Great Whites

There was a time when I thought I might never give whites a fighting chance. I was a budding wine drinker with a penchance for anything red. At the time, I barely even touched the bubbly and rose seemed too close to the pink stuff I thought I was supposed to shun, so red it was, the heavier the tannins, the better.

A few factors changed my opinion of whites; season, food pairings, opening up to/learning new varietals, and of course, great producers. Of course, in order to truly enjoy white wine, I had to overcome a few stereotypes I had. In all honesty, I just didn't think white was quite up-to-snuff when compared with red. Once I stopped comparing the two, I was able to embark upon a great journey into white wine, one that I hope to continue as well as pass onto others. Perhaps some of you might also have white wine apprehensions, so I hope my "myth busters" below will help you open your mind and palate to some "Great Whites".

Myth: White wine won't age.

Fact: While most wines are meant to be consumed immediately, some possess an ageability of up to 20 years or more. This is a bit of an exception, but with proper storage many white wines (and even Champagnes) including Chardonnay and Riesling can be aged from 3-8 years.

Myth: White wines only pairs well with cheese and fish.

Fact: There are a plethora of foods white wines pair well with including spicy foods, vegetarian dishes, pastas and salads. Of course, they also go well with cheese, but so do dessert wines and certain reds. Not to mention, many whites go down easy on their own!

Myth: All Chardonnays are oaky butterbombs.

Fact: Where do I begin to dispell this untruth?! I tend to be one of those "ABC" drinkers myself("Anything But Chardonnay"), but tasting is a part of the job, and I'm always down to give one a try. Have you ever heard any of your wine geek friends or waiter/waitress describe a wine as "buttered popcorn"? That buttery flavor comes from a process called "malolactic fermentation". Basically, a healthy bacteria is added to the wine that converts malic acid into lactic acid (the acid found in milk). While malic acid is a bit sharper and more aciditic on the tongue, lactic acid has a smoother, softer feel, hence that "buttery" description.

There are many Chardonnays, however, that are fermented in stainless steel (thus omitting that woody, oaky flavor) and many that undergo mild malolactic fermentation. One of the best examples of these Chardonnays is the 2006 Neil Ellis (see below).

Top 5 Whites I Love to Drink

1. 2007 Qupe Marsanne (Santa Ynez Valley, CA) - Marsanne, native to northern Rhone, is one of my favorite varietals. This wine is deep golden in color and fuller in body. Sweet, nutty aromas of cashew and almonds tickle the nose along with hints of pear while dried apples dance on the palate. Marsanne is rounded out with 12% Roussane. ($18) Green Alert - 35% of these grapes come from biodynamic farms!

2. 2007 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina (Campania, Italy) - My mouth is watering just thinking about this juicy white that's perfect for spring and summer sipping. Crisp and citrusy, this light to medium-bodied wine also has some mineral notes going on. Think apples, lemons and pineapple--a tart fruit salad in your mouth! Guzzle this Great White with seafood, pastas and even salads. For you label lovers out there, this one will catch your eye in the aisle. ($20)

3. 2007 Neil Ellis Chardonnay (Stellenbosch, South Africa) - When you're not a fan, being open to Chardonnay is kind of like revisiting the vegetable you didn't like as a child. I say give this one a try to see if it'll change your mind. This flinty, minerally Chardonnay has undergone minimal malo-lactic fermentation giving it a crisp, citrusy feel on the palate. Notes of lemon and lime make this a tart, dry white wine with just a hint of oak. ($20)

4. 2007 Scheid Gewürztraminer (Monterey County, CA) - A little obscure, but I had to mention them. My boyfriend, Chris, and I discovered Scheid last fall while in town for the Big Sur Half Marathon (yes, running and wine do mix). We did a little sampling and chatted it up with a cheery pourer before walking out with three of their whites. This wine's floral aroma drew us in. Sweet, ripe peaches and apricots create a luscious mouthfeel without being too syrupy sweet. In our house, spicy foods are always cookin', and Gewurtzes are known for matching hot dishes like Thai. ($16)

5. 2008 Veramonte Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley, Chile) - For some Sauv Blanc drinkers, it's all about New Zealand. And don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the lush, tropical fruits that bounce from taste bud to taste bud on my tongue from a good Kiwi wine, but these days, it's all about the grassy, herbacious ones from another south-of-the-equator country, Chile. Veramonte's pale color is a disguise for what's inside the bottle. Zingy, zesty, zippy in the mouth, the nose gives way to fresh cut grass and even juicy bell peppers. This is a clean, fresh wine with subtle notes of lime that shouldn't be missed, especially at $10!

