grape varieties Archives

Albariño: the grape & wine

Albariño : the grape & wines Many white wine drinkers reach instinctively for familiar favourites like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. There is nothing wrong with any of these well-known varieties but looking further afield there is a world of exciting alternative white wines. None of these alternatives is more refreshing, versatile and food-friendly than Albariño (pronounced phonetically as Alba-reen-yo). If you’re looking to expand your palate and discover a white wine that balances elegance with vibrancy, Albariño may be exactly what you are missing. In my opinion, Albariño, especially from the Rías Baixas DO, is one of the best Spanish (and Portuguese) still white wines today. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore everything you need to know about the Albariño grape and its wines — from its origins and flavour profile to food pairings and buying tips—so that you can skip the Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot shelves and find a great bottle of this delicious wine instead. The Albariño grape and its Origins Albariño’s story begins in north-western Spain and northern Portugal. There is some debate as to whether this white grape variety is originally Portuguese or Spanish but it certainly originated in that top left hand corner of the Iberian Peninsula, either from North East Portugal or Galicia in North West Spain. This unique environment, a lush green region is characterised by heavy rainfall, granite soils and the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and these play a crucial role in shaping the grape’s characteristics. For many years Albariño remained local, the grape grown mainly in Spain and Portugal and the wine enjoyed primarily in those countries. The grape is known as Alvarinho in Portugal. I use the Spanish spelling simply because Spain grows the most Albariño these days. As global wine markets evolved and consumers began seeking new experiences, Albariño has become one of Spain’s most exciting wine exports. Where to find Albariño vines This grape variety does not feature in the list of the top 30 most planted white grapes in the world so it is fairly niche. It thrives in cool, coastal climates like the Rías Baixas region of Galicia where the relatively cool climate, ocean breezes and mineral-rich soils contribute to its distinctive character. The grape’s thick skins help to develop the intensity and range of aromas and flavours in its wines. Galicia produces the most Albariño and 96% of vines in this region are Albariño – and, in my opinion, it is this region which currently produces the best examples of varietal Albariño. This may be due to the fact that there are apparently vines over 200 years old in Galicia. Today this grape is widely regarded as one of the finest white grape varieties in the Iberian Peninsula and it is increasingly being grown further afield, for example in places like Australia and California. But beware… In Australia winemakers have long been experimenting with different varieties and finding the best match between grape variety and terroir. However, due to an error in the labelling of various vines sent from Spain to Australia many years ago it is thought that much of Australia’s Albariño is in fact a grape called Savagnin Blanc (not to be confused with Sauvignon Blanc) – whoops! The USA, New Zealand and Uruguay also grow Albariño however the number of Albariño vines outside Spain and Portugal account for a tiny proportion of total production. Often described as a hidden gem of the wine world, what cannot be denied is that Albariño has gained international recognition in recent years thanks to its crisp acidity, aromatic intensity, and exceptional drinkability. For wine lovers seeking something refreshing yet complex, Albariño delivers on all fronts. Albariño Wine Characteristics Albariño is widely regarded as an aromatic grape variety but the term “aromatic” can, I think, put lovers of crisp white wines off. It shouldn’t because most well-made Albariño manages to combine lovely fruity aromas and flavours with a light or light-medium body, crisp minerality and fresh, mouth-watering acidity. Intensity and the range of aromas and flavours arise from the thick skins of the grapes, as mentioned earlier, but also from keeping the wine on its the lees during fermentation, as often happens. Albariño in general produces light, crisp dry white wines with lovely fragrances and flavours. It is usually not oaked and only really blended with other grapes in Portugal’s Vinho Verde. Another exception is the amazing Terras Gauda La Mar which is a blend of Albariño with another indigenous and even less well-known grape variety, Caíño Branco. At its worst, when produced in a commercial style which is easily done in warm regions as the Albariño vine is quite prolific, it can have a very one-dimensional peach flavour but a well-made Albariño wine from lower-yielding vines will display the following characteristics. Aroma & Bouquet of Albariño Albariño wines are usually highly aromatic, often bursting with concentrated fruit and saline scents. Common aromas include: Citrus fruits like lemon, lime and grapefruit Stone fruits like peach, melon and apricot Floral notes like orange blossom and jasmine Subtle saline notes These aromas make Albariño particularly appealing to those who enjoy expressive, fragrant wines. Flavour profile of Albariño On the palate, Albariño is known for its crisp, clean, and refreshing style. Key flavour characteristics include: Bright acidity that enlivens the palate Juicy orchard fruit flavours – green apples, peaches, apricots with melon and citrus fruits especially lime Hints of spice and almonds A hint of minerality, often described as “wet stone” Occasional saline notes that reflect its coastal origins Texture, alcohol and finish of Albariño It is a common misconception that Albariño is a heavy white wine. In fact it is typically light- to medium-bodied despite its complex and sometimes intense flavours and usually has low-ish alcohol levels of c. 12%. One of Albariño’s best features is its smooth yet lively texture. While it delivers refreshing acidity, it often also has a slightly rounded mouthfeel, which prevents it from tasting too sharp. The finish is usually

Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine You would not be surprised to learn that Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other well-known grape varieties are popular search terms on the Wines With Attitude website. However, one of the most searched-for varieties is Carmenère (pronounced car-mun-air), a rather more obscure, though distinctive, black grape variety. Part of the reason for its low profile is that Carmenère accounts for only a tiny proportion of the total world wine grape production. In addition it has long been the source of mystery and misidentification. In fact the grape was almost extinct and was only rediscovered many years later, in the late 20th century, on a different continent having long been mistaken for another grape. So why is Carmenère such a popular search term? Let’s delve into the mysterious Carménère and find out where it is grown, what kind of wines it produces, what it tastes like and why you should make it a part of your wine repertoire. The Carmenère grape and its Origins Despite Chile being considered the “home” of Carmenère, it may surprise you to learn that the grape actually originated in Bordeaux. It was held in such high esteem that in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was widely grown in the region alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Carmenère contributed deep colour and spice characteristics to Bordeaux blends up until phylloxera hit France. Phylloxera is a pest which obliterated many European vineyards during the 19th century The solution to phylloxera, eventually and widely adopted by the European wine industry, was to plant European grapes onto American rootstock but Carmenère did not adapt well to grafting. Other varieties fared better and, as a result, Carmenère fell out of favour and in fact was presumed to be extinct. Confusion over Carmenère It was only relatively recently found that Carmenère is directly related to Cabernet Franc and indirectly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This fact goes some way to explaining why the Carmenère grape was lost for so long and the problems that many have had identifying it over the years. According to the wine industry “grape bible”, ‘Wine Grapes’ (Robinson, Harding, Vouillamoz), cuttings of Carmenère and other Bordeaux native grapes were sent to Chile in the 1850s but it is believed that some Chilean growers did not distinguish Carmenère from Merlot and planted the two (and maybe more varieties) together in the same vineyards. Others who may have noticed a difference and dubbed Carmenère ‘Merlot Chileno’ did not produce varietal (100%) wine from it. It was only in 1998 that Chile recognised its beloved black grape variety as Carmenère after thorough DNA profiling. Before that (and probably since) much of the Chilean Merlot that was produced was undoubtedly Carmenère. Just to add to the confusion Carmenère is also known as Carménère, Merlot Chileno, Black Bordeaux, Old Cabernet, Grand Vidure, Cabernet Gernischt and Shelongzhu. Where Carmenère is grown The Carmenère grape is a late-ripening variety and so requires a warm, sunny climate and a long-growing season to thrive. This limits where it can be successfully grown. The grape is most planted in Chile although this was not by design as described above. In fact, it is now considered to be Chile’s signature grape variety even though it accounts for less than 10% of Chilean vineyards. One of the reasons for this is that Chile was untouched by phylloxera. In addition, being blessed with long, dry summers, Chile, in particular the Central Valley region, provides a very suitable environment in which the grape can thrive. The areas of Chile which have long hot days and cool nights produce the best wine because the grapes can ripen slowly and mature fully whilst retaining good acidity and developing a panoply of aromas and flavours including fruity rather than the green flavours that can come from under-ripe grapes. Whilst growers have tended to find the sunniest, warmest spots for Carmenère in order to get round the ripening problem, now they are looking for areas with a warm climates and moderating breezes in order to exhibit the grape’s best varietal characteristics in its wines. Carmenère is a variety that is being planted increasingly elsewhere but reliable figures on the number of hectares in each country planted with it are hard to come by because there of the confusion about the grape. Carménère is grown in small quantities in countries such as China, Italy, Argentina and the USA, largely in California. In fact, it is argued by some that China now grows more Carmenère than Chile but it is difficult currently to establish how true this is. A few vines exist in Bordeaux and Carmenere is still named as one of the six permitted black grape varieties in that region. Styles of Carmenère wine Though at relatively low levels compared to the big-gun black grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, production of Carmenère is increasing slowly. More importantly perhaps is that its wines are improving as winegrowers now recognise the grape and the need to ripen it fully to show it at its best. But there are a number of styles and price points worth considering. Entry-level Carmenère is still dominant. These basic, easy-drinking wines can be juicy and fruit-forward – but be careful at the lower price points of one-dimensional, commercial style wines. As mentioned above, if not given sufficient time to ripen, Carmenère grapes produce wine that can taste green or stalky with strong herbaceous characteristics. Reserva and Gran Reserva Carmenere wines like Von Siebenthal Carmenère below are aged in oak and, whilst still fruity, develop spicy characteristics, a smoother mouth-feel and structured tannins. Some caution is required because, without careful management in the winery, wines can be too high in oak, alcohol and tannins making the wines more rustic than they need to be. Well-made Carmenère should be more complex and show a good balance between sweet fruit, savoury and spice flavours, alcohol, tannins and acidity. The best wines will also be age-worthy. What Carmenère

A wordart bubble with significant words relating to the Malbec grape and its wines

Malbec grape and wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Guide to the Malbec Grape & its wines Malbec, Argentinian Malbec in particular, is one of the most popular red wines in the UK. It was long considered one of the ‘beefiest’ red wines and became a staple house wine for many pubs and restaurants, initially increasing its popularity. That may however have come at a cost as public perception of the quality of Malbec seems to be in decline. This blogpost looks into the reasons for Malbec’s popularity, explores facts about the Malbec grape that account, in part, for the wine’s different aromas & flavours and for the different styles of Malbec wine. It also considers if quality has become an issue for ‘brand Malbec’ and covers which food is best consumed with Malbec. The Malbec grape Although the Malbec grape is the flagship grape of Argentina, it originated in the area of South West France around the city of Cahors, east of Bordeaux and north of Toulouse. It is also known in that area and in the Loire where a little is grown as Côt or Auxerrois. It is still grown around Cahors – in fact any Cahors red wines must have a minimum of 70% Malbec in them. What is lesser known is that Malbec is one of the grape varieties permitted in the red wine appellations of Bordeaux. However many acres of Malbec vines were lost to frosts in 1956 and were not replaced. In addition the grape is fairly susceptible to pests and to frost. For these reasons Malbec is no longer often seen in Bordeaux wines, especially since Merlot (with which, by the way, Malbec shares a parent) is considered a much easier grape to grow. There are also a few plantings in Italy, Chile, Australia and the USA but by far the most Malbec is grown in Argentina. With plantings declining in most other countries, Argentina, especially the Mendoza region, is seen as the Malbec grape’s saviour. In fact it is thought that it might have fallen into oblivion had it not arrived there in the 1860s courtesy of Frenchman, Michel Aimé Pouget, as part of a drive to improve the national wine industry. So successful was the grape that plantings kept on rising so that Malbec has been Argentina’s most widely grown variety since 2011. And in all that time the grape has adapted to the various conditions in different parts of the country. It has been discovered over the years that Malbec grows better in Argentina when grown at altitude. Grapes from cooler higher wine areas have a better chance of retaining acidity and aromas because they ripen over a longer period. One of the advantages of good acidity in wines is that they taste fresher and tend to have better ageing potential. Yields are also lower in the cooler climate at altitude and this can mean better quality wine – although this is a subject of great debate and one to be covered in a later blogpost. Malbec needs to be fully ripened before picking to avoid herbaceous flavours and bitter tannins to which it is prone. Argentinian Malbec has smaller berries and smaller bunches of grapes than French Malbec which that tends to lead to richer, deeper, more concentrated flavours. Malbec styles of wine Malbec wine is often produced solely from Malbec, what is known as a varietal wine. Even varietals can look, smell and taste very different depending upon where the wine was made, what the weather was like and the general terroir of the vineyard. For example, Cahors Malbec or Cot wines used to be known as black wines as they were so deep in colour, mainly due to the thick black skins of the grapes. Whilst tasting of black fruits, often Cahors Malbecs can have a whiff of leather and other savoury aromas and flavours. They were also generally known for being quite high in tannins which meant they could be kept for many years in the same way that many Bordeaux wines can. But there is a tendency in France now to create a softer style of Malbec, perhaps after seeing the success of Argentina’s wines overseas. With lower tannins and medium acidity most Malbec produced today is not as age-worthy as the older style but good wines like this 100% terroir-focused Malbec from Pyros will keep for about 10 years. Malbec is almost always full-bodied with black fruits being the predominant flavours – see more on the taste below. Malbec also makes for a good blending partner and it is often paired with the more austere and tannic grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. However it can work well with several others for example: Malbec with Merlot as in Bodega Noemia A Lisa Malbec with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec with Petit Verdot and Tannat Malbec with Syrah and Cabernet Franc etc. Has quality become an issue for Malbec? Malbec did become rather ubiquitous a few years ago; every pub seemed to have one as their house wine which was popular with many red wine drinkers. However, as is often the case with wines that become popular, demand for them fuels a rush to produce more and very often quantity not quality becomes the focus. It is fair to say that many of the cheaper wines (of many grape varieties not just Malbec) are produced from high yields (big crops) of grapes grown in warm climates, often in vineyards on the valley floors. And as has been mentioned, better Malbec tends to come from cooler climate, high-altitude vineyards. The good news is that there is a move away from the more commercial production to higher quality, lower volume wines taking advantage of the myriad of terroirs that the country has to offer. What Malbec tastes like Malbec is known for its strong and numerous flavours, typically dark juicy fruits like cherries, blackberries and blueberries but other fruit flavours like strawberries raspberries and plums may be present. Sometimes Malbec is described

The Shiraz Syrah grape and wine by Wines With Attitude

The Shiraz or Syrah grape and wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

The Shiraz / Syrah grape & wines Shiraz used to be very popular here in the UK but Syrah remained, and still remains to some extent, relatively unknown. In fact Shiraz is the same grape as Syrah. This guide to the Shiraz or Syrah grape will reveal more about this wine grape variety and the different styles of Shiraz or Syrah wine. I’ll also be looking into what Shiraz tastes like, whether Shiraz is a good wine or just a big juicy but somewhat one-dimensional wine as we used to see dominating our supermarket shelves as well as advice on which food to eat with Shiraz or Syrah wine. The Syrah grape / The Shiraz grape Despite our proximity to France, here in the UK the Australian name, Shiraz, is the better known name of this black grape variety; this is partly because France has historically not labelled its wines with the grape variety and partly because in the late 1990s and early 2000s Australia, which proudly names the grape on its wine labels, encouraged by the UK’s bulk wine buyers and supermarkets, flooded the UK market with simple, value-for-money Shiraz which was very popular for a number of years. In fact France produces more Syrah or Shiraz than Australia, largely in Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Rhône regions. These two countries have by far the most Shiraz vines but there are plantings in many countries including the USA, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Italy and Portugal etc. Shiraz remains the 6th most widely grown wine grape variety in the world despite the fall in popularity of the entry-level Australian Shiraz and this is partly because many Australian Shiraz wine producers have upped their game, partly because it is a vigorous grape variety and partly because the grape blends well with several other grape varieties. There has been much debate about the origins of the Syrah grape but it has been proved by DNA profiling to have originated in France, a cross between two lesser-known French grapes, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. There is a top quality, small-berry version known as Petite Syrah – but this is not to be confused with the Petite Sirah grape also known as Durif and found in the Americas. Hermitage is another name for the Shiraz or Syrah grape in Australia but it is also a synonym for other varieties so its use is confusing and therefore rare. Whilst Syrah used to be largely the old world name for the grape and Shiraz the new world name, now the names are increasingly used to differentiate between two styles of wine – Shiraz for the big, juicy, warmer climate wine and Syrah for the more refined, cooler climate wines – but this is not an official definition and I use the terms Syrah and Shiraz interchangeably in this blogpost. Shiraz / Syrah styles of wine Syrah or Shiraz is a very versatile grape and this is reflected in the different styles of wine produced from it across many wine regions. It can be found as a single-varietal, i.e. 100% Shiraz or as part of a blend of different grape varieties. Even as a varietal wine Syrah can produce different styles: think of the smooth classics of the Northern Rhône like Crozes Hermitage, Cornas, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, the typically full-bodied spicy Barossa Valley Shiraz wines and an increasing number of fine examples from South Africa which generally sit somewhere between the above two styles. Shiraz from generally warm-climate areas such as Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in Australia and the more sheltered parts of Stellenbosch in South Africa are generally: fuller-bodied, darker in colour, with more obvious, sweeter tannins and higher alcohol (c. 14%+ ABV) Cooler climate Syrah or Shiraz from areas such as the Northern Rhône and New Zealand tend to be: more elegant, more perfumed and have more acidity and, as is often the case, Syrah produced in cooler climate regions tends be more age-worthy as the grapes retain more acidity despite being ripened over a longer period. Increasingly in cooler climate areas of Australia wine makers are successfully also achieving this more elegant, lighter style of 100% Shiraz – so much so that as mentioned above some prefer to label their wine as Syrah to differentiate it from warmer climate, juicy-fruit style Shiraz wines. Syrah is often seen in blends. In Australia, the USA and South America it is often paired with the more austere and tannic grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, to soften the wine and give it a more rounded structure and a smoother texture. In the Southern Rhône Syrah is the “S” in the famous GSM blends (with Grenache and Mourvèdre) like the classic Châteauneuf du Pape and Côtes du Rhône. It gives structure and age-ability. Sometimes a splash of white grape Viognier is also added for its perfume and silkiness, producing a really elegant, feminine style of wine. In answer to the question, can you get good Shiraz, yes, and increasingly so these days. Producers of the mid to top price range Syrahs are looking towards the more elegant style and experimenting with terroir to … What does Syrah or Shiraz taste like? One of the key characteristics of most Syrahs or Shiraz is its distinctive pepper flavour and aroma which comes from alpha-ylangene, a molecule also found in peppercorns; apparently 20% of people are unable to smell it however so don’t be too surprised if you can’t. But in a blind wine tasting pepper is often the first clue, to those that can smell it, that the wine is a Shiraz. Other typical flavours and aromas are black fruits, liqourice, leather and sometimes tar. Warmer climate Shiraz will have ripe black fruit flavours like blackberry and blueberry, spice and chocolate flavours. Flavours of cooler climate Shiraz tend to include more herbs, olives and more pronounced pepper and spice with some meaty aromas and still some black fruits but less ripe fruits. Younger Syrah tends to have floral aromas like

Semillon grape & wines from Wines With Attitude

Guide to the Semillon grape & wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Guide to the Semillon grape and wines Semillon (or Sémillon) may not enjoy the same instant recognition as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, yet this white grape has been producing some of the world’s most complex, age-worthy and food-friendly wines for centuries. From the legendary sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac to the crisp, long-lived dry styles of Bordeaux and Australia’s Hunter Valley, Semillon is one of the most versatile white wine grapes you can buy — and arguably one of the most underrated. This combination of versatility, longevity and food-friendliness makes Semillon a grape worth rediscovering. Whether you enjoy structured dry whites, elegant blends, or opulent sweet wines, there is almost certainly a style of Semillon to suit your palate. Yet despite its pedigree and proven track record, plantings of Semillon have declined in several countries, partly due to the global rise of Chardonnay and the demand for easy-drinking, early-release wines. Semillon often needs time — both in the vineyard and in the bottle — to show its true character. When cropped too heavily or released too young, it can seem neutral and unremarkable. But when yields are controlled and the wine is given patience, Semillon reveals depth, texture, honeyed complexity and an ability to age for decades. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Semillon unique among white wine grapes, where it is grown and how climate influences the flavour of its wines, how Semillon ages and when to drink it, the best food pairings for both dry and sweet styles and why you should try it. If you’ve overlooked Semillon in the past, it may be time to take another look. This understated grape has been quietly producing some of the world’s finest white wines — and it deserves far more attention than it gets. What’s the big deal with Semillon? Admittedly Semillon may not appeal to people who prefer their white wines to be very light in colour and body but it has a lot going for it, not least the fact that it is so versatile. Few white grape varieties can match its range. Semillon produces: complex fuller-bodied dry white wines that evolve beautifully with age some of the most successful white wine blends in the world — particularly when it is paired with Sauvignon Blanc and particularly in Bordeaux and Australia and rich, luscious dessert wines with extraordinary longevity. It is Semillon’s ability to make arguably the best sweet wines in the world in Sauternes and Barsac that earns Semillon its classic grape status. In the right conditions the sugars in the grapes become concentrated to make them super-sweet; we’ll go into more detail on this process in a future blogpost. Semillon can be crisp and citrus-led in cooler climates or textured, waxy and generously fruity in warmer regions. It can be bright and minerally or creamy and oak-influenced. In short, Semillon is a grape of remarkable adaptability. Where to find Semillon Aside from its home of Bordeaux, Semillon is grown largely in Australia, especially in the Hunter Valley, in South Africa, Argentina and Chile although Semillon vines have reduced in number as the craze for Chardonnay took hold in these countries. In addition it is not the easiest grape to grow, or rather it grows profusely but producing good flavoursome Semillon is notoriously difficult. Flavour profiles of Semillon wines Dry Semillon At its worst, as a commercial bulk wine, Semillon lacks any flavour characteristics but at its best, when the grapes are grown in low yields and to their optimal ripeness and the dry wine is produced with care, it is intense, multi-layered with fruity, nutty and savoury characteristics, full body and a smooth, creamy texture. In cool climate Semillon like those produced in Bordeaux and Hunter Valley citrus fruits – lemon, grapefruit and lime – and apple are likely to be predominant; the wine may also have floral aromas. The acidity will generally be higher and so the wine will be a little sharper. And in fact if it has not ripened properly Semillon tends to be very like Sauvignon Blanc to which it is related; some say it is like Pinot Grigio. It will also tend not to be aged in oak in cooler regions though some flavour characteristics such as honey, butter and toast and textures that may be associated with ageing can develop if a wine is kept in bottle for a reasonable time. These wines are likely to be lower in alcohol at c.12% ABV. In warmer climate dry Semillon from areas like Southern Australia, South Africa and Argentina the fruit flavours will tend more towards ripe pears, greengages, papaya, peach and mango though the lemon flavour usually remains. The dry straw aroma for which Semillon is known and the floral scents will be more predominant and there may be spices like ginger in the mix. If oak ageing is used the butter and creamy aromas and tastes and the smooth, full-body will be enhanced. The texture of Semillon from a warmer area can be a little oily (in a good way), some call it lanolin or waxy, and in a good wine this should be balanced with some acidity. The alcohol will be higher at around 13.5 or 14% ABV. These Semillons can be like a rich, creamy Chardonnay. When blended with Sauvignon Blanc, the added acidity from the Sauvignon creates a crisper wine and balances the richness of the Semillon; the flavour profile will depend upon the ratio of each grape in the blend. Sweet Semillon A fabulous sweet Semillon will have a lovely silky, luscious texture and a multitude of flavours and aromas such as honey, nuts, marzipan, peaches, coconut, pineapple etc. To avoid it being cloyingly sweet the wine must have some crisp acidity to balance the sweetness. When to drink Semillon Good Semillon is generally better if it has a few years under its belt before being consumed. The problem with most wine retailers (and I include the

Grenache grapes & wine styles

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Grenache grapes & wine styles There’s a whole family of Grenache grapes and consequently a wide range of different Grenache wines. So, what wines are made from Grenache grapes? Grenache can be a full-bodied wine or a lighter style, Grenache can be a dry wine or a sweet wine, a red wine, white wine or rosé and a fortified wine as you will discover. This blogpost will also look at the regions where Grenache is grown, why Grenache produces different wines, what grape Grenache is similar to and what you should eat with Grenache. Grenache grape: Grenache or Garnacha or Garnatxa? Although many believe Grenache is a French grape, it is in fact Spanish, its Spanish name being Garnacha. There are some who claim that it comes from Sardinia where it is and for centuries has been known as Cannonau. However since Spain has all three different coloured Garnacha grapes and more variations and mutations it seems to be the most likely source. The biggest plantings of Grenache by far are in Spain and Southern France and so the Spanish and French names are the best known (and used interchangeably in this blog post); I have also included the Catalan names since there is a growing interest in the Grenache grape amongst winemakers in Catalonia. There are black, white, grey and even hairy versions of the Grenache grape – yes, you read that correctly, a hairy Grenache grape … Black Grenache To give it its full French name Grenache Noir is known as Garnacha (Tinta) in Spain and Garnatxa or Garnaxa in Catalonia. It is a very old variety and the 7th most widely-planted black wine grape in the world (163 000 ha in 2015), perhaps surprising since Grenache only wines are quite rare. The Grenache grape is very vigorous. drought resistant and adapts easily to different soils. It has naturally high alcohol, red fruit flavours, medium acidity and tannins. There are a number of problems for wine makers: the yields and the alcohol level need controlling, harvesting time must be carefully selected to achieve full ripeness and sufficient acidity and if Grenache vinyeards are irrigated they can produce dilute, one-dimensional wines. It can also oxidise easily and often needs drinking while relatively young. So it seems it is not the easiest grape to tend. Producers of commercial style Grenache are less concerned about this but producers of better quality wines keep the alcohol in check by not letting the grapes over-ripen; there is an added danger that if grapes are left on the vine too long the acidity, which is not overly high in Grenache, will fall too low and produce flat of “flabby” wines. When winemakers produce a balance between the juicy fruit flavours, the alcohol. the acidity and the tannins, Grenache can be a truly amazing wine that can age well. White Grenache Garnacha Blanca is also known as Grenache Blanc or Garnatxa Blanca in Catalan. The white version of Grenache has similar qualities to the black Grenache grape though it is nowhere near as widely planted. Again care needs to be taken to keep yields low and not to let the alcohol take over. Grey Grenache Known as Garnacha Roja, Grenache Gris and Garnatxa Gris, this grey or pink-skinned variety of Grenache is more unusual and most often used in blends with Grenache Blanc to add perfume and body. Hairy Grenache Grenache Poilu, Garnacha Peluda or Garnatxa Peluda is very similar to Garnacha Tinta but has one major advantage, higher natural acidity, and one major difference, its hairy leaves. The underside of the leaves are covered in down thought to have developed to preserve moisture. There is also a grape known as Garnacha Tintorera but it is from another grape family altogether. Where is Grenache grown? France and Spain are by far the two largest producers of Grenache Noir, together they account for 87% of its vineyard area worldwide. In France you will find it mainly in the Southern Rhône, in Provence and in Languedoc-Roussillon, all areas in the south with a hot climate. In Spain it is grown mainly in Aragon in the North East, in Catalonia, in Rioja and in Priorat. It is grown elsewhere but sadly not always to produce the best wines. In some New World warm climate areas Grenache is used for high volume, inexpensive wines. This I know is a very wide generalisation and it is increasingly possible to find high quality Grenache in all countries where it is grown when care has been taken in the wine-making process. In pre-Shiraz Australia Grenache was the most planted black variety and its plantings are again increasing there as our love for Aussie Shiraz is declining. Again Southern France and Spain have the most Garnacha Blanca vines. Many of the French grapes are destined for blends and for vin doux naturel, a fortified wine. In North East Spain and Tarragona it is grown for blends – it is permitted in white Rioja, Priorat, Terra Alta etc – and increasingly for 100% varietals in Terra Alta. What wines are made from Grenache grapes? There are many different styles of Grenache because there are different Grenache grapes and because theuy can be vinified in different ways. Here I cover mainly the red Grenache-based wines and briefly the other styles. I will write in more detail about Garnacha Blanca in a later blog post. Red Grenache wine styles Oz Clarke has described Grenache Noir in his inimitable style as the “wild, wild woman of wine, the sex on wheels and devil take the hindmost, the don’t say I didn’t warn you” perhaps because of its tendency to high alcohol. This is probably also why, despite being a widely planted grape, Grenache noir is rarely found as a varietal or 100% pure Grenache though it is being seen increasingly in North East Spain. The closest I have had (though now sadly sold out) is the Australian Eperosa Stonegarden

Chardonnay grapes from Wines With Attitude

Guide to the Chardonnay grape & Chardonnay wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

