Pinot Blanc for a Moody Day

I don't mind the rain. I prefer the overcast sometimes. The black, slick streets, the green leaves and white sky reflecting off the roads, that damp verdant smell of wet soil and shower-kissed lawns. There is a pensive aura in the atmosphere which can often be balanced not by a boisterous, black-pepper Shiraz or red currant cab but something lovely, lively, and interesting. 

Something different...

A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

In the world of Pinot Noir, there have been many mutations. Pinot Gris is an ancient mutation of Noir and in the 19th century the lighter-berried Gris gave birth to a whiter version. 

Pinot Blanc, hence, was born.

And I should emphasize, mutations are not bad things. Not really. It is simply a spontaneous and unforeseen change to the vine's genetic material, occurring during cell division. And when we look at the world of vitis vinifera (the European vine family making up more than 90% of the world's quality wine), there have been numerous mutations. How else to explain the wide range of varieties available today?

Not only Pinot Noir but also popular Spanish Grenache and French Carignan have been prone to mutations. 

BLANC, WEISBURGUNDER and BIANCO

Like Pinot Gris, Blanc find its familial home in Alsace. Though it may be a member of the Noble Pinot Noir clan, Blanc is sadly used and abused as the workhorse grape in northeastern France (often called Clevner) and less popular than Riesling or Silvaner. ('Pinot Blanc' in Alsace is not so much a varietal as a blend of Blanc and Auxerrois)

Thankfully the German-speaking nations give it more respect. 

As Weissburgunder, it is Germany's sixth most planted white variety, grown in Baden, the Pfalz, and along the banks of the Nahe as well as the Mosel and its tributaries. From the full and  generously rich to the delicate, the variety can take on many different guises. 

Across the border, in eastern Austria, Weissburgunder makes up about 6% of the country's total vineyards and can be made into a varietal with a floral-almond scent or botrytized Trockenbeerenauslese (i.e. late-late-late harvested grapes of super-sweet character), either stand alone or blended with Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. 

In Northern Italy, the grape is well-received as Pinot Bianco in Alto Adige. Though less popular than Pinot Grigio, the variety shows potential when harvested from low-yielding vineyards and oak-aged.

NEW WORLD PINOT BLANC

Chardonnay is king (or queen) of the hill in the world of white grapes (ironically enough, Pinot Blanc was often mistaken for Chardonnay in French vineyards) and many New World winemakers put their  big money behind him (or her). 

But you'll find respectable if not incredible Pinot Blanc in the Pacific Northwest. It is grown in California, Oregon and British Columbia. Chalone Vineyards in the Salinas Valley produces oak-aged Pinot Blanc, left on the lees (taking cues from the Northern Italians) while Willakenzie Estate of the Willamette Valley opts for the older-neutral-barrel-stainless-steel approach, making a Pinot Blanc closer to Viognier with its honeydew-apricot character. 

The same could be said of Peller Estates Okanagan Pinot Blanc. 

ONTARIO PINOT BLANC

In my Dionysian travels, I rarely see Pinot Blanc here in the Niagara region. But two wineries do spring to mind: Konzelmann in the Lakeshore Sub-Appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Henry of Pelham on the Short Hills Bench in West St.Catharines.

Konzelmann Pinot Blanc is typically off-dry (a one on the sweetness code). It is a must for summer decks, docks and other places of sunlit distraction. There is a pear-apple-citrus tango going on in the glass but still, a hint of white flower. 

Henry of Pelham 2010 Pinot Blanc is another strong offering. I love how it says on the back label "restrained peach" in the description. Nope, I shake my head because the Peach here feels like a focused sucker-punch to the palate. The wine is truly lively and lovely and according to my father, "deadly" because it goes down far too easy. 

Ontario wines like these can make it easy for the trendy wine consumer to forget his (typically her) Pinot Grigio.

And on a damp, moody day, something bright and peach-like can make looking out on rain-drizzled street all the more balanced and pleasurable. 

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Greener Days for Grüner Veltliner

Here in Niagara, we are finally beginning to experience the greener, warmer weather. The evenings are longer, the dusky shadows lengthen in front of us on the sidewalks and the verdant trees scent the sky.

Soon we'll be opening wine magazines telling us of the latest trends, what wine to drink during the warmer weather. Soon, more and more wine lovers will be heading to the LCBO coolers to seek out refreshing whites instead of brooding reds (wines that made the harsh winter tolerable, reminding us of the hotter days to come). 

I figure this is the time to offer my recommendation. 

AUSTRIA'S GRAPE: GRÜNER VELTLINER

In our Anglo-American culture, certain wines can be difficult to pronounce, especially those from Eastern Europe. The grape varieties of Greece raise eye-brows while German crossings, Scheurebe and Huxelrebe leave wine lovers bewildered as to where to put the accent. 

Grüner Veltliner, like Gewürztraminer, is fortunate enough to garner enough attention that wine buyers can put up with mispronunciation for the sake of a dry, refreshing white of white pepper and stone fruit character. (GROON-er FELT-leaner for those that want to make the attempt. I should emphasize, the 'r' in German has a slight guttural sound so instead of grrrewner, say GRWHOOnair...)

Of all of Austria's varieties, it is the most popular worldwide, planted on more than a third of the country's 48, 500 ha/119, 800 acres. In Lower Austria, it represent more than half of total white grape production and in Vienna, a third of all plantings. It can be used to make sparkling Austrian sekt, simple whites served at wine inns (Heurigen) as well as medium-bodied and opulent, concentrated wines.

