Winemaker Rich Cushman has been making wine in the Willamette Valley and Columbia River Gorge long enough to have his own tagline: “Born in the Gorge.” After attending acclaimed viticultural college UC Davis in the 1970s, Cushman left to apprentice in Germany, acquiring a palate for the Rieslings of Deutschland and bringing it to his Viento winery in Hood River. His 2011 Retro Riesling comes from the oldest Riesling grapes planted in the Gorge (29-years-old), planted by the man himself in his Columbia Gorge Vineyard. Retro because of the label (first used in 1986) and as a throwback to the lower alcohol, high acid style of Germanic Rieslings. The nose shows a slight diesel aroma often seen in aged German Rieslings, with wet stone, baking spices, tangerine oil and flowers on the bouquet. The palate stands at medium-weight, viscous and robust in tangerine, floral tones and honey. Lingering acid lifts the load and the orange fruit zips through the finish. Viento suggests the wine with crab, spring rolls or—as the photo suggests—on a picnic by the river.
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