The 2004 Hogue Riesling, approximately $6.95 a glass from P.F. Chang’s Chinese Restaurant Chain (branches everywhere).

The 2006 Chateau St. Michelle Riesling, available for $7.99 at WineDelight.com.

The 2006 Snoqualmie Winemaker’s Secret Riesling, available for $8.96 from Wine Chateau for the 2005 vintage.

The driest of the three, the Hogue went excellently well with Ginger Chicken and Candied Walnut Shrimp. The nose screamed apricot, the flavour said the same thing, but, thankfully, in a much quieter voice. A great wine for P.F. Chang’s: 8.8.

An off-dry wine that battled the Hogue for the most-dry prize, the Chateau St. Michelle was light and refreshing. It paired superbly with a half-dozen oysters and thinly-cut Miso Tuna Rolls in a light batter: 8.8.

The Snoqualmie was by far the sweetest. While its label recommends Asian food, fruit, and cheese pairings, InterWined is hard pressed to agree. For all of its protestations, the Snoqualmie is more akin to a Late Harvest Riesling, making it an excellent dessert wine or digestif. Reading that it pairs with ‘Asian’ food, fruit, cheese seems like sloppy marketing. Indeed, it’s always strange to read that a wine would make an excellent match for cheese, as cheese is a dairy. Dairy coats the mouth and masks the flavours and flaws of the wine. In the case of the Snoqualmie, it is an unnecessary and misleading tasting note. The wine’s better than that: 8.6.

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A standard California table wine, The Boulders Viognier 2004, goes for £5. Viognier is an ancient lady, common in the Rhone. Needs sun as it is prone to rot.

The Boulders isn’t very floral, as one would expect when the grape is grown in America or Australia. A probably a bit too heavy for such a heavy dish. But Interwined has a big belly, so here we go: Greasy and tart, some hints of orange zing, quick finish, but heavy in body. Perfect with fish and chips. By itself: 8.2.

German Riesling is the fall back guy for difficult food pairings. 2004 Mineralstein Riesling, from between the Mosel and Rhein rivers, around £7 from Marks and Spencer. The low alcohol, nice apricot aroma and peach-smartie type flavor really enhance the spice on Buffalo chicken wings (what spice is that, anyway?). The wine itself is a gem, dry and flinty, with a unbelievably long finish… If Cricket were a wine sport, Mineralstein would be it’s star.
Perfect wine Buffalo chicken wings: 8.6.

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Happy Birthday to InterWined’s Jacob Gaffney.
In honour of his birthday, InterWined.com invites all you InterWinos to write in with your best Wine/Food recommendation to ring in the day.
I’m going to pair mussels and frites with a nice bottle of Palliser Estate, Martinborough, NZ, Riesling. Had it in Auckland in 2004 and could happily have it […]

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A 2004 Riesling from the German winery, Schloss Schonbörn, in the Rheingau proved to be the perfect pair. This wine had a slight greasiness with a flinty aroma. The body is soft and easy and swirling is unusually fun. Hint of apricots and a lower than average ABV means you can have two glasses before flinging yourself headfirst into a wall of stinky flesh and not lose your cool.

Forget the pennies imagery, come to think of it. Getting on a packed tube feels more like you’re a rusty key being sunk into a bucket of cream cheese. German Riesling with packed public transport: 8.8.

Other runners up include a Verdicchio from central Italy. Verdicchio often look like a chardonnay, but tastes better. In this case the clear, hay yellow hue of the wine was tinted with light green (thus the use of ‘verde’ in its name). The first day it was opened it was crisp and lively, if too tart. The second day all had balanced out. By the fourth day, a day that most chardonnays would spoil by, this Verdicchio tasted like a chardonnay!

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I would have recommended a Riesling (grape) from the Mosel (region) in Germany, flinty and fresh, but not dry…or the more exotic Gruner Veltliner (grape) from anywhere in Austria…look for tell-tale hints of white pepper…

On the blush maybe a Tavel (region) Rosé from France…but those tend to be on the dry side… Banrock Station makes a pretty crazy sparkling Shiraz from Australia…

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Drinking the 2004 Montana Marlborough Riesling £6 at Costcutter: Not Bad, but the grape needs a cooler climate. The warmer weather has crowded out the grace and mineral structure of its superior, German counterparts. Strong tropical fruits, pineapple, melon. Light and easy, with a somewhat interesting dry finish that lasts just long enough. 8.5.

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