Eroica

I'm not sure about the name of this wine. Eroica means “heroic” in Italian referring I think to the symphony Beethoven dedicated to Napoleon. However Chateau Saint Michelle being in Washington I don't understand the reasoning behind the name at all.

What I do know is I love this wine. In fact I've yet to have a less than stellar wine from Chateau St. Michelle. A couple years ago I visited their vineyard and liked every single thing on the tasting list. It's a shame more of their wines don't make it to Madison because they are out of this world. Their Rieslings especially stand out in my mind so I was excited when I sent the fella out on a wine run and he came back with the Eroica. I really hate to brag but I do have the best boyfriend ever.

I threw together Berry and Rosemary Chicken Thighs and some asparagus for dinner to pair with the wine. It worked out well. The sweetness of the jam in the food played off the sweet, spicy wine nicely. And the asparagus brought out some tart green undertones. The only problem with this wine is it is additively sweet, almost to the point of being cloying. It's really more of a dessert wine, better enjoyed alone to get the full effect. Just watch out for the sugar headache it left us both with afterwards. It has a powerful 12 percent alcohol content and it isn't joking around.