Historically, its origins remain obscured, first documented in 1766 as Grüner Muskateller in the then Hapsburg Empire. We find 'Grüner Veltliner' first mentioned in 1855; by the 1930's it became more common. Near the end of the twentieth century, the grape emerged as the premier variety of Austria.

NOT JUST ANOTHER RIESLING

Unlike Germany's flagship variety, Grüner Veltliner is typically dry and made in a range of styles depending on where it is grown. 

In Lower Austria, the best of Austria's four regions (Weinbauregionen) for Grüner, one can find a wide range of offerings in the many subregions (Weinbaugebeite).

Wachau Grüner can age better than Riesling while retaining a complexity similar to white Burgundy. In the loam and loess soils of Kamptal and Kremstal, the wines offer notes reminiscent of Riesling. Here, the vineyards are steep and terraced for maximum exposure to the sun. The autumns are long and the grapes ripen allowing for the highest concentration of flavour compounds in the skin. 

In Weinviertel, the wines are cheaper but with often light, fresh, fruity and spicy notes. 

LETH GRÜNER VELTLINER 2009
This is a rather lush wine for a mild, spring evening. In the bouquet, the wine exudes peaches and apricot with a whiff of vanilla-mineral floating over the stone fruits. On the palate, you will find a comparable character as the wine follows through from the aromas to the flavours.

This is a versatile wine but I wouldn't recommend heavy meat dishes. Cod, sole, and salmon would work with a light cream sauce or a lemon pepper chicken. Either way, it's a nice way to ease into the greener season. 

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Anselmann's Huxelrebe: Something Different for a Dessert Wine

Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend and of course wine writers, sommeliers and critics are whipping out their editorials, recommending this or that wine to pair with your turkey, your mashed potatoes, yams and cranberry sauce.

Lately, I've begun to notice the number of wine writers who are pushing late harvest wines.

Typically, these Ontario late harvest wines are anywhere between $15 and $25.00 for a 375ml. And it's great to support the local economy (I bought several Ontario wines this afternoon) but it's also nice to find some good value wines. 

HUXELREBE

Lovers of German off-dry and sweet wines can look further than Riesling in their Vintages section. Huxelrebe is a crossing of Chasselas (known as Gutedel in Germany) and Courtillier Musqué. 

For those exploring the world of wine, a crossing occurs when one variety of grape is fertilized with another variety from the same species (in this instance two vines of the vitis vinifera family). Many modern grape varieties are a result of spontaneous crossings in nature such as Cabernet Sauvignon which is a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. 

In Germany, there are numerous crossings, many of them man-made such as Kerner (Riesling X Trollinger), Morio-Muskat (Silvaner X Weissburgunder aka Pinot Blanc) and the widely planted Müller-Thurgau (Riesling X Madeleine Royale, a table grape). 

Huxelrebe was bred in 1927 by Dr. George Scheu in the Rheinhessen region of Germany. Dr. Scheu, a prolific vine bred and the first director of the viticultural institute in Alzey, gives his name to another crossing, Scheurebe (Silvaner X Riesling) while Huxelrebe is named for nurseryman Fritz Huxel. (And I shouldn't fail to mention, 'rebe' is German for vine or vine shoot.)

THE PFALZ AND WEINGUT ANSELMANN

Huxelrebe is grown almost exclusively in the Rheinehessen and Pfalz regions (Bereichs auf Deutsche...) of Germany.

The Pfalz (or Palatinate) is where you can find the Weingut (winery) Anselmann along the Southern Wine Route in the peaceful village of Edesheim. Here, the Haardt mountain range, a continuation of the Vosges Mountains of Alsace form a backdrop to the sleepy but verdant landscape. Even  though the Pfalz is technically part of Germany's Rhineland, the river is several miles east; no significant vineyards (Weinberge) border it.

The Pfalz is more southern than the other regions of Germany. Ripeness is rarely, if ever, a problem. Grapes along with figs, apricots, peaches, kiwis and almonds are grown throughout the area. 

The Anselmann family have been making wine for over 400 years and like the numerous wineries along the Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Route), grow a wide variety of grapes (including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot which can be difficult to grow further north).

The Anselmann 2007 Huxelrebe Auslese (AUS-lay-zuh) has won both silver medals at the Vin Agora in Hungary (2009) and Vinovita (2008). At $14.95 in a 750ml bottle it can easily compete and be compared to some of our local late harvest Riesling. But instead of petrol and apple, look for pineapple, passion fruit, honey and banana on the palate. This wine is full-bodied and could easily pair with cheese cake, pumpkin pie and many other Thanksgiving treats. 




Bibliography
MacNeil, Karen, The Wine Bible. Workman Publishing Company Inc. New York, 2001 

Robinson, Jancis (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2006.

http://www.weingut-anselmann.de/home.html 

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Viognier: From Condrieu to California

The humid weather has passed by in Niagara. There were a few days last week where it felt like I was stepping outside into a pre-heated oven. 

Thankfully, today the air is cool, the skies are mainly blue with patches of clouds but chances are, the humidity has just gone to sleep for awhile. Like the creature in the horror film and Arnold in his Terminator role, it  will most likely 'be back'.

Strangely, I found myself drinking a lot of full-bodied red wines on those hot, sickly sticky days (I know, I know...). Now it's a bit cooler and I'm in the mood for a chilled white. (Go figure...)

STARTING WITH THE NAME AND GOING FROM THERE...

Having worked in wine retail over the past few years, there are two main white grapes with names that are continuously mispronounced. Gewürztraminer being the first and Viognier the second (Riesling, a sometimes minor third). 

I've often heard 'gewoorz-trainer' or 'gewuzz-tra-miner' and 'vagner' or 'veeyog-near'. It's understandable. For those first stepping into the vast universe that is wine, the European varieties can make you scratch your head and pray your pronunciation is the closest. 

First things first, vee-YON-yay. Viognier. Pretty easy. (And of course - ge-VERZ-tra-meaner.)

VIOGNIER: A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO

The Viognier variety is grown in the Rhône Valley, with its famous home in Condrieu, a white-only AOC amongst a river landscape of Syrah soaked slopes.

According to Roger Scruton in his fresh, philosophical wine treatise, I Drink Therefore I Am (tipping his hat  towards Monty Pythone), Viognier was imported to the site from Dalmatia (modern day Croatia) in 281.  Emperor Vespasian had first torn out the Rhône vineyards after a local rebellion. Emperor Probus subsequently saw things differently and believed that if good wine could be produced, there would be no need for the people to rebel. The Viognier grape would keep everyone cool, calm and happy (and hopefully intoxicated).

Unfortunately, over the years, vinegrowers have learned it is a difficult variety to manage and keep happy. Viognier is prone to disease, especially powdery mildew and apparently buds before early spring frosts. In 1965, there were only 8 hectares of Viognier grown in Condrieu.

Things have picked up. In the 1980s nurserymen saw an increase in demand for cuttings.  In the south of the France, especially the Languedoc region, Viognier takes up about 1,540 hectares. Today, Condrieu has about 98 hectares (242 acres) with plantings showing up just outside the designated  Rhône AOC  at 2,360 ha.

CONDRIEU, CHÂTEAU GRILLET and the CÔTE-RÔTIE

Typically, whites that garner a high price tag can be aged. Think of Riesling from the Mosel-Saar-Ruher and the Chardonnay-based Burgundies of the Côte de Beaune. 

Not so with Condrieu. The Viognier-based wines are expensive and high in-demand but are meant to be consumed as soon as the new vintage is available. Viognier doesn't go the distance the way Chardonnay or Riesling can.

Within the AOC is France's smallest wine appellations, Château Grillet. The vines here are grown on dangerous steep slopes; the best grapes sourced from low-yielding old vines. The wines are aged in oak barrel for 24 months. Despite all the effort, the region produces little over 10,000 bottles a year.

North of Condrieu lies the Côte-Rôtie ('Roasted Slope'), the most northern AOC of the Rhône Valley. Only red wines are produced. The Syrahs, however, can be blended with up to 20% Viognier, the white variety adding body, elegance and delicate spice to the burly reds. 

Beyond the northern Rhône, Viognier blends well with Roussane, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Rolle in the southern stretch of the Valley.

VIOGNIER ELSEWHERE: AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES

In the New World, the Aussies have looked to the French for inspiration blending their Shiraz with Viognier in such regions as McLaren Vale and the Barossa.

In California, Viognier's volume is turned up and the stone fruit and flower we find so soft and delicate in France becomes plumper on the palate - the wines are also juicier with ripe apricots, sun-soaked peaches and fat melons. Cline puts out a big pineapple-punchy Viognier while Calera's offering has honeyed notes of honesuckle and white flower - a little more Old World in style. (Also check out Treana's Central Coast White, a blend of Viognier and Marsanne from their Mer Soleil Vineyard.)

Of all the states, Virginia is fast becoming synonymous with world class Viognier. Horton Vineyards of Orange County is leading the pack of up-and-coming wineries. The state first saw vineyards planted in the early 1600s but many succumbed to the numerous pests and diseases of the United States. Today Viognier, amongst Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng and Touriga Nacional are giving the Eastern state a chance to shine.

VIOGNIER: THE FASHIONABLE AND FUN

Both Condrieu and California Viognier can be quite pricey. If you're looking for some cheap and fun cool alternatives to the modern classics, check out Cono Sur's Viognier at $9.95. Baron-Rothschild's Introductory line Viognier is also easy on the wallet at $10.95.

Today at the LCBO I picked up the Domaine de Vedilhan 2008 Viognier from the Vin de Pays D'Oc (on sale at $10.40). The estate is close to Narbonne in the Languedoc where the grape has risen in popularity.

This is signature Viognier with apricot, peach and white flowers with a hint of pear and cucumber. Ideal as an apéritif, something to sip while you're making dinner. Some critics say the variety is hard to pair with food but I think Viognier is perfect with an Hawaiian pizza generously topped with golden pineapples.  

For additional fun, pair the wine with fish and chips and a long summer sunset.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lukacs, Paul, The Great Wines of America. W&W Norton Company, New York, 2005.

MacNeil, Karen, The Wine Bible. Workman Publishing Company Inc. New York, 2001

 Robinson, Jancis, The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2003.

Scruton, Roger, I Drink Therefore I Am. Continuum International, New York, 2009.

