In the week after Labor Day, summer is officially over for most of the country. But in Texas, we have 9-10 months of balmy weather each year and are in the market for porch pounders until well after Thanksgiving.
The “Bay Mist” White Riesling by J. Lohr is on deck, reporting for its fruity duty. Curlicues of sea spray and coastal clouds adorn its clear label, promising refreshment with a delicate touch. And at $11.99, it’s not too precious to throw in an ice chest or a beach bag for an afternoon gathering.
This wine was presented to me in a recent blind tasting spree. And while I couldn’t identify it immediately as Riesling, I did identify it as delicious.
The nose is wet-behind-the-ears youthful, with white grape juice, jasmine, elderflower, pineapple, and a bit of coriander. The palate adds pronounced and appealing fruit flavors of white peach, pear, lemon, and lychee with a medium finish.
To me, it registers on the sweeter side of off-dry. (The spec sheet says it’s ~19 grams per liter.) It won’t satisfy a dry-Riesling craving, but it doesn’t taste like drinking liquid candy, either. At 12% ABV it’s got the right amount of octane to offset the sweetness without tasting noticeably boozy. There’s supposed to be a bit of effervescence at the end, too, but I didn’t catch it.
“My-goes-with-anything, toes-in-the-sand wine” winemaker Kristen Barnhisel calls it. Yeah! I gotta say, I agree. For under $12, I don’t expect that a wine will be life-changing. I just want it to be agreeable to a wide range of palates, and without any obvious flaws. This bottle is that. Sippable, charming, gift-able–a pretty little Riesling rose without a thorn.
I served the Bay Mist with homemade chicken and dumplings. It was an accidental, lazy Friday night pairing, but a lucky one.
The Riesling’s sugar complemented the sweet peas and carrots, and the meaty braised chicken thighs benefited from the wine’s acidity and aromatic lift. This was actually a three wine dish: Leftover white Burgundy (Cave de Lugny) went into the cream sauce, and I used an almost-full bottle of the abominable Hope Tree Merlot as a rolling pin to make the dumplings.
Bottle: J. Lohr “Bay Mist” White Riesling (2024) – Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, California
Variety: Riesling (100%)
ABV: 12%
Suggested retail: $11.99
My rating: 8.5 (out of 10)
See more of my “Under $12” wine reviews here!
Further reading:
Dr. Vinny (Wine Spectator): Why would someone use the term “white Riesling”? Isn’t all Riesling white?
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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