Pacific Rim Yakima Valley, Solstice Vineyard Riesling
$65.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: White
PRODUCT: 3 2010 Solstice Riesling
CT link above

Winery website

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My, this is quite an expensive riesling. My wife likes the cheap stuff, Relax, and some Trader Joe's German varieties that are not so sweet. Tasting notes for this are thin on CT.

Winery, just some unsolicited advice: while I understand and appreciate the value of having a focused mission statement to guide internal decision-making, yours may not be framed in such a way that you want to broadcast it to customers...

[Edit: To be fair, the description is probably for distributors, resellers, etc. I bet they didn't even know we'd be able to see it.]

Considering I'm just barely getting into whites and have never tried a Riesling, can you convince me to pay more for a white than I have for most reds on this site?

Aw, Pacific Rim, why ya gotta go with the canned crap mission statement? Someone didn't do their research for the unconventional wine.wooter.

I have not had the riesling from this vineyard buy I have had their riesling from other Pacific Rim vineyards that are widely distributed. They are tasty and highly rated from Wine Enthusiast (I'm on my phone, otherwise I'd link...if I can find it, I'll edit). I like their wines. They go well with Asian food and salads that are light. It's a natural picnic wine.

http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2011/12/pacific-rim-riesling-is-1-of-best-buy.html?m=1

Here we go... #1 pick!

ETA: http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/February-2011/Banfi-Buys-Pacific-Rim/

Looks like they were sold. Anyway, they are fairly consistently highly rated. If I has the cash I'd be in for probably two. Alas, car issues prevailed.

I was on the fence, but the short shipping list gave me an easy out.

lbchomer wrote:Considering I'm just barely getting into whites and have never tried a Riesling, can you convince me to pay more for a white than I have for most reds on this site?

pacific rim has lots of great rieslings, (their specialty) if I was just getting into it, I would go to their site and try 6 different rieslings, if you buy 6 bottles they ship free and you can sample an assortment that way, I love riesling, but just can't go that high on the price, http://rieslingrules.com/

silent7seven wrote:I was on the fence, but the short shipping list gave me an easy out.

if you like Rieslings, check their website, they might be able to ship from there, and if you buy 6 bottles, free ship, and they have lots of good rieslings to try.

thekla wrote:pacific rim has lots of great rieslings, (their specialty) if I was just getting into it, I would go to their site and try 6 different rieslings, if you buy 6 bottles they ship free and you can sample an assortment that way, I love riesling, but just can't go that high on the price, http://rieslingrules.com/

Thanks for the link. Looks like a cheaper way to try various Rieslings than committing to 3 like ones.

Too rich for my blood for a Riesling... seriously? pass... I think I'll save my $$$ and wait for some Scott Harvey offering ... that guy can make some fine wine.

texacaliali wrote:the 2010 is a fairly new release, quite possibly the highest quality riesling ever offered on wine.woot! should be an auto-buy for anyone into dry riesling, just in time for summer sipping too.

AlI, you sound lovely, but all you're posts are about how perfect the eeriness are and how they are your personal seemsbests. Because it seems like you're just doing PR posts, and never say anything slightly critical about the wines, I can't believe anything you say! Useful data for me, atty least, involves being able to understand your palate, preferences and critiques. If you're so positive all the time, how can I compare your thoughts to anything?

connoda wrote:Too rich for my blood for a Riesling... seriously? pass... I think I'll save my $$$ and wait for some Scott Harvey offering ... that guy can make some fine wine.

This isn't that expensive for a Riesling, assuming the pedigree is good. Rieslings can go as high as $450 for a 1/2 bottle in parts of Germany. Not that I'd ever pay that, and not that $450 is an average barometer, but fine Rieslings easily fetch $30-$50/bottle and are very often worth it. As far as this particular Riesling, I know not.

zenophile wrote:AlI, you sound lovely, but all you're posts are about how perfect the eeriness are and how they are your personal seemsbests. Because it seems like you're just doing PR posts, and never say anything slightly critical about the wines, I can't believe anything you say! Useful data for me, atty least, involves being able to understand your palate, preferences and critiques. If you're so positive all the time, how can I compare your thoughts to anything?

There are times when both Neil and Ali are silent. I assume that means that they're not so hot on that offer.

"possibly the highest quality riesling ever offered"

has a screwcap.

wut?

texacaliali wrote:sorry, typing in from the iPhone tonight so in short, I only comment on wines that I strongly believe in and no, I don't say anything negative about wines that I don't care for, however I do correct false or misguided information on here when I can. As for this offer, I would rarely say such a strong positive statement about a domestic riesling, my experience is deep set in German and Alsace Riesling producers for many years. To this, the Solstice is a tremendous example of a single vineyard site, a few layers more complex than the former dry rieslings offered from Esterlina, but as enjoyable.

