Bargain buys are to me what crack is to...someone addicted to crack. So when I find a decent looking wine that's not raspberry flavored or bright blue in color for under $5 sitting in a lonely shopping cart in the middle of Foodarama, I will buy it. All in the name of blogging, of course...
Surprisingly, this ridiculously marketed "wasabi white" is actually a blend from Alsace, France, and has nothing to do with anything Asian. Unless you read the back of the label, in which case, it'll tempt you to try it out with Szechuan shrimp or other spicy Asian dishes.
Even though this wine is meant for easy, unpretentious drinking, I did the whole swirl-n-sniff routine anyway. The nose was full of green apple, minerals and a bit of pineapple, perhaps a slight floral scent tucked away in the background as well.
The first sip revealed a mild, easily drinkable white wine that dissipated quickly -- no lingering tastes or crisp acidity to turn it into something more complex. It's a great starter wine with tropical fruit flavors as well as some green apple, a slight mineral kick and nothing dramatic to scare someone away at the first sip.
It is what it is; cheap, simple and actually pretty damn good. Bargain buy victory once again.
