Clever White Wine Blend from Vina Robles

North American winemakers aren’t really known for their white wine blends, but there are always pioneers. Namely, Paso Robles producer Vina Robles released one this year that is bound to attract attention from wine drinkers who like flexible food pairing vinos.

Made from both Italian and French Rhone grapes, their White⁴ is an amazing blend that will certainly fool a lot of wine tasters. Italian and French mixed in one bottle and without a dispute? Hey, it happens, sacrilege perhaps, but it does happen.

Fortunately for us who enjoy a little experimentation, Vina Robles White⁴ is available at AJs for $16.99. This is a very good price for such a well-crafted wine and their 2009 vintage, soon to be replaced by 2010, should stay at the same levels in the coming months. Check in AJs wine cellar in the domestic white wine section for either year.

When tasting White⁴, be sure to have some seafood appetizers close at hand. Its very Italian bouquet of stony fruit and citrus also lends itself well to the Mediterranean food combinations that are included in the “Med Diet”. But because of its smooth mouth feel (oh yeah, that French Viognier grape), it will go perfectly with pasta and white sauces plus veal. So have fun fooling around with this one, the “standard” pairings for white wines may not necessarily apply.

This is also a good choice for the non-beer drinkers hanging out at “big game” parties this season. Its flexible consistency will go well with a wide variety of dips and sauces. Chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving (50-55 degrees). Its bouquet will develop very well as it warms and it will change significantly while tasting for about an hour after opening.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.