The Chardonnay grape & Chardonnay wines I’ll show my hand upfront – I love a good Chardonnay but I know it is quite a divisive grape with many who don’t like it. Remember the “Anything but Chardonnay” or “ABC” era in the late 1990s? This was almost certainly a backlash against “Nothing But Chardonnay” being served. Chardonnay seemed to be just about everywhere and then sank almost into oblivion as Sauvignon Blanc became the white wine or grape “du jour”, superseded more recently by Pinot Grigio. Although it has always had a loyal band of followers Chardonnay wine is gaining new fans as people realise that there are different styles of Chardonnay. This guide to Chardonnay therefore looks at what wines are made from Chardonnay grapes, why Chardonnay can produce different wines, how Chardonnay wines taste and what to eat with different styles of Chardonnay. THE CHARDONNAY GRAPE Chardonnay is the most grown white wine grape in the world (a common pub quiz trick question, this used to be Spanish grape, Airén, but Chardonnay has now pushed that little known, mainly sherry-destined grape into second place). It is not surprising that it is so ubiquitous as it is very adaptable; Chardonnay performs well in hot, sunny climes as well as in cool climate areas. And it can express very well the terroir of different vineyards, which partly explains why the taste of Chardonnay can vary so much. Read more in my blogpost about terroir. It is widely considered that the better-rated Chardonnay wines come from cool climate areas where the grapes will maintain their acidity. In hotter regions as the sugar rises in ripening grapes, the acidity falls away so Chardonnay wines produced in some of the hotter, often New World, regions risked being overly fruity and a little heavy. As the grape grows so easily there is also a temptation to produce high yields but high yields tends to mean lower quality, more dilute wine although this is a strongly-debated topic within the wine world. Perhaps a topic for a later blogpost! One of the benefits of the Chardonnay grape is that its flavours are quite subtle, almost neutral. Therefore the wine’s flavours tend to come mainly from the terroir and from the wine-making process. Chardonnay producers can choose to use malolactic fermentation – and many of them do; this process converts harsher malic acids to softer lactic acid and it is that which creates the creamy, buttery flavours. Not using malolactic fermentation will mean the acidity in the wine seems higher and the fruit flavours will be more prominent as is the case with the gorgeous Chacra Mainqué Chardonnay below from the very cool climate area of Patagonia.Winemakers also have the option to age the wine pre-bottling on its lees (dead yeast cells) or not; doing so will increase the complexity of the wine’s flavours and its texture. The effect can be intensified by stirring the lees. But by filtering or pouring the wine off its lees the wine will be more fruity and less multi-dimensional in style. The problem as we have seen with other wines like Rioja is that once producers see a wine rise in popularity, general quality tends to deteriorate as characterless, mass-produced wines are seen as an easy way to make a fast buck. And then there’s the oak issue: in the 1980s and 90s many winemakers tried to copy Burgundian methods since white Burgundy was definitely considered the epitome of Chardonnay and was highly acclaimed for its elegance, intensity and relative longevity. However many less reputable winemakers tried to copy Burgundian methods but in a much more commercial style which often produced wines which were over-oaked with very buttery flavours and little or no evidence of the grapes’ subtle fruit flavours or of the terroir. This is not to say that any Chardonnay other than white Burgundy is poor quality. In fact, these days terroir is much more of a focus for better wine producers even in warmer climate regions. They recognise that terroir gives them the opportunity to show what makes their vineyards special. Over-oaking remains only at the lower end of the market. DIFFERENT STYLES OF CHARDONNAY WINE & HOW THEY TASTE Chardonnay’s versatility means that there are many different styles so it’s a case of finding your preferred style. Below are some of the different Chardonnay wines in stock with a brief hint of their styles. For simplicity, I’ve narrowed the different styles of Chardonnay down to four main categories:. UNOAKED CHARDONNAY Produced in cool climate Burgundy Chablis like the one on the left is perhaps the best known and best quality unoaked Chardonnay (though increasingly, more and more Chablis wines are oaked though more for the texture than for the taste). You can read more about Burgundy Chardonnay in my guide to Burgundy wines. Chardonnay with no oak influence tends to be leaner, crisper and dry, lighter in colour and in body, with flavours tending towards green apple, lemon, white flowers and flint or steel (think wet stones). Having no oak influence these wines can be very good examples of terroir-focused wines. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel to keep the wine cool and to preserve the acidity and the fruit flavours. New World unoaked Chardonnays from cool climate areas in places like Australia, New Zealand, Patagonia and Oregon tend to display a little more fruit – melon, quince, apple, pear and grapefruit – but remain lighter and crisp in style. Unoaked Chardonnay will pair well with fish dishes and seafood including oysters. OAKED CHARDONNAY Chardonnay has an affinity with oak; the wines that have been fermented and aged in oak or just aged in oak are more full-bodied, creamy and will age further in bottle, the better wines for up to 10 years. Aside from traditional Burgundy white wines like Domaine Bachey Legros Bourgogne Saint Martin, you can find prime oaked Chardonnay in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Aromas and flavours are usually more intense and more complex ranging

Guide to tannins in wine

What's in my wine?

