Wine: Mountford Estate 2010 Riesling
Origin: Waipara, New Zealand

Taste: Initially reserved in fruit, this wine offers lightly fusel notes right off the bat. Within twenty minutes, the wine expands into generously rich fruit with honey drizzled-apricots accompanied by marzipan. Its suave, creamy mouthfeel is driven by serious flavor density as well as considerable – and well-integrated – residual sugar. Its lower, 9.5% alcohol and lemony acidity keep this Riesling in the mid-weight category. Its structure reminds me of the Nahe king, Dönnhoff. Though imminently glugable, this wine’s complexity deserves a slow and thoughtful sipping pace.

Expectation: Moderately sweet Rieslings with crackling acidity tend to pair well with lighter meats and poultry garnished with fruits or dressed in fruit sauces. This bottle should also work with decadently creamy cheeses, where high fat content comes across as sweetness.

Hit: Roasted Pork Shoulder with Apricots and Golden Raisins
This dish matches the wine’s dried fruit flavors perfectly. Additionally, the succulence of the pork shoulder, which has more fat than, say chops, mimics the wine’s enveloping mouthfeel.

Home Run: Saint André Cheese
Triple crème cheese is always a decadent treat. Heavy cream is added during the production process to fatten up its character. This gives the cheese a lusciousness akin to the wine. This wasn’t just a hit: it was a home run!