Bolstered by white wines as always, Ste. Chapelle’s latest meet expectations

Editor’s note: This is the second of two columns exploring Idaho’s wineries.

Certainly the iconic Idaho winery – the winery which first established a presence for the state on the national stage – is Ste. Chapelle.

Founded in 1976 by the Symms family, it passed through a succession of owners before ending up as part of the vast Constellation Brands portfolio.

As far back as 20 years ago, Ste. Chapelle was a big operation, making roughly 100,000 cases of wine annually, which placed it in the top five wineries in the Pacific Northwest.

White wines – notably riesling and chardonnay – anchored the brand, and some excellent sparkling wine was made as well.

Chuck Devlin has been the winemaker since the 2000 vintage. He’s an experienced hand who just completed his 36th harvest, and he has nurtured the winery’s reputation for cool-climate white wines while expanding its reach into reds such as merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.

Tasting through a range of Ste. Chapelle’s current releases, it was the white wines that again were the standouts.

Best of show was the 2007 Winemaker’s Series Dry Riesling, a racy, lacy wine structured with the elegant strength of a spider’s web. Its delicate mix of juicy acids, citrus and stone fruits, highlights of apple blossom and bone dry finish make it a fine complement to a wide range of holiday fare, from appetizers through main course poultry and final course cheeses. Suggested retail is a comfortable $7.

Also included in the Winemaker Series is a 2007 Columbia Valley Riesling from Washington state grapes – just as good, but off-dry, with honeysuckle, lime, grapefruit and orange candy flavors. Try this one for fruit-based stuffings, sauces or side dishes.

Continuing the theme, the winery also offers a 2007 Special Harvest Riesling, sweet but not sugary, loaded with flavors of peaches and papaya, and finished at just 10 percent alcohol.

Finishing up my exploration of Idaho wineries, I found a few other treasures.

From Bitner Vineyards comes a 2006 Dry Riesling ($12) with excellent concentration, a round mid-palate, and tangy flavors of Meyer lemon, grapefruit and orange.

Snake River Winery’s 2007 Riesling ($9) is another winner, off-dry, lightly honeyed, with a hint of minerality.

As long as I’m on a dry riesling buzz, let’s cross the border into Washington and Oregon and size up a few more.

Remember, these will vary from bone dry to a perception of fruity sweetness, but are flexible wines that go well with a wide variety of foods, and lead into whatever reds you may choose for your holiday meals. Hunt around and you may find them priced even lower than the list prices below:

•Columbia Crest 2007 Two Vines Riesling ($8) is widely available (85,000 cases were made) and consistently fine, with sweet/tart, juicy and mouth-filling stone fruits, green apple and melon, streaked with honey and orange peel – off-dry but refreshing.

•Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Dry Riesling ($8) is truly bone dry, yet not shy of flavor: bright melon, peach and apple flavors to begin with, then mineral and citrus rind as they move in the mouth.

•Pacific Rim 2006 Dry Riesling ($10) is fruit-driven, tart and citrusy, with ripe and round flavors of lemon and lime hard candy.

•A to Z 2007 Riesling ($13) is crisp and lacy, a fine value from Oregon that’s well-matched to spicy fare. Bracing acids combine with scents of citrus skins and rich flavors of pear and stone.

•Kiona 2007 Estate Dry White Riesling ($13) comes from old vines (planted 30 years ago), carries a hint of sweetness, and brings pleasing textures and light flavors of peach and Asian pear.

•Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling ($14) also shows you the power and pleasure of old vines, which offer unusual concentration and purity of fruit – orange, peach and apricot, with added notes of wet stone and juicy acids.

•Airfield Estates 2007 Riesling ($14) is another fruity, ripe wine, tasting of fresh apple, citrus and sweet grapefruit.

•Mercer Estates 2007 Riesling ($15) is succulent and deliciously juicy, a fine first effort from an important new winery. It’s sappy and loaded with flavors of ripe apples, Asian pear and hints of grapefruit, pineapple and citrus.

•Tildio Winery 2007 Riesling ($15) hails from the emerging Lake Chelan region, and brings a welcome elegance to the flavors, while keeping the alcohol below 13 percent. It gracefully displays a mix of honeysuckle blossoms, light apple, pear and peach, and a gentle wrap of firming acids.

•Canoe Ridge 2007 Snipes Vineyard Dry Riesling ($17) is a wonderful bottle, with vivid, natural acidity underscoring citrus flavors that conjure up lemon, lime and grapefruit.

•Pacific Rim 2007 Wallula Vineyard Riesling ($19) proves the adage “spend a little more, get a little more” – in this case, biodynamically grown grapes transformed into a dry, leesy riesling packed with lime and citrus, peach and stone fruits.