PHOTO SOURCE

http://www.waihekewine.co.nz/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/images/winemaking/Viognier.jpg

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Zinfandel - Beyond the Blush

In my less fortunate days I didn't drink wine and consumed mostly beer and gin. When I started working for a local bar, I didn't have a clue about wine. I didn't know there were so many different varieties. I heard the words 'Shiraz', 'Merlot', then 'Sauvignon Blanc' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon'.

I was confused... 

"You mean wine isn't just red and white?" (My words exactly five years ago.)

Soon after working for the bar, I switched over to a liquor store. I was comfortable selling beer and spirits but here were all these wine bottles, all these intimidating labels and I knew almost nothing about them.

Over time I began to recognize different flavours and nuances but one variety that took me aback was Zinfandel. I didn't know what to make of it. I assumed it was just sugar-sweet wine. But there's more...

ZINFANDEL - A LITTLE HISTORY

For many people (myself included several years ago), Zinfandel is 'pink', 'sweet' and a 'blush' (rarely ever called a rosé). Brands like Berringer or Sutter House (or Corbett Canyon)  come to mind when we hear about Zinfandel. But White Zinfandel is only part of the picture.

First things first, Zinfandel is a black grape.

Secondly, it's of European origin, related to the Plavac Mali variety of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. 

And most importantly, Zinfandel has been a California wine staple for almost two hundred years.

First imported to the US in 1829, George Gibbs of Long Island brought the then unnamed variety from an Austrian (Croatia was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) Imperial nursery in Vienna. Zinfandel, also known as Primitivo in Puglia, Italy, took hold in the 1880’s when it became the favourite wine of gold miners of California.

In the 20^th century, Zinfandel became overshadowed by White Zinfandel, a blush wine created in the 1970s by Bob Tinchero of Sutter Home. The popularity of the wine increased vine plantings.


ZINFANDEL - CALIFORNIA'S GRAPE 
Zinfandel of California is often seen in the same light as Shiraz of Australia, i.e. a cheap, easy drinking wine (Australia also makes Zinfandel). Before 1998, it was the most planted variety in California until it was superseded by Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, a vast majority of the grape is used for bulk blush wines. These 'white Zinfandels' are perfect for patio sipping with tasting notes reminiscent of strawberries, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

The red wine, however made from Zinfandel is typically jammy and full-bodied. The reason for this is that Zinfandel as a variety ripens unevenly on the vine. So while several grapes are ready and perfect, others have become raisin-like, contributing to their concentration (think stewed fruits) and high alcohol levels. 

Historic arch of Lodi, CA.

When I was first learning about red wine, I found Zinfandel to be a great introduction to the wines of California. Look for Zins from Lodi, a town in Central Valley, California, self-proclaimed 'Zinfandel Capital of the World'. "Stuck in Lodi", a song by CCR is frequently used in their grape festivals. 

ZINFANDEL - OLD VINE
As I mentioned, plantings of Zinfandel go back to the mid 1800s. Some of the most prized reds of California come from old vine plantings. These vineyards can go back as far as a hundred years. 

Zinfandel is rarely blended with other varieties, but Ridge Winery of California has proved to make wonderful blends (with Petite Sirah) using this popular grape.

Other names to look out for: Cline Cellars, Dry Creek Vineyard, Ravenswood, Seghesio, St.Francis,  and Turley in California and Kangarilla Road and Nepenthe in Australia.

ZINFANDEL - FOOD PAIRING
California foods are all about health and fun. I recommend a vegetarian pizza (plenty of artichokes, olives and mushrooms) with a nice old vine Zinfandel.

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Beaujolais in November

If you've been in the LCBO recently, you'll notice a section at the front of the store. Beaujolais Nouveaus has arrived.

What is going on here? What's so special?

For those new to the world of wine, Beaujolais is that southern portion of Burgundy that you might describe as the black sheep of the family. Burgundy is made up of Chablis, the Côte d’Or (encompassing the Côte du Nuits and Côte de Beaune), the Macônnais. All these wines tend to be serious aside from the Chalonaise – their reputation is changing. 

The main two red grapes of Burgundy are Pinot Noir and Gamay. Pinot Noir is the serious and studious grape, a staple for such famous villages as Gevrey Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Nuits-St.Georges and Volnay. Pinot Noir has been revered by dukes, queens and kings. Some of the most expensive and prestigious red Burgundians continued to come from the Côte de Nuits.

And then there’s Gamay, the Gamin grape. She is what I call the Audrey Hepburn of reds – fun, flirtacious, but a redhead with blushing cheeks and a ribald sense of humor. There’s nothing sophisticated about her (but there’s nothing wrong with Holly Golightly either). Whereas a Pinot Noir is delicate, a Cleopatra of wines, age worthy, sensuous and intellectual, Gamay is here today and gone tomorrow. She’s fun. And when you’re in the midst of winter, you to have a bit more fun?

BEAUJOLAIS – THE DIFFERENCE

It would seem kind of silly that Beaujolais, a wine meant to be drunk young should be saddled in with Burgundy. Is it a case of the odd couple? Perhaps, but it just so happens for French bureaucratic and administrative purposes the Beaujolais vineyards are part of Burgundy.

However, for the Burgundians, Beaujolais wines belong to the vins du Rhône as the vineyards fall within the Rhône département that surrounds the city of Lyon in southeastern France.

The climate is distinctly warmer and the vinification methods are substantially different.

For a Beaujolais wine to be truly, truly Beaujolais, clusters of grapes are thrown in whole into the fermentation tank. The fermentation takes place literally within each grape. This is called carbonic maceration.

