Vouvray

Like most other people who drink wine I tend to overlook Chenin Blanc.  It just doesn't make a large blip on the radar.  Saturday night we put a temporary end to that with a 2009  Sauvion Vouvray. 

The nose was all about peach and pear skin mixed with some honeysuckle vines.  It smelled like summer, and considering there was more snow on the ground that was a needed aroma.

The wine was medium bodied with razor like acid sitting on top of the peach and pear taste.  At the front end of the mouth the wine had a sweet presence, but by the time one swallowed it the acid had taken over to give a crisp finish.  Very good length to the finish.

Dinner was a shellfish risotto.  The rice and some shallots were toasted with a little olive oil and we added a small pinch of saffron. The liquid was a nage made from a small shallot and shells from the shrimp.  While the rice cooked we cleaned the shrimp, sliced some fresh scallops and barely steamed a small bag of little neck clams.  At the end we added a wee bit of the clam juice to the risotto, then added the shrimp and scallops, popped a lid on the pot and let the seafood just warm through.  Add in a small salad and a couple of crusty ciabatta rolls and dinner was worth the week that preceded it. 

The front end sweetness on the Vouvray wasn't the perfect introduction with the food, but once the acid kicked in the pairing was more than acceptable. 

$16 and 12% alcohol.