Wine is not something I consume very frequently and when I do partake in the fruit of the vine, it is usually due to one of three reasons: 1. I am traveling and visiting a winery, 2. I am at a fine dining establishment and the waiter has recommended a specific wine with my meal, or 3. I am in the company of others who happen to prefer wine to any other adult beverage and rather than try to win them over to malt beverages, I decide to give in and sample some fermented grapes instead. Over the past few days, I have been entertaining others who like wine and partaking in some wine sampling. Today's beverage is Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007, a vintage wine.

Basic Characteristics of This Wine:

Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 pours to a light golden hue with a nose that offers scents like passion fruit, lemon, and even some floral notes. The body of this wine is medium to thin and it doesn't produce any legs in the glass.

Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 has a taste that is semi- sweet and full of different fruit flavors. One sip results in a virtual fruit basket of apricots, grapes, pear, pineapple, and peaches. There is only a dab of alcohol that can be detected in the taste but there is also a slight bite in the finish that combines the alcohol sensation with a drying taste that is a little woody, but that quickly switches back to fruity in the aftertaste.

Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 has an acidic level of 0.62 grams/100 ml and a pH of 3.22. The residual sugar content of this wine is 3.2 percent and the alcohol level is 11.9 percent by volume. The wine should be served chilled.

Final Thoughts:

Entertaining others can often be a hassle when it comes to selecting the right beverages. I always have to stop and remind myself that other people do not share my love for fine brew; something that is still difficult for me to grasp but, unfortunately, very true. I often have to broaden my horizons a little bit and drink something different and for the last few days, that "something" has been wine as I have been entertaining in- laws and others who prefer wine to most other alcoholic beverages.

My relatives prefer sweeter wines and Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 continues this trend. Actually, this wine is not as sweet as some of the other Rieslings I have tasted and it is officially listed as a semi- sweet wine. You can taste the drying sensations in the finish, but the flavor is still sweet overall. After the small amount of dryness is felt at the end, the taste gradually switches back to one of sweet fruit.

Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 is fermented in stainless steal vats, for a cleaner taste. I was a little bit surprised when I learned this because I thought I tasted some woody/oak notes in the flavor. I can still taste this sensation, but apparently it isn't due to aging in oak barrels. This taste is simply due to the process that Fetzer uses when the wine is manufactured. I'm not sure what they do to produce this sensation in the finish, but the wine would probably rate a little higher if it didn't have this taste. It isn't terrible by any means, but it isn't necessarily to my liking.

Fetzer products are usually offered for a fair price and this is certainly true with Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007. This wine retails for about eight dollars per 750 ml bottle, making it less expensive than the average wine, bordering on a budget- priced wine. However, Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 is a little better tasting than the budget priced brands and it seems like a good buy for the money.

Overall, Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Riesling 2007 is a pretty good, respectable effort on the part of Fetzer to produce a Riesling wine for a fair price. It isn't as tasty as some of the better Rieslings I have tried over the years, mainly due to my displeasure with the finish. But the taste overall is pretty good and it ranks as a wine that many will find agreeable and non- offensive.

Recommended: Yes

Winery Name: Fetzer
Varietal: Riesling
Country: USA
State or Region: California
County or Appellation: Mendocino
Price: 8
Wine Rating Scale: A solid performer