After fermentation has occurred, the wine rests in tanks for five to nine months before bottling. Sometimes a producer might throw the wine into a smaller oak barrel to impart a bit of oakiness.

It sounds basic but it works. In his Adventures on the Wine Route, Kevin Lynch writes: “What a concept, downing a newborn wine that has barely left the grape, a wine that retains the cornucopian spirit of the harvest past. It even serves to remind us of the first time man tasted fermented grape juice and decided it was an accident worth pursuing.”

BEAUJOLAIS: THE BREAKDOWN

The climate of the region is considered Semi-Continental meaning you can expect cool to colder winters but hotter and dryer summers. The soil in Beaujolais is decomposed granite (for the best sites) in the north and sedimentary rock clay and limestone in the south. And another thing, the wines don’t grow on trellises like they do Burgundy but freestanding vines.

There are 96 villages but only 10 of which are recognized as making superior wines.

There are three levels to Beaujolais (we’ll get to Beaujolais Nouveau in a minute).

BEAUJOLAIS – the regular, everyday quaffing wine. The vineyards are less distinguished, the soil is fertile (which means grapes grown in abundance and growers care less about yields, meaning fairly typical, dull, but fruity wines) and the land is flat (the better sites are on slopes).

BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES – these wines come from 39 villages in the hilly middle of the region. Here the soil is less fertile meaning the vines have to struggle to produce better grapes. The struggle imparts character and flavour to the berries. The finished product is a blend of several villages.

BEAUJOLAIS CRU – in Burgundy and in other famous wine regions, Cru indicates a vineyard whereas in Beaujolais, it refers to a village. These villages are located on steep granite hills at higher altitudes than the regular Beaujolais. Here are the names of those ten. (Note: if you want the best, you’ll have to memorize the names of these villages because no where on the label will you find the term ‘Beaujolais’. Why? Again, strange, French administrative policy. Go figure.)

St.Amour – a rich, silky wine with aromas of peach, said to be named after a canonized Roman who accepted Christianity following a near death-experience.

Juliénas – a bit more powerful than the others, this wine is rich and spicy, named after Julius Ceasar.

Chénas – smallest of the Crus, you can expect a bouquet of roses and a supple, princess- like grace on your palate.

Moulin-à-Vent – is a hearty rich red with a beautiful balance. The village is named after a 300-year old windmill that stands near the vineyard.

Fleurie – whereas Moulin-a-Vent is the more masculine, Fleurie is the easy feminine wine with a floral bouquet and velvety texture to match.

Chiroubles – is located at the highest altitude and offers a boquet of violets, not to mention the lightest body and the lowest tannins.

Morgon – is rich and massive, deep purple with aromas of apricots and earth.

Régnié - will please you with its round, full-bodied red currant rush of fruit. It is also the newest cru, added in 1988.

Brouilly – is the epitome of Beaujolais – fruity, grapes, light-bodied with irristable aroms of raspberries, cherries, blueberries and currants. The largest cru.

Côte de Brouilly – offers heady, lively deep fruit in a light-bodied wine. The vineyards are located on an extinct volcano.

WHY NOT GAMAY?

We live in a variety-obsessed culture where Chardonnay and Cabernet are the first grapes we think of when we think wine. These international varieties are globetrotters, making their way into vineyards from California to South Africa’s Cape to the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.

Gamay is a stay-at-home type. You can find a bit here and a bit there, notably Switzerland in the Dole where it is blended with Pinot Noir and the occasional plantings in Canada, New Zealand and England.

OKAY THEN – BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU

As I mentioned earlier, November is the time when Beaujolais Nouveau is released. What is this wine and why is it so special?

Well, Nouveau is French for ‘new’ and in the world of wine, one that is produced specifically to be drunk young, just weeks after the harvest.

Every year on the third Thursday of November wine and liquor stores will be stocked with this type of wine. These wines undergo carbonic maceration but for just a few days.

These wines are meant to drunk slightly cool and within weeks of release. They are easy to quaff and when you drink a Beaujolais Nouveau, you share in experience that occurs around the world. While you’re drinking your Nouveau here in Niagara, people in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, China, the United States and England are also opening up bottles to savour the fun and flirty wines. It’s like the New Years of Wine – when we drink in, we join in on the celebration.

The great benefit for French producers of Beaujolais is that they get an immediate return on their wine. The benefit for us, we can enjoy the fruits of their harvest and forget about the coming winter.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Johnson, Hugh and Jancis Robinson, World Atlas of Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London, 2001.
MacNeil, Karen, The Wine Bible. Workman Publishing Company Inc. New York, 2001

Robinson, Jancis, The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2003.

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Montepulciano - Italy's Easy Going Grape

There is Montepulciano the region and Montepulciano the grape. Don't confuse them. In the region, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ('the noble wine of Montepulciano') is made up of Sangiovese whereas the variety, Montepulciano finds its true home on the eastern coast in Abruzzo.

THE PROFILE

Montepulciano is a relatively late-ripening grape, harvested in late September, early October. Wines made from this variety often have moderate acidity and are soft, jammy and juicy in texture. Expect deep, delicious black fruits and earthier, exotic spices in some higher quality wines. On the whole, these wines are simply easy going, fleshy and pair well with meaty pastas - think ravioli, lasagna or  on a  lazy Sunday night, a heavy beef and pepperoni pizza. Molto bene!

