Girl Scout Cookies Pair Just Fine With Domestic Wine

Girl Scout Cookies are a distinctly, happy, American phenomenon - one of those great traditions from everyone's youth you get excited about all over again each year. If your community is predisposed to the door-to-door Saleschild, first you order them. Then you wait. Sometimes a couple of months as the orders get processed. Then, finally, said child returns bearing gifts at your door. This happened to us last week. And it was a wondrous moment!

But as it was late on a Friday afternoon, we thought why not enhance said tradition with something other than a glass of milk, that also further celebrates their All American-ness?

Today we offer findings from our taste-enhancing research, to further your own on-going enjoyment of this sacred tradition and this Classic line-up of Girl Scout Cookies. Cheers!

thin mints® |  Cabernet Sauvignon.  This grape is predisposed to notes of eucalyptus and mint, particularly when made in Lodi, California+ the dark chocolate on these cookies is ever-more Cab-loving!  (Of course an old vine Zinfandel, Petite Sirah or Syrah won’t disappoint either.)

shortbreads|  Chardonnay.  This grape is a no-brainer for these buttery cookies! Try a classic California style like Chateau St. Jean, or experiment with some great Chards coming out of lesser-known states, like Ravines Wine Cellars (Finger Lakes, NY) or Westport Rivers Winery (Cape Cod, MA). Domestic sparklers made from the Chardonnay grape are also a great match! J Vineyards (California) or Gruet (New Mexico) have Brut (dry) selections that would be decadent with these cookies.

samoas|   Roussanne orViognier. These cookies have evolved since the '80s, now incorporating caramel and coconut, but we didn't hold it against the Girl Scouts of America; some change is good! Here try something a little bit more “exotic” like the Stolpman Family Roussanne or White Knight Viognier. Whoop!

peanut butter sandwiches|  dry Gewürztraminer or dry Riesling. In the right hands and even more so when vinified dry, these grapes are a terrific match for these delightfully cloying, lingering, slightly salty cookies. The wines will meet their match, delivering a touch of unctuousness met with a wonderful, mouthwatering pop of acidity to cut through the ‘fat’ of these cookies. Seek out memorable, dry Gewürztraminer from either Gundlach Bundschu  or Navarro Vineyards. Dry Riesling from Dr. Frank (New York) will do the trick, too.

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Get uncorked on Cape Cod: One roadtrip you'll NEVER regret!

Diving In

It's no secret we've been long-time advocates of Massachusetts' very own Westport Rivers Winery. Their sparkling wines are consistently head-turners (see the White House wine list...) and their diverse selection of single varietal wines additionally worthy of exploration each vintage. They are a family-owned operation that is truly in it for the love of it. And we heart passion - because without heart, we'd be relegated to drinking mediocre plonk (and the craft beer market wouldn't have any competition at all)! But we're not the only ones, as Westport, MA, where this winery cultivates its fruit and produces its wine, is a Right to Farm Community; agriculture is king, with 100% protection (so if you don't like the neighbor's chickens crowing at dawn or the horses down the street, you better find alternate real estate). Such an attitude certainly can't hurt a winery as dedicated to farming and the expression of terroir as Westport Rivers Winery. Last week we were able to get out of the office for the day and take a few curious friends with us down to the Cape to enjoy our first-ever, long overdue, in-person visit at the Winery. In only an hour and change we arrived at our destination - it is so close, yet such a world away, we immediately wondered how we hadn't cut the cord from our usual day-to-day sooner.  The grounds offer that certain New England charm you can't help but love, and beckon a picnic or at least a pause on your way to the beach. But with our Official Business hat on, we clamored inside the welcoming Tasting Room first and saddled up to their Tasting Station to see what they had open.

2012 Chardonnay vintage gets enthusiastic thumbs up

Their very reasonable $10 Tasting Flight delivered a sample of SEVEN of their selections - several of which we hadn't ever had the pleasure of exploring (some of the wines are available at the winery only and not available in retail/restaurant locations due to limited production):

We kicked things off with one of our favorites (and the White House's), the RJR Brut; Farmer's Fizz was next in line, a delightful thirst-quencher more reminiscent of a sparkling cider given its gentle carbonation and apple/pear flavor profile. Next we moved into their still wine offerings: and the current (2012) vintage of their Chardonnay KNOCKED OUR SOCKS OFF - the last vintage we tasted lacked the uber-clean, mineral-rich perkiness that this wine delivered with aplomb, and which we seek out more often in acclaimed French Burgundy! Another FAVORITE was their 2012 DRY Riesling, a wine which balanced prettiness and restraint to tantalize our taste buds with grass, honeysuckle, traditional "petrol" notes and ripe stone fruits in a silky sweep of flavor. With only 1% residual sugar, this wine delivers a flavor explosion that refreshes as much as it delights, and suits a wide-range of cuisine!

But all this isn't to say the whites or sparklers don't have worthy competition from WRW reds. Their 2010 "Second Flight" Pinot Noir was ANOTHER SHOW-STOPPER, more reminiscent of the great Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs with beautiful cress and earth notes buoyed by cranberry and cherry fruit (and, available at the winery, comes in at a remarkable $29.99 price tag!).

Perhaps in another post we'll wax poetic about how the unique terroir at Westport Rivers Winery impacts the truly remarkable wines they are creating.... but for now, we want to just encourage you to take a road trip this summer. There are ample opportunities to make an even bigger day of it, with their picnic style Sunset Music Series rolling out ALL Summer (Fridays, and some Saturdays) June 20 through September 13.  And, along with other participating wineries on the Coastal Wine Trail, they will celebrate 30 years as an AVA with their much-anticipated Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Festivaloff-sight at the Westport Fairgrounds on June 21.

Shop local. Support independent businesses. And toast to a happy summer excursion!