Wine Haters Guide to Good Wine

For years, I have loved the idea of being a wine connoisseur however there was just one problem, I hated wine! A large predicament, I know. Yes, I was following the bandwagon however the bottles were always alluring and inviting, the taste and smell was not. After trying many bottles of various wines from chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon and so on, I could never find one that had a taste that I preferred. Then, I can along the best wine of all times which is created by Hogue Cellars.

Hogue Cellars is located in Columbia Valley, part of the Eastern side of Washington. It is a family owned business and run by Mike and Gary Hogue. The wine that I fell in love with is "Hogue Late Harvest White Riesling, 2005". Even though during this year, there was a large fear of drought, the Hogue family was able to capture a great tasting grape full of lavish fruity flavors that swim in your mouth with every sip. The best thing about this wine is that it does not leave an after taste, as many other wines tend to do. The flavors that this wine brings to ones' senses are "dried apricot, tangerine, and powdered sugar with a hint of cocoa and mint on the finish."

For those "non-winer lovers" you will notice that this wine is a "Riesling". For around 500 to 2,000 years ago Germans have been creating this type of white wine. This type of wine is great for those whom are seeking a sweeter type of wine, since Riesling is made with more sugar than other choices. Although this is a typically a sweeter wine, some German choices can be a little more dry than this choice. In German, sweetness is governed by graded each type of Riesling with "Auslese", "Beerenauslese", and "Trockenbeerenauslese". Do not worry about these labels though as most American producers do not label this information.

Again, for those "non-wine lovers" like me, you will notice that the name of this Hogue Wine states it is from the "late harvest". For asking around, I found that this means when the grape was harvested. A later harvest can be done around the months of October and November, creating botrytis-infected grapes. Basically, the later the harvesting, the sweeter the taste while the earlier the grape is picked, the less sweet it is. When purchasing this wine, make it sure it states "late harvest".

This wine has won my affection as one of the very few wines that I actually like. It has a fruity sweet taste with a slight if any after taste. We served Havarti and Gouda cheese alongside wheat crackers which really brought out the taste. It has a wonderful Yellowish color with a modern black bottle. It is the perfect wine for any occasion. In addition, at under $10.00 a bottle, the price can not be beat!