#7 - Fish Eye Riesling

Fish Eye is another one of those brands that dominates the bargain bin. I enjoy their Cabernet (I started drinking it before this enterprise, so we'll have to wait for the next bottle for that review), so I decided to try their Riesling.

Riesling was the gateway to wine for me. Back in the days of good alcohol = candy, I was a bit put off by drinking something that lacked the sweetness of Kool Aid. Riesling was in more familiar territory for me - it was like cider, but a bit dryer.
The familiarity was important. I was a fussy eater as a kid - anything like behaved remotely like a vegetable was out of the question (my poor mother tried, but my ability to daydream meant that I could endure three hour sit-offs at the kitchen table), and there were even many popular kid favorites that I rejected because the texture was all wrong. I always had really sensitive taste buds, and it took me well into my early 20s to be able to stand wine, beer, or coffee, let alone develop an appreciation for them.

In my newfound sophistication (stop laughing!) I really enjoy a Riesling that is tart, yet with that hint of sweetness. Many Rieslings go too far in one direction or another. Fish Eye's goes slightly too far towards tart. I can taste the sweet notes if I swish a bit around on the tip of my tongue, but if I do that to a whole glass, people look at me funny. That doesn't mean I haven't done it before.

It still may be the best Riesling that I've gotten for under $10 a bottle, and the only one I've gotten for $5.99. Next week, I'll be scouring the bin for other Rieslings!