The Silver Spring Penguin

A good, affordable bottle of wine can be tough to spot among the Turning Leaves and Alice Whites that dominate local liquor stores. But read between the lines — er, the bottles — and one might find a gem at Lenox Beer and Wine, a grocery store tucked away in the Lenox Park apartment building.

A recent trip revealed a solitary bottle of Covey Run Riesling Columbia Valley (2007). Its limited availability was taken as a positive — wine in high demand must be good. (The cashier’s endorsement didn’t hurt, either.) It turned out to be the right choice.

Courtesy of Covey Run Wines.

Covey Run grows its grapes in the cool, damp Columbia and Yakima Valleys in Washington State, the second-leading wine-producing region in the United States. (Keep an eye out for wines from the Pacific Northwest — many argue that they rival wines from Napa Valley.)

Wine Spectator magazine dubbed this wine’s 2006 vintage a “daily wine pick under $15″. Covey Run also has earned 20 “best-value” awards, with individual ratings in the mid to upper 80s — not bad for a brand that generally costs less than a Jackson.

Swirling the light-gold Riesling revealed very strong aromas — Covey Run rightly earns its reputation as a fruit-driven wine. At the initial sip, there’s no mistaking the thick flavors of apple and pear.

But for those who lean toward drier Rieslings, the powerful fruit makes this one overly sweet. Try it with spicy dishes –Thai chicken noodles or pasta fra diavolo — and the balance is more evident.

A bottle of this gem costs $9 at Lenox Beer and Wine, though other wine and liquor stores might offer a better deal. With tough economic times ahead, a few bottles could come in handy, if only to drown one’s sorrows.

Covey Run Riesling Columbia Valley (2007), $9 per bottle at Lenox Beer and Wine, 1400 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring.

Lead photo courtesy of Flickr user RobW.