The grape’s origins are relatively unknown. Documentation only goes as far back as the nineteenth century. Research conducted by Ampelographers (botanists who study and classify grapevines) in the 1800's maintained it was related to Sangiovese. Modern research has disputed this in our time. Unlike Sangiovese,  the variety that makes up Chianti and many of the great Super Tuscans, Montepuliciano thrives in a warmer climate and the chilly morning slopes of Tuscany will simply not do.

ABRUZZO - BACK IN TIME

The history of winemaking in Abruzzo, however, goes as far back as the Etruscans, around the 6th-7th century B.C. The Etruscans were a tribe of mysterious origin, believed to have come from Asian Minor and lived  in and around Central Italy - 'Etruscan' gave us the name 'Tuscany'. Hedonistic in character, they were known for wife-swapping and orgies were said to be a part of their culture.

In the Abruzzo of ancient times, the apianea grapes, a sweet grape not unlike our modern Moscato, was widely planted. The wines from this variety were highly praised by the Roman and Greek scholars in the 4th century.

During the Middle Ages, the area became depopulated as was the case in rural and mountainous regions throughout Italy. Many villages stood abandoned as men and women migrated to larger towns and villages to find work.

In our modern era, winemaking in Abruzzo has only come to the forefront through the effort  and determination of many co-operative wineries and this has only been in the last twenty years!

OGGI - TODAY

Today Montepulciano can be used to make wines of both high quality and 'plonk'. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the most important DOC with half a million hectoliters pumped out each year. The soils here are calcareous (high in calcium) and morainic (glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris).

Recently the Colline Teramane region was awarded DOCG status. This is just one step in separating the quality wines from the rivers of sub-standard wine (15% of which can be blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese or other local varieties). Time will tell if we see further developments in this up-and-coming region.

Besides Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, the grape is grown in Umbria, Molise and Puglia. In the Marche, Rosso Conero is made up primarily of Montepulciano whereas Rosso Piceno is 70%.

Bibliography
Belfrage, Nicolas, Brunello to Zibibbo: The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy. Mitchell Beazley, London, 2001.

Clark, Oz, 2009 Pocket Wine Guide. Harcourt Publishing, Orlando, 2008.
Robinson, Jancis (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2006.

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The Other Italy - Aglianico: The Nebbiolo of the South

Along with Spain, the Italian South is fast becoming the most popular choice for wines of value. The grape varieties are not only unique but in blends or as varietals they offer a delicious alternative to the popular wines of Piedmont. My personal favourite of these southern Italian varieties is Aglianico.


AGLIANICO: CHARACTERISTICS
Pronounced ah-LEEYAH-nee-koe, the grape, like Nebbiolo produces one of the most powerful and interesting wines in Italy. The berries are small, dark-skinned and picked relatively late in the season, usually between the third week in October and early November. The wines made from Aglianico are deliciously deep in colour with nuances of chocolate, plum aromas and smoky acidity.


AGLIANICO: ELLENICO or ‘VINO DE LLANOS”
First thought to be planted around the Greek colony of Cumae (the site where the Etruscans first learned the alphabet from the Greeks; close to present day Avellino), the grape is believed to be of Greek origin. Before the end of the 15th century, it was known then as Ellenico, the Italian word for Hellenic.


Other scholars believe it was first brought to Italy in seed form and that it  traveled through Metaponto (Mentapontion), the major Greek colony on Basilicata’s Ionian coast. From there it headed north and east, finding its way into Vulture and Taurasi. There is some evidence suggesting it may well have come through Campania, possibly the area of Monte Massico north of Naples. Aglianico may likely be the red Falernum of Ancient Rome, a wine highly praised and prized by the nobles of antiquity.


Another theory is that it was a wild vine indigenous to the peninsula, grown and domesticated by the natives during the Bronze Age and only discovered by the Greeks. Enology professor Attilio Scienza of the University of Milan argues that its name comes from eilanikos, ‘vine that grows up trees’.


It doesn't stop there. Another modern theory further fueling the mystery suggests that Aglianico was first introduced to the south under Spanish rule. Daniele Cernilli and Marco Sabellico write in their book, The New Italy, that the name could well be an Italianisation of the Spanish ‘vino de llanos’ or ‘wine of the plains’.



TAURASI and AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE
Aglianico is grown throughout the south, especially in Campania and Basilicata where Aglianico del Vulture is the latter region’s only DOC wine (Denominazione di origine controllata – Italian quality regulation similar to the French appellation system) and also the most important. The DOC zone of Vulture is approximately 400 hectares/1000 acres of volcanic soil from nearby Mount Vulture, an ancient, extinct volcano located in the northwestern area of the zone. The soil is rich in potassium and because of the steep slopes, supplies good drainage so the grapes don’t get too flabby.

Mount Vulture

Basilicata is the most mountainous region in Italy and this is also true for Vulture. Here the nights are cool and the vineyards are planted between 450 to 600 metres above sea level. Aglianico del Vulture makes up only 3% of the total output of Basilicata’s 500,000 hectolitres, the lowest yield in Italy. Despite this, the wines are powerful, full-bodied and a dark, rich inviting red requires aging a few years before ready for consumption.


