2021 Acquiesce Roussanne – When Great Things Happen to Good People!
The Winery
Picture from Acquiesce Facebook
Acquiesce Winery continues to impress with their white wine portfolio on French varietals. There is so much to state about Susan Tipton, owner and winemaker of Acquiesce Winery. The key takeaway is that she established her winery in Acampo (just north of Lodi) with the expressed purpose of bringing French white wine varieties to market. Lodi had been primarily known for red wines, but she turned heads with some of her unique wines such as Picpoul, Clairette Blanche, Ingénue (blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc & Picpoul Blanc), Roussanne and more. Here are some reviews of her wines and her impact:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/09/20/2018-acquiesce-vineyards-picpoul-blanc
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/08/30/2018-acquiesce-ingenue-french-and-more-french
Her awards are too numerous to list!! Her appetizer and wine tastings are known throughout the region as being “over the top” with creativity and a delicious treat!
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Her 2020 Roussanne and earlier vintages have made my Best Wines of the Year list. The 2021 Roussanne on the eye is a light-medium golden straw color and medium viscosity. On the nose, it possessed an elegant finesse with extreme floral aromatics, hints of pear, apricots and with a rich and silky smooth mouthful texture almost creamy. The finish had a soft nutty texture of almond and a hint of honey with a distinct minerality with a medium long finish. Roussanne brings more acidity, elegance and floral aromatic complexities to the wine which makes it perfect for chicken, turkey or fish. The current release is the 2022 and winery price is $40.50/bottle. I need to taste the 2022 but hard to believe anything can top the 2021! The 2021 wine will make my Best Wines Tasted in 2024 (published in December 2024) for three years in a row!!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with Norwegian Cod which I had never tasted nor cooked but was highly recommended at Ohana Seafood. It was in for a wonderful surprise on how good this fish tasted tender, moist and flavorful. Definitely a new favorite fish! A little background on Norwegian Cod: Norwegian Atlantic cod is a white fish in the cod-family. This cod thrives in colder waters compared to the other cod-species, like the pacific cod. Cod is perhaps the healthiest and leanest protein you can eat. It is rich in protein, vitamins A, D and B12, selenium, antioxidants and Omega-3s. A portion of cod for dinner covers your daily requirement of Omega-3. More can be found on the Eight benefits of Norwegian Cod at: https://norwegianseafoodcouncil.com/wildfish/cod/eight-reasons-to-buy-norwegian-cod/ .
Pan fried in butter, lemon and virgin oil for 6-7 minutes. The fish was also cooked in a sauce of Sriracha, honey, garlic and ginger. Served with additional sauce drizzled over the top of the cooked fish. Accompanied by yellow sweet corn. One of the best food and wine pairings of the year with the mouth-filling Acquiesce Roussanne with its flavor profile enveloping the “spirited and spicy” fish with calmness and a counter punch of flavor.
Sláinte,
Michael
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