Thank you, and Kyle too. As you may have noticed, mine was posted using porcupine phone text also.
That helps a bit!
Have you tried Harvey's Jana brand Michigan Leelanau Riesling? That's from a woot, and it's my US Riesling benchmark, and with 9.5% alcohol demonstrating its Mosel-like terroir. Afair comparison would be wonderfully helpful.

kylemittskus wrote:This isn't that expensive for a Riesling, assuming the pedigree is good. Rieslings can go as high as $450 for a 1/2 bottle in parts of Germany. Not that I'd ever pay that, and not that $450 is an average barometer, but fine Rieslings easily fetch $30-$50/bottle and are very often worth it. As far as this particular Riesling, I know not.

Garbage. No one is comparing Pacific Rim woot wine to 1/2 bottle of Germany's finest $450 item. Give me a break man. The worst comparison you have ever made in this forum.

For the average Riesling consumer, this is a very expensive offering. Riesling is the wine that initially got me hooked so I like to think I have drank quite a few and at different price points.

You can get some really high quality stuff, including German, at Costco for much less than this, as well as much more than this. But it is easy to find $5-15 bottles that are delicious.

I'd love to try this but not for 3 at $70. Bummer.

And I agree, the posted mission statement is a bit awkward - you don't scream about brand loyalty to the consumer's face. Not usually.

I have had many Pacific Rim offerings and pairings with different meals. I have even had their ice wine Riesling. All of them had been well mannered and great for the purposes at hand.

At this price, I would consider it a steal. I bought a lot of Riesling that's lower cost from Costco before, like someone else mentioned, but when I want to entertain others, I almost always go for a Pacific Rim especially if it's friends from out of Washington State. A few who came in from near Napa were very positive about them as well; and when they heard about the price, the usual reaction is "no way, I thought it would be around $30-50 range".

"Well, Napa is expensive, I guess".

texacaliali wrote:Sorry I have not, maybe Scott will have time to pipe in and give us his thoughts between his Cali riesling vs this Washington one. I know the Pacfic Rim folks will be on the boards as well.

not his Cali Riesling, which is good, but his Michigan one, which was in its own class. While we're on this subject, I wonder how it compares with Dan Tudor's Radog Riesling.

I find this online offer to be engaging. The innovative and meaningful Pacific Rim brand experience from VinMotion excites and inspires me with its affordable quality. The Solstice Vineyard Riesling is HOT and high quality Riesling is one of the HOTTEST categories of wine.

aranio wrote:"possibly the highest quality riesling ever offered"

has a screwcap.

wut?

Screwcap has almost nothing to do with quality. Many producers of white wines (Australia and NZ, and notably, the legendary Baumard in the Loire Valley) have switched to them recently for a variety of reasons.

tkastorff wrote:Garbage. No one is comparing Pacific Rim woot wine to 1/2 bottle of Germany's finest $450 item. Give me a break man. The worst comparison you have ever made in this forum.

For the average Riesling consumer, this is a very expensive offering. Riesling is the wine that initially got me hooked so I like to think I have drank quite a few and at different price points.

You can get some really high quality stuff, including German, at Costco for much less than this, as well as much more than this. But it is easy to find $5-15 bottles that are delicious.

I'd love to try this but not for 3 at $70. Bummer.

And I agree, the posted mission statement is a bit awkward - you don't scream about brand loyalty to the consumer's face. Not usually.

You're right; no one is comparing Pacific Rim to the finest German TBA rieslings, including kylemittskus ("not that $450 is an average barometer"). Sure, you can find decent rieslings for around $10 (Dr. L comes to mind). Keyword: decent. If I want a more complex riesling experience, though, I look for a spatlese from a reputable German producer. Those will usually set you back $20-25. As has been said before, whether or not this wine stacks up to good spatlese is beyond me, but the price point offered here is certainly reasonable.

aranio wrote:"possibly the highest quality riesling ever offered"

has a screwcap.

wut?

http://recordfamilywines.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/screwcap_study.pdf

The more you know... (in a cheesy, rhythmic spoken voice).

Pacific Rim's entry-level riesling is great, so I'd wager this single vineyard offering is quite good, too. Solid scores from past vintages.
Still, does not look to be a superb discount, so I think I'll stay on the fence on this one...

Pacific Rim wont ship here so I am unable to purchase, however the local Whole Foods and a variety of other stores carry their products.