In Campania, a region once known for the greatest wines of antiquity, the village of Taurasi, in the hilly part of Irpinia (a region of the Apennine Mountains) is located just 64 km away from Barile. Like the heart of Aglianico del Vulture, it shares a preference for volcanic soils and does especially well at 500 metres above sea level. Promoted to DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita – a level above DOC) status in 1993, the wines here must be aged three years to meet regulations (one in barrel, two in bottle). If the wine is a ‘Reserva’, it must be aged for four years.


The wines here must be made with 85% Aglianico. They are concentrated but complex wines – smooth, rich red fruit, high levels of tannins but ideal with southern Italian cooking.


AGLIANICO: BEAUTY AND COMPLEXITY
My first impression of Aglianico came with a bottle of ‘Terra di Vulcano’ Bisceglia, a DOC Aglianico del Vulture. It was just curiosity. I had studied wine at the Art Institute but sadly missed the Italian wine seminar.


I came home on a dark, winter’s eve. Boiling some water, preparing the lean ground beef, opening a bag of pasta, I decided to uncork and pour my bottle. Right away, I noticed the deep rich colour. I took a long, pensive whiff and found myself falling in love with the disarming nuances of smoky blueberries and spicey, violet drenched plums. I took note: the wine was over three years old.


When I went to purchase another bottle, it was the newer vintage. The wine was tight, only two years old and the blueberries and smoky spices sat muted in the glass. These wines need at least three to four years, sometimes five to come into their own. Like Nebbiolo, they thrive when given time.


Other notable Aglianico del Vulture producers I can recommend include: Basilium, D’Angelo, Cantine del Notaio, Paternoster (one of the most famous), Tenuta del Portal and Le Querce.


In Taurasi, Oz Clarke would most likely add an additional five years to my recommendations. Mastrobardino practically created the DOCG’s reputation but if you can track down bottles of Caggiano, Feudi di San Gregorio, S Molettieri, Struzziero and Terredor di Paolo, you’ll find some excellent Campanian examples of Aglianico. They are well worth the wait but if you’re impatient to try a varietal Aglianico, check out the IGT (Indicazione geografica tipica – wine that satisfy some Italian wines but the regulations are not nearly as strict) values of Irpinia in Basilicata. These wines are still quite strong and tannic but they’ll get you by while you wait for your Taurasi and Vulture wines to age.


The majority of these wines can be found anywhere between $15 to $25 Canadian so there’s no excuse not to try them. If you’re a wine lover, you might wonder where they’ve been all your life.


Bibliography

Bastianich, Joseph & David Lynch, Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy. Clarkson Potter, New York, 2005.
Belfrage, Nicolas, Brunello to Zibibbo: The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy. Mitchell Beazley, London, 2001. Cernilli, Daniele & Marco Sabellico, The New Italy. Mitchell Beazley, London, 2008.
Clark, Oz, 2009 Pocket Wine Guide. Harcourt Publishing, Orlando, 2008.
Robinson, Jancis (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2006.

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The Cinderella Story of Carmenere

The Cinderella Story of Carmenere

I crossed roads,
trains carried me
waters brought me,
and in the skin of the grapes
I thought I touched you
- Pablo Neruda “Hands”

Have you ever felt incredibly baffled by the number of wines available in a wine store? Have you ever wondered about all the varieties - how many there are, the percentages that are popular compared to the least popular?

Grapes have their own character depending on the fashions of the time. It is like a high school popularity contest all over again.

Chardonnay has its own love it and hate it crowds (ABC – ‘Anything but Chardonnay…). Chardonnay is the blonde, blue-eyed cheerleader with straight A’s. She’s so perfect you can’t stand her.

Cabernet Sauvignon, known around the world, is the popular class president.

Shiraz is hip and great with summer BBQ. He’s the guy you want at your pool party.

Merlot and Cabernet Franc are the intellectual kids with the edge; Pinot Noir is the art student some people relate to but few understand. And Riesling is the cute German exchange student.

And then there’s Carmenere…

Who?

She was once popular but now, who is she? She’s French but she’s mostly Chilean. I call her the Cinderella grape of the wine world. Her story is similar to the high school one about the girl who wasn’t the prom queen, wasn’t really noticed until time and circumstances brought her to light.

EARLY GREATNESS - GRAND VINDURE

In the mid-17th century, the Dutch, were fast experts on retrieving land from the sea. They worked their magic in Bordeaux and, using their drainage technology, transformed the desolate, salt-marsh land of Medoc into an area suitable for grazing livestock.

The ditches the Dutch installed proved so effective that merchants in the region eventually decided to plant the land with vineyards.

Carmenere, then known as Grand Vidure or Vidure, began to appear in the vineyards along with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

In the nineteenth century, the Medoc enjoyed incredible fame and distinction. These Bordeaux wines, then known as Claret, were sought after in Britain. Some of the best properties’ reputations were earned due to the presence of Cabernet Franc and Carmenere.

But there was an aura of tragedy hanging over Carmenere. It was true that the variety was known to produce excellent wine but the vine was susceptible to coulure (French term describing a natural phenomenon in which berries fall off the vine soon after flowering).

The low yields frustrated French vignernons (wine producers) but the grape’s fate was sealed soon after the Phylloxera devastation (the rootstock-feeding aphid discovered in French vineyards in the late 1860’s). While replanting their ruined vineyards, many Bordeaux estates decided to forgo Carmenere feeling it was no longer a necessary part of their wines, and hailed Cabernet Sauvignon as their most important grape.

What would be Carmenere’s fate?