Growing Up Dutch--Pennsylvania That Is

Not all self-proclaimed "foodies" were born with a worldly palate. In fact, some of us are reared in the woodsy terrain of Pennsylvania's northeast Pocono region, not exactly an epicurean hotbed. Growing up, I preferred individually wrapped Velveeta to crumbly, aged roquefort and you couldn't pay me to look in a mushroom's direction. I ate so much sausage and homemade mashed potatoes and gravy during childhood I still can't choke down a spoonfull of even the smoothest, creamiest Yukon golds at a fine Bay Area restaurant. Still, this unique region does possess a cultural, culinary phenomenon all its own, and like it or not, it steered my own palate toward fearless ingestion later in life. My friends, open your eyes--but maybe not your mouths--to life in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

To understand Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is to understand the PA Dutch themselves. Not to be confused with the Amish, these people are really just the sons and daughters of German immigrants who came to the state around 1800. Along with their unique eating habits, they also possess their own dialect, a blend of several that melds German with American English. Understanding the lingo might help an outsider along while navigating the popular foods of these native Pennsylvanians. I've gathered a small list of the more common fare served at holidays, county fairs, family reunions and local grocery stores.

Scrapple - When I was young, my grandfather was a hard working, well-liked butcher in our community. Our small town still honored the specified trade workers and were happy to make the extra trip to the stand-alone concrete building where they purchased their meats and cheeses. And it was at the butcher shop that I discovered a curious, meat-like substance called scrapple. The closest "universal" food I can liken scrapple to would be SPAM. Scrapple is simply the leftovers, literally the scraps and bi-products of other meats. Scrapple is a popular breakfast food amongst the PA Dutch, so don't be surprised if you see it on a roadside diner's menu.

Apple Butter - This sweet spreadable (not really a butter at all) can be slathered on anything from toast to saltines. With its deep brown color, apple butter is a more concentrated form of apple sauce often spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves.

Pork and Sauerkraut - In my family, pork and sauerkraut was a New Year's Day staple. The PA Dutch consider this dish a "good luck" charm at the dawn of a new year, and let it simmer all day to dinner time. Cabbage is traditional fare amongst the PA Dutch, and the addition of swine and mashed potatoes makes this dish a delicacy.

Lebanon - Another meat that takes me back to the days of sitting on the counter at the butcher shop. Lebanon bologna is a lunchmeat that is cured, smoked and fermented. Its tangy, peppery flavor is best matched with a slice of white American cheese, mayo and mustard sandwiched between two slices of white bread. Lunch!

Hot Bacon Dressing - Not quite gravy, not quite salad dressing, this hot "dressing" is typically served over a bed of cold iceburg lettuce, but most PA Dutch will drizzle it over their meats and other veggies. I discovered many variations of the recipe online, but the Dutch version is a sweet and tangy vinaigrette thickened through flour.

Funnel Cake - Also known as "Elephant's Ears" to locals, this fried, lacey pastry dish dowsed with powdered sugar is a must at county fairs and festivals. To make this lattice-like dessert, dough is funneled into hot oil, creating mazes of spirals and fried until golden-brown. Powdered sugar is then sifted on top and sometimes thick, homemade jams on top of that. Word to the wise, share this devilishly good treat or you could be packing in as much as 977 calories and 44 grams of fat. According to University of Illinois researchers, it would take about 9 hours to walk the 13,000 steps to burn off that cake. That's about 25 times to many passed the livestock pens and demolition derby.

Shoofly Pie - This quintessential PA Dutch dessert's name has a great ring to it...and tastes good to boot. A molasses-based dish topped with coffee cake-esque buttery crumbles takes me back to grade school where one of my teachers made the best Shoofly pie around. You might find a homemade version of this by they slice at a local restaurant or diner, and I can almost guarantee, you won't be disappointed.

Wos-Wit - While this isn't a specific food or dish itself, I couldn't write an article on PA Dutch food without the mention of a well-known PA Dutch label, Wos-Wit. Found on many local grocery shelves, Wos-Wit packages anything from bacon dressing to sour cherry preserves to pig's tongue, yep, pig's licker in a jar. Wos-Wit's literal translation is "What do you want?" and products are grown or raised on a family farm in Schuykill County.

To save my waistline, I jetted to New England at 18 and discovered there's more to life than pretzels slathered in Cheeze Whiz and macaroni salad swimming in Hellman's. Now I'm living in California where I'm pretty certain avocado is the fattiest food allowed by law. I still return several times a year, however, and indulge in some form of PA Dutch food, my favorite being homemade pickled beets. At the end of the day, every region has its own cuisine, and I have to be glad that mine has its very own heritage associated with it, no matter how quirky.

Stay tuned for more from the Pennsylvania front lines as I'll be back home from March 4-9. There are birthdays to celebrate, so hopefully I'll grab a piece of Shoofly pie. Mm, mmm.