2005 Hip Chicks do Wine Muller Thurgau

[dananne]

Hip Chicks do Wine is located in downtown Portland's industrial east side area, and it is a fun place that caters to the younger, hip set, particularly women, to whom it creatively and successfully aims it's advertising. However, it would be a mistake to say there isn't any substance behind the operation, as Anne and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour by the founder/winemaker, and we discovered several very good, serious wines, such as a reserve '03 Willamette Pinot Noir and a Syrah sourced from S. Oregon and WA vineyards. Anyway, this Muller Thurgau is a snappy, citrusy, ever so slightly sweet wine that is a no brainer wine for when it's 93* and we're eating spicy Asian. The grapes came from Glen Creek Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, and there isn't much of it left in Oregon. 11% alc. Oddly, I never logged it into my cellar sheet, so I have no idea how much we paid for it, but it was probably in the $12-15 range.

Finally, FWIW, there is a pretty interesting story about Muller-Thurgau, which was created by a Swiss scientist 125 years ago, and it was supposed to blend the early ripening of the Silvaner with the nobler qualities of fancy, "I think I'm a queen" Riesling, and the result was planted all over Germany and German wine producing regions. Then, they did DNA tests and found Silvaner isn't involved at all, but rather Madeleine Royale, known for cheap plonk, and there has been a huge backlash. Now even Blue Nun adds something like 30% Riesling, whereas it used to be all Muller-Thurgau, and other producers have stopped putting the variety on the label.

[This message has been edited by dananne (edited 06-10-2007).]