I went their a few months ago to pic up a few of their rieslings to give them a try. I was quite impressed.

michaepf wrote:Winery, just some unsolicited advice: while I understand and appreciate the value of having a focused mission statement to guide internal decision-making, yours may not be framed in such a way that you want to broadcast it to customers...

[Edit: To be fair, the description is probably for distributors, resellers, etc. I bet they didn't even know we'd be able to see it.]

I had the exact same thought

texacaliali wrote:To this, the Solstice is a tremendous example of a single vineyard site, a few layers more complex than the former dry rieslings offered from Esterlina, but as enjoyable.

Thanks Ali, question answered before asked, as I was hoping for a comparison to the Esterlina we had here earlier.

As this is for me a pricy white, can you or others elaborate a bit on the similarities and differences between the two?

chipgreen wrote:I find this online offer to be engaging. The innovative and meaningful Pacific Rim brand experience from VinMotion excites and inspires me with its affordable quality. The Solstice Vineyard Riesling is HOT and high quality Riesling is one of the HOTTEST categories of wine.

Thank you for causing me to spew organic apple juice all over my keyboard, my monitor, my desk...

Still don't understand how you can avoid temperature abuse during shipping, especially with a white. My wine.woot shipments all seem to originate in Sonoma. Which means they must travel through the San Joaquin valley to reach most destinations. That valley will be 95 F today and thats just the beginning of the journey if you live in the east. The rest of the Western and Southern states can also be very hot, if not now then very soon.

true559 wrote:Still don't understand how you can avoid temperature abuse during shipping, especially with a white. My wine.woot shipments all seem to originate in Sonoma. Which means they must travel through the San Joaquin valley to reach most destinations. That valley will be 95 F today and thats just the beginning of the journey if you live in the east. The rest of the Western and Southern states can also be very hot, if not now then very soon.

We've got folks monitoring, no worries. If your wine arrives in suboptimal condition (cooked, boiled, dropped into volcanoes, etc) service@woot.com is going to be there for you.

aranio wrote:"possibly the highest quality riesling ever offered"

has a screwcap.

wut?

Really? What type of bottle closure does Johnny Walker Blue have? They are going this route to keep TCA from happening to the wine. Corks have been traditionally used-but the trend is towards screw caps. This is not an indication of wine quality as in years past. Yes I know this winery, winemaker, and most of their vineyards (I work for a competitor)- they are well respected for the Riesling. This is a good wine and well worth the price.

So, thanks aranio for you highly uninformed comment.

justme99352 wrote:Really? What type of bottle closure does Johnny Walker Blue have?

cork

lbchomer wrote:Considering I'm just barely getting into whites and have never tried a Riesling, can you convince me to pay more for a white than I have for most reds on this site?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Riesling! The Riesling has a dynamic range like no other varietal (I am a bit biased ) - bone dry to a multi-dimensional dessert wine. Everything from a simple workman daily drinker to an elegant multi-layered wondrous balance of fruit, terroir, seasonal weather, acid and sugar. I've had riesling that I would drink with steaks and others that are gentle enough to pair with delicate seafood or vegetable dishes.

Those that are truly terroir specific, single vineyard wines with careful fruit treatment (essential for preserving the terroir) and careful winemaking have more labor and small productions. More labor raises the price. Small volume will raise the price. Also, higher quality single vineyard Rieslings and gewürz are often aged in the bottle for a year or more before release. Inventory=space=cost=raises the price. Check the price of single vineyard Rieslings from Germany or Alsace.

Single vineyard wines are very often very vintage dependent, especially in hilly or mountainous terrain. How much rain or sun fell on that small acreage parcel on that side of that mountain in that year?? Whew!

Whether this single vineyard, low volume wine is worth the $24 price point will depend on how it tastes and compares with other Rieslings. I cannot help there since I have not personally tried this particular wine or this particular vintage of this particular wine. I am hoping to learn more from other wooters....

After being delighted by a Pacific Rim medium sweet riesling bought here a couple months ago, and fascinated by the unusual floral atributes of their sparklings, I decided a while back that Pacific Rim would be an autobuy for me (like Scott Harvey, and now Iron Horse), but seeing as I have a case and a half of assorted wines on the way, I have to decline. My reign of impulse buying has come to an end for at least a day or two...

I've spotted some Pacific Rims around my area tho, so will keep an eye out for this one to try out, cos it does sound good, even if its pricy (you know, for a white... *sarcasm*. Honestly, whites are just as good and deserve to be just as pricy as reds, its just that people are more divided over what they consider to be a 'good' white.).