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The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 is a wine I found in Chicago selling for $11.99, a quick check of the web saw prices from $10 to $15. Kate Arnold Wines is a family-owned winery located in Kelseyville, Ca. in Lake County.
Kate and Jean Arnold are co-owners, they feature a Sauvignon from the North Coast AVA in California, several Pinot Noirs and a Gamay from Willamette Valley in Oregon, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Cabernet Franc, and this Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington.
The Kate Arnold Winery website is detailed but they skipped over the production notes for the 2022 Riesling (they show the 2023 vintage twice), but we still have a general idea of the process.
They typically used two vineyards, Four Feathers Vineyards in Columbia Valley and Zillah Ranch in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, in some vintages they can add grapes from a third vineyard.
This wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel vats, no oak is used. The 2022 vintage in the Columbia Valley started cool and wet, but a heat wave in October brought the grapes to excellent ripeness.
This is a half-dry wine meaning it is slightly sweet, but that does not make this a sweet wine. A good half-dry wine will be balanced by acidity so the effect is more the biting of a juicy peach and a sugary infection.
Kate Arnold WInes is transitioning to using QR codes on the label so you can check the ingredients in the bottle before you buy. The alcohol content is a mild 12.2%.
The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is a pale wheat yellow. The nose is a harvest fruit basket, there are peaches, pears, apples, lemons, limes, and a splash of tropical fruit. The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 is a sleek light-bodied wine with tasty flavors and a little lip-smacking acidity.
This Riesling tastes like apple, pear, a little spice, and peach. The mid-palate brings lime, nectarine, and papaya. The acidity balances the flavors and makes this a Riesling that sips well. It is light-bodied so it may not be too versatile in paring, but a shrimp cocktail and light interesting cheese would do well.
The Summary
- The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 is an excellent summer sipper.
- This wine is light and subtle, but somehow still full of flavor.
