$4 Reisling Ulrich Langguth 2005 Germany Trader Joes

My first love of wine came from tasting a Reisling, they are very sweet and my husband loves them. Reasonable Reislings are usually in the $8-$10 range, so I was quite surprised to find a $4 bottle. This one in particular I didn't have high hopes for, and I don't really know why- other than it was an affordable Reisling and I'm not a big sweet-wine drinker. This particular brand is made from grapes in the Hessiche Bergtrasse region in Germany which means nothing to me, but is fun fact for you wine buffs. Upon the first pour, I was intrigued by the unusual initial scent of soap, which gave way to pear. My husband even said "Pear!" when I asked him for some input. It had a very brisk fruit flavor on the first sip. On the second and third sips there was a definite pineapple overtone as well as layers of the usual Reisling players of apple and pear. There was a subtle maple flavor that came through on sips 4 and 5. After that, the flavors all melded together nicely and I was quite impressed. I would definitely recommend it, especially at this bargain price.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars