that grape such that it’s apparently known as “The Empire of Garnacha.” It’s within the Moncayo mountain chain, and thanks to its sweet corner location, the region gets both North Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. With hundreds of acres available to farm, Borsao is able to blend grapes from small vineyards at different altitudes and with different soils. Soil and altitude bring out unique flavors in any grape, so that variety provides a surprising strength and depth of flavor in such an innocent-looking pink juice.
Pair me with: Wine and cheese dinner featuring crusty bread, Manchego, Cabrales blue cheese, jamón ibérico and fresas frescas. The wine bursts with fresh strawberry and raspberry notes, and it will be so refreshing with each salty bite of Spanish treats. No oven required, unless you feel compelled to bake your own bread.
Taylor Fladgate CHIP Dry Port and Tonic
White port is the unaged form of the famous dessert wine, kind of like the white dog form of whiskey. Taylor Fladgate claims to have produced the first one designed to be an aperitif in 1934. Such a beverage is part of Spain and Portugal’s “la hora de vermouth” culture of light, refreshing drinks with tapas. This one happens to be ready to drink from its own convenient can, but we won’t stop you from making your own with one of our delicious vermouths or other aperitifs.
Pair me with: Gazpacho - Does anything scream “I’m enjoying a relaxing day somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula” more than gazpacho? I prefer the version of this chilled tomato soup that doesn’t put bread in the puree. Then it’s a great excuse to dunk cheesy garlic bread in what’s basically a liquid salad.
We’re thrilled to welcome Janice Shiffler, WSET II, as wine manager at our Krog location! With a deep background in fine dining, Janice has a wealth of knowledge and is excited to leave a lasting impact on our wine department!
