The Wine Knows

Our neighbor Kenton recently got a sushi-making kit, so we get to enjoy some pretty fabulous sushi on a semi-regular basis. Tonight was one of those times, so I did a bit of research on what wines to bring.

Most of the Internet sources I read pointed toward Alsatian varieties (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, etc.), but one suggested a pairing I would not have considered: Nebbiolo.

With this in mind, I brought two bottles:

-- The 2006 "A Noble Blend" from Joie Wines in Naramata, B.C., which is a white blend of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Kerner, Ehrenfelser and Riesling. It even states on the label, "A wine inspired by Alsace."

-- A 1999 Barbaresco I picked up a while back at The Wine Shack in Cannon Beach, Ore.

Everyone raved about the Joie white, and we had only a few pieces of sushi left by the time we got to thinking about pulling the cork on the Barbaresco. Nebbiolo is one of the more tannic reds around, and even at 8 years old, this wine was still very youthful. However, it went amazingly well with the sushi, harmonizing with the soy sauce, wasabi and avocado.

Red wine with meat and white wine with fish? Bah!

Unfortunately, Nebbiolo has not proven to be as successful in the New World as it has in its native northwest Italy, but a few folks in the Pacific Northwest are doing a good job with the variety. Check out Tefft Cellars in Washington's Yakima Valley or Cuneo Cellars in Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton District (who gets his Nebbiolo grapes from Oregon's Rogue Valley and Washington's Red Mountain). In fact, owner Gino Cuneo went to Italy a few years back to give a presentation on Nebbiolo, which speaks volumes about his credibility with this extremely difficult grape variety.

Also worth checking out: Timothy Egan, who works for The New York Times out of Seattle, wrote The Winemaker's Daughter, a book set in Seattle and Eastern Washington, in which Nebbiolo plays a significant role.