Claiborne and Churchill's 2014 Dry Riesling and Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout
Claiborne and Churchill may be one of the oldest wineries in Edna Valley, but they certainly have a wild, unpredictable side (just like the cool grandma I want to be someday). Visitors may come to try the winery's world famous gewürztraminer, but you'll no doubt leave with a healthy respect for winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia's inky, vineyard-specific pinot noirs and sophisticated dry rieslings. If the first thing that comes to mind when you heard the word "riesling" is cloying sweetness, you have not tried this delicious dry wine full of ripe white peaches, apple, and citrus. Suspend your disbelief and take a leap of faith. You will be greatly rewarded in flavor!
• Claiborne and Churchill's 2014 Dry Riesling—$22; 2649 Carpenter Canyon Road, Edna Valley.
All this time, I thought narwhals were fake—some fishy ancestor of the unicorn. Wikipedia saved the day on this one when it told me that "the narwhal, or narwhale, is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large tusk from a protruding canine tooth." Either way, they are some weird unicorn fish, am I right? Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout is also strangely hard to believe. It's black as night, yet light bodied. It's smooth and easy drinking, yet tops in at more than 10 percent alcohol. With espresso, cocoa, and smokiness and a rich flavor as deep as the sea, it is a mysterious and delicious mystery to be sure.
• Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout—About $8 on tap at Luis Wine Bar; 1021 Higuera St., SLO.
Send your next narwhal sighting to hthomas@newtimesslo.com.
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1010 Marsh Street • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
PHONE/805/546-8208 • FAX/805/546-8641
