2018 Hope Well Wine Twain white blend
Eola-Amity Hills,
Willamette Valley,
Oregon
13.7% alcohol
Empty bottle weight: 23.3 ounces // 661 grams
Cork closure
Twain is a blend of 50% Riesling and 50% Chardonnay, and quite possibly the first time I’ve tasted these two grapes together before! Winemaker/owner Mimi Casteel grew up in the wine industry, but as an adult, she chose to forge a career in forestry, botany, and ecology, rather than wine. However, the magnetic pull of the wine industry was just too great… and she returned to her childhood home in 2005, when she and her cousin Ben took over Bethel Heights Vineyard, their family winery. After a decade there, Mimi decided to strike out on her own, creating Hope Well Wine.
I found this lovely ode to Twain that Mimi wrote on the Hope Well Wine website and had to share it:
“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and ne’er the twain shall meet.”
Twain brings together the viticultural equivalent of polar opposite personalities. Riesling, precise, revered for its aromatic potential, its acidity, its capacity to know its place. Chardonnay, ubiquitous and mutable, made in every corner of the world to bend to site or to winemaker whim. Into the press, together, into the barrels, together, and there the twain were joined as though they were born under the same star.
Bouquet:
Fruity aromas of honeydew melons, tropical pineapple, and sweet lemon curd combined with gravel dust and new kicks/rubber.
Palate:
I tasted flavors of tart lemons, ripe pineapple, and lemon curd as I sipped this white blend. I found Twain to be a super-unique wine. It was both sweet and tart, with a straight line of acidity, yet a full mouthfeel!
Food pairing suggestions:
Braised bluefish and spring vegetables in spiced coconut broth // pesto pasta // Cornish game hen pot pie
Scoop up this wine deal by ordering here:
SRP $38