CHILE

“…Chile lies at the end of all roads…”
- Isabel Allende


“long petal of sea and wine and snow”
- Pablo Neruda

Chile’s wine country has been described as a ‘viticultural heaven’. The central part of the country enjoys a temperate climate with sunny, dry conditions and is often compared with California. There are two major reasons for this: the mountains (Chile is 80% mountainous) and the ocean. Variations in altitude and exposure create variations in local climate. There is also the Humboldt Current (named after Prussian Naturalist, Alexander von Humboldt), a cold Pacific flow moving north-westward up along Chile’s coastline towards Peru.

Winemaking began with the first appearance of the Conquistadors in the 1500s. The Spanish, wanting to make the New World more like home, began to plant vineyards and produce wine. Initially, their first efforts were of poor quality as the wines they produced were made from País, which was identical to the Mission grape planted and used by missionaries in Mexico and California in the 18th century. Both País or Misión grape were used for religious purposes such as the Eucharist. The Catholics then weren’t so much concerned with quality as with ritual, so the bulk of the vineyard was planted with this mediocre variety. With lands to conquer and money to be made, the first wines were anything but fine.

In the 19th century, revolutions in North America and France gave rise to a wave of immigration - of people and vine cuttings. By the 1830s, there was a shift towards planting European vines. In 1851, a decade before Phylloxera began to creep slowly across Europe, Silvestre Ochavia Echazareta and a few associates began to import French varieties. They planted Chardonnay, Semillon and Riesling for the whites and Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenere for the reds. (The work of Echazareta would eventually establish the basis of Chile’s modern wine industry.)

With Phylloxera about to hit France, Carmenere had a chance to come into her own in South America. Chile was not only perfect for the grape in terms of soil, climate and weather, but was phylloxera-free. With everything going for her, one would think the grape would take off and shine.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Carmenere became the victim of negligence.

FROM MERLOT’S SHADOW INTO THE LIGHT

While vineyards died in France Carmenere was no longer a vital part of the Bordeaux-team. She then found herself growing alongside Merlot.

To most growers, they were alike in flavour but little else. They could distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon from Merlot but Carmenere - maybe the wallflower wasn’t worth the bother.

Merlot’s long history of presiding royally in France, especially on the right bank of Bordeaux where the finest wines of St. Émilion and Pomerol (such as Château Petrus and Le Pin) were made, stood her in good staid. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon but early flowering also makes her sensitive to coulure (like Carmenere). In France, the wine produced is notably lower in colour, acid and tannin compared to Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines of the Left Bank of the Geronde estuary. She can grow in climates cooler than hot or warm (unlike Cabernet Sauvignon). Merlot can often be lush and plump with notes of chocolate, black fruit and coffee while Carmenere has a deep rich chocolately black fruit component. In Chilean Merlot, there is often an herbaceous and leathery hint.

Carmenere, like Pinot Noir, is a bit feisty. A vigorous vine, she needs deep soils of moderate fertility. Carmenere also demands sun and warmth but a temperate, dry climate, relatively free of late-season rain. In Bordeaux, she was often harvested in November (in the southern hemisphere, late harvest falls in May). If planted in an area too cold, or harvested early, she is far too ‘green’ in flavour. Over-matured or saturated in sun, she becomes flabby. A happy medium is continually needed. The harvest time is crucial as are lower yields (the less grapes on the vine, the more rich the wine), good canopy management (making sure the leaves of the vine keep the berries cool but not shadowed) and site selection. Typical characteristics of a Carmenere wine are: ripe, black fruits, roasted herbs, grilled red pepper and paprika.

Considering what we know of these two grapes, it would appear that Chilean grape growers simply saw the similarities as opposed to the vast differences between the varieties. Peter Richards, in his book, The Wines of Chile explains that growers distinguished Merlot by calling it ‘Merlot Merlot’ and Carménère, ‘Merlot Chileno’. This explains why Carmenere was thrown in the fermentation vat with Merlot and how Chilean Merlot became distinct from Merlot in France and California. Wine consumers and connoisseurs for many years were actually drinking a Merlot that was primarily Carmenere. Talk about being upstaged!

Thankfully, in 1994, after over a hundred years of being a wallflower, Carmenere was able to put on her glass slipper when she was finally identified through DNA testing. Of the 13,000 hectares of Merlot in Chile, 6,000 were actually Carmenere. Something similar happened in Northern Italy. What was once thought to be Cabernet Franc, a variety planted in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, had actually been 4000 hectares of Carmenere. Although the two grapes are similar in view of their importance in Bordeaux, they share a similar vegetal and herbal component. One wonders if this was accidental or not.

In the twenty-first century, Carmenere has become synonymous with Chile the way Malbec is identified with Argentina. The success of the variety in Chile has inspired the French to replant her in Pauillac and St. Émilion.

Because of the way this great grape proved herself in Chile, this wallflower now has the confidence to re-establish pride of place in Bordeaux. With a full dance card, Carmenere can now strut her stuff in future vintages.

Bibliography
Allende, Isabel, My Invented Country. Harper Collins, New York 2003.
Clarke, Oz, Pocket Wine Guide 2006, Harcourt, Orlando Florida, 2005.
Richards, Peter, The Wines of Chile. Mitchell Beazley, London 2006.
Stavans, Ilan (ed), The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2003.
Waldin, Monty, Wines of South America, Mitchell Beazley, London 2003.

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