Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

If unexpected guests arrive at your door and you need a couple of great bottles of wine, you might try the Weinhard Hotel's new wine for sale, just inside the Dayton hotel's gift shop. The McLeod's carry a beautiful collection of regional wines; Leonetti to L'Ecole, Long Shadow's to Dumas Station, from Helms Road to Couvillion. Wines are priced at $16 to $102 a bottle and they have a few bottles chilled in back -- just ask.

This Week's Wine: The 2011 Poet's Leap Semi-Dry (meaning less sweet) Riesling, a Long Shadows bottle. The recipe, originally created by world famous German winemaker, Armin Diel, is tended in Diel's absence by winemaker, Gilles Nicault of Walla Walla. The Poet's Leap is a magnificent example of what a semi-dry riesling wine should be; softly dripping in buttered pears, swirling in citron, honeysuckle and minerality, perfect with rosemary chicken, chilled beet salad and eggs Benedict cloaked in lemony hollandaise.

Wine Honors: French-born and trained in the art of winemaking, Gilles Nicault not only oversees winemaking at Poet's Leap but is also partnered with Allen Shoup, and created the recipe for the partnership Chester Kidder label, a sophisticated red wine.

Gilles, because you so graciously share your wine knowledge and make the most believable wines in the region, yours truly Judith Henderson of Wine & Country Living honors you with 98 points of wine perfection for the incomparable 2011 Poet's Leap Riesling, and 2008 Chester Kidder Red Wine, both wines you must taste to believehellip; congratulations Gilles! 509-526-0905

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagination!"

Chopped Citron Pate

1 cup lemon citron pieces

1 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves

1 log cream cheese room temperature

1 cup gorgonzola bleu cheese

Method: In a food processor, add all ingredients, blend to smooth. Pour pate out onto plastic wrap and roll into a log, refrigerate 24-hours, unwrap serve with crackers and a bottle of chilled 2011 Poet's Leap Riesling.

Hear Judith's seasonal food and wine commentary at www.chefjduithhenderson.com