God, what a ghastly wine it is.
What fine flavors; what handsome plates; what a smashing wine list.
Please forgive the gushing, but what a brilliant wine: aromatically beautiful, complex and graceful, with flavors that lingered long after I swallowed.
The mirin sold in food stores, or aji-mirin, is concocted from alcohol, water, salt and sweeteners; usually lower in alcohol, it is to real mirin what a cooking wine is to a fine varietal.
They're quite fragrant but not assertive, and with the rice, a little broth and cheese, it all works together as a hearty, bright dish -- just what a white wine with good structure and acidity needs.
People who have little or no idea of what a great wine should taste like assume that anything they pay $300 a bottle for is going to be delicious.
As I savored the Insignia, I was struck by what a perfect wine it would be for the Thanksgiving turkey, only to be drawn back by the realization that this was a 1994 and therefore probably not widely available.
