What a delightful Riesling to enjoy today for International Riesling Day. I opened the Pewsey Vale Vineyard‘s Eden Valley Single Vineyard Estate Riesling 2020 from Australia. Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s love affair with Riesling started in 1847 when it was the first vineyard planted in the Eden Valley. The 2021 vintage release of Pewsey Vale Vineyard has been formally recognised for its sustainable winegrowing credentials, being amongst the first wine labels in Australia to display the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia trust mark. This one with its high, laser-focused acidity is going to age well over the next 6-8 years. Let me tell you about this wine.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Single Vineyard Estate Riesling 2020 (BC $21.99 at BC Liquor Stores)
Appearance: A bright, medium intensity straw with a green tint.
Nose: Medium-plus intensity clean, fresh aromas of lime, lemon, petrol, and touches of white flowers and orange blossom. Plus with some swirling, you get honey and apricot aromas. The lime aroma becomes stronger with decanting.
Palate: Slightly off-dry, with high acidity, and a thicker, round mouthfeel. A mix of lemon and lime flavours, with lesser amounts of petrol, green fruit, crisp apple, and apricot. There is also salty minerality to start and steeliness toward the finish. No change in flavours with decanting.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with mouthwatering acidity, citrus and pith, and a touch of pepperiness at the very end. No change with decanting.
This wine has staying power. The aromas and flavours did not change with decanting. So open the wine to enjoy with your meal today and tomorrow. Not a sipping wine, due to the high acidity; have with a meal.
Rating: 
Bright straw with a green tint. Medium-plus aromas of lime, lemon, petrol, white flowers and a touch of orange. Slightly off-dry, high acidity, with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Lemon, lime, crisp apples, and light petrol on the palate. A medium-plus length finishing dry, with citrus and a touch of citrus pith flavours.
Food Pairing
As part of International Riesling Day, I paired this wine with a pork tenderloin I slow cooked with lime, ginger, brown sugar, and soya sauce. I know the reputation for Eden Valley Riesling’s to have a lime aroma and flavour component so I picked a dish that would mirror that component. The pork was cut into medallions, and the sauce poured on the medallions along with quinoa I had as a side dish. I also served this with sliced English cucumbers marinated with rice wine vinegar, lemon-infused white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. I thought some sweetness, sourness plus crunchiness would provide texture and additional nuanced flavours. I was right. These dishes with the Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling was an excellent pairing. The lime flavour in the wine worked well with the pork tenderloin, the crunch of the English cucumber, and the bright sweet vinegar marinating the cucumber. I’d recommend this pairing for your next dinner.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
This wine is available at BC Liquor Stores. It is also available at Everything Wine and Marquis Wine Cellars.
