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On Tuesday, May 26th, a very excited group of wine lovers gathered at the beautiful, Pearl Lounge at Ala Moana. On that night, these folks got together to enjoy some hand-selected wines for a unique tasting adventure, in the classy and comfortable setting of Pearl Honolulu.

The Hawaii Wine Lover, wine club had its first meeting, and we tasted some great wine! The point of the club is to bring new wine and flavor experiences to people and hopefully have folks enjoy something that they’ve never had before. There are so many wonderful wines and food to be enjoyed, that there should be a regular meeting to do so!

Here is a list of the first ever list of wine, tasted by the : HWL members...

Wine #1: Ken Wright Cellars, 2007, Pinot Blanc

Pinot blanc is a natural mutation of pinot gris. This particular wine tends to have the texture of a pinot noir, but a lighter, flavor with a floral/mineral nose.

This particular pinot blanc is fermented in one-year old French barrels prior to bottling.

This varietal is rather unknown and overshadowed by Chardonnay. However, this grape is quite diverse and can create a wide flavor palette depending on the winemaker.

Available at Wine By Numbers—$26.95 (671-1120)

Wine #2: Hartley Ostini/Hitching Post

“Cork Dancer”, Pinot Noir

Pinot noir exploded after the 2004 movie: “Sideways”. This pinot is produced by winemakers:

Hartley Ostini, and the grapes come from the Santa Barbara area. It is served in the Hitching Post restaurant as seen in the movie.

This pinot has always been a pleaser. Subtle but rich; with a touch of oak on the nose and a good acidity level to keep it interesting. This pinot goes well with many dishes!

Available at SWAM-$31.99

Wine #3: Whitcraft Winery, 2007 Melville, Pinot Noir.

(Santa Rita Hills)

Whitcraft Winery is owned/operated by Chris Whitcraft. He is one of the few remaining “old school” vintners left. Using hand-power techniques and natural filtration, his ability is evident through the outstanding pinots, chardonnays, and syrahs that he produces.

Whitcraft pinot has long been a favorite of mine, and this particular one is produced using grapes from the Santa Rita area. It is bright and cheerful, with a great nose and a distinct flavor that only Whitcraft can coax from the pinot grape.

Available at Tamura’s Fine Wines-Please visit them for price and availability 3496 Waialae Ave.

Wine #4: Joh. Jos. Prüm, 2007 Graacher Himmelreich, reisling, kabinett.

This one is quite a mouthfull...the Joh. Jos. Stands for: Johann Joseph, and is commonly called: J.J. Prüm. The “Graacher Himmelreich” portion indicates which vineyard the riesling grapes came from, and then the final marking is: Kabinett.

Kabinett indicates which harvest of the grape it is, and in this case is the earliest of this varietal. This early-harvest riesling delivers more acidity and aging charaacteristics than other later harvests, and can be enjoyed from now through 2022!

This is a riesling that can go well with both desserts AND savory dishes. A slightly pungent nose, with mineral and grass. Please enjoy this one chilled.

Available at Wine By Numbers-$35.95

Wine #5: Weingut Pfeffingen, Spätlese Riesling

This is a Riesling from Germany, and is from the 2nd harvest of the season. The grapes are picked approx. 7 days after the Kabinett harvest to ensure a more mature grape, and higher sugar. This harvest is pronounced: (SHPAYT-lay-zuh)

The Pfeffingen is commonly referred to as “unicorn” from the label design, and this one goes best with either spicy dishes or desserts. It should be served chilled as well, and has a floral and mineral nose.

Available at Wine By Numbers-$33.95