A currant affair
Currants are a common aroma/flavor descriptor in wine tasting notes, the classic example being black currant and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, they are not easy to come by, at least in my experience. Which made it all the more exciting when my wife brought home a pack of white currants from Assi Plaza.
The juicy little morsels looked delectable and somehow reminded me of the mistletoe tree berries that grew in our front yard growing up. Little did I know that I would be ambushed by an instantly sharp acidic bite, invoking a serious pucker. The tangy juice content was not so much refreshing as plain painful. The texture of the seeds was interesting in that they were soft enough to chew, but left an incredibly tannic residue, leaving my innocent tongue abused and battered. This is not to say I did not enjoy them, but I do believe they would work better cooked, as an accent to a dish or in some form of baked good.
The flavor profile is easily comparable to Aligoté, the less noble white wine variety found in Burgundy, France. In my opinion an excellent wine with great values to be found. I would pair this with white fish and anything that comes with a lemon to squeeze onto. Aligoté could work wonders with Mexican food on a hot summer day. Yum.