Guide to tannins in wine Tannins in wine tend to have a bad press but is it justified? This blogpost takes a look at exactly what tannin is and how you can detect it in wine, which wines are the most tannic and which the least and how levels of tannin can be altered during wine-making and during ageing from the effects of oak. I’ll also cover the best foods to match with tannic wines and try to answer whether tannins are good or evil. Firstly, let’s look at how to detect whether the wine you are drinking is tannic. HOW TANNINS IN WINE TASTE It is in fact impossible to describe the smell or taste of tannins. It is easier to detect them through the sensations they create in the mouth… When taking my Diploma in Wine & Spirits I asked almost every lecturer and wine expert that came to talk to my class at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust how tannins can be detected and measured particularly as we were expected to describe tannins with words such as ripe, soft, green, stalky, chewy, coarse and fine-grained. It is very hard to describe how they can be measured and there were a lot of attempts to answer my question but the best explanation came from Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, now a Master of Wine, and it helped immeasurably in my general understanding of tannins and in those descriptions required for the blind wine tasting exams. Here’s how to tell if a wine has tannins and what kind they are, whether coarse or fine for example. When you have a small amount of wine in your mouth, keeping your mouth closed, carefully rub your tongue over your top front teeth. With a tannic wine you can feel a bit of roughness on the teeth. Try it with several different wines and you will begin to be able to differentiate between coarse- and fine-grained tannins, wines with finer tannins feeling slightly smoother on the teeth than those with coarser tannins. In addition tannins leave you with an astringent sensation in the mouth, astringency being detectable by a mouth-puckering dryness on the inside of your cheeks such as you would get from sucking on a lemon. This feeling is caused by tannins interacting with proteins in the saliva; this interaction dries out the mouth. Some say that tannins create a bitter taste but in fact it is astringency evidenced in highly astringent wines by a chalky, powdery feeling in the cheeks but in less astringent wines with balanced or low tannins by a smooth silky texture. WHAT ARE TANNINS IN WINE? In the vineyard as grapes develop and ripen in the sunshine and warmth, the tannins in the skins and pips soften and become less astringent. Grapes grown in warm climate wine regions have more chance of creating wines with softer tannins than grapes grown in cool climate areas. The best time to harvest black grapes isn’t just about reaching the optimal level of sugar and acidity in the grapes but also about making sure the tannins are ripe and not too “green”. To understand tannins in wine and the effect they have, it helps to know where they come from. Tannins are found in many plants like the vine, tea plants and rhubarb. On the vine they are concentrated in the skins of grapes but are also found in the pips and in the stalks and leaves of the vine itself. Without being too technical, tannins are natural compounds and as mentioned above they react with proteins to make an unpleasant astringent sensation, thought to be nature’s way of deterring animals from nibbling on some plants. I am often asked if white wines have tannins. In fact since all grapes have skin and almost all have pips, all wines have them but to varying degrees. And in general white wines and rosé will have fewer but the level of tannins depends on a number of factors – all of which I expand on below – such as the amount of time on the vine before harvesting, the grape variety itself and on the wine-making process. HIGH TANNIN WINES Some grapes are naturally higher in tannin than others. Grapes that are particularly high (often thicker-skinned grapes) include Cabernet Sauvignon (think of young Left Bank Bordeaux wines), Shiraz, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Malbec and Pinotage. But bear in mind that this does not mean that all wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon for example will display high levels of tannins because so much depends on the vintage and on the way the grapes have been treated in the vineyard and in the winery. In general younger red wines will have harsher tannins than aged red wines but, if they are well-made wines, their tannins will soften after ageing in a vat or in bottle. LOW TANNIN WINES Grapes that are naturally low in tannins include Pinot Noir, Dolcetto and Gamay. In a similar vein this does not mean that all Gamays for example will be low in tannins because winemakers could for example ferment and age the wine in new oak barrels, the effects of which are explained below. Grenache and Merlot are also fairly low in them. In general white wines have lower levels of tannins because of the way they are processed during wine-making. TANNINS IN WINE-MAKING Tannins change during the wine making process and during ageing but the chemical process is still not fully understood despite numerous research projects. Aside from the ripeness of the tannins when the grapes are picked, the following can have a significant effect on the level of tannins in wine: – The length of time the grape skins are in contact with the juice and whether the grape stalks are included during maceration. In making red wine production it is essential to extract colour and flavours from the skins of the grapes and therefore tannins are unavoidable. The key is not to over-extract. For white wine the juice of the

Intensively farming pinot noir by Wines With Attitude

All about the Pinot Noir grape & its wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

The Pinot Noir grape & its wines Writing my wine blog post A Quick Guide to New Zealand’s Wines made my mouth water for Pinot Noir so I thought I would pour myself a glass and write about this tricky grape and its amazing wines. Pinot Noir was a very unfashionable wine for many years when the market favoured bigger, brasher and more alcoholic styles of wine but since the early noughties it has become more in vogue, helped to an extent by the 2004 film “Sideways” starring Paul Giamatti. Whilst his character’s obsession with Pinot Noir was somewhat OTT, there is no doubt that once a Pinot Noir fan, there is no going back because there is little that compares with Pinot Noir’s combination of complexity, silky texture and light elegance. These characteristics are part of the reason that Pinot Noir is a safe bet to give as a gift or to take to a dinner party. Admittedly it can be expensive but it is usually worth it. Let’s take a look at the Pinot Noir grape and its wines, which foods pair well with Pinot Noir and why Pinot Noir tends to be expensive. FEATURES OF THE PINOT NOIR GRAPE – The home of this grape is thought by most to be Burgundy in France though some argue Germany and even further afield. The lighter bodied red wines produced in Burgundy are considered the epitome of Pinot Noir as this grape reflects well the differences in terroir of that region. However it is also grown in the USA, New Zealand, Germany, South America and Switzerland to name but a few Pinot Noir-producing countries. Most of these have tried for years to emulate Burgundy’s red wine style and its success – and many producers are succeeding. – Pinot Noir is also seen in some rosé wines and it is one of the black grapes permitted in Champagne and consequently it is seen in many sparkling wines made in the champagne style. – Long considered to prefer a cool climate, the Pinot Noir grape is being grown increasingly in warmer climate areas. Due to its thin skin it dislikes the frost and ripening too quickly so it won’t respond well anywhere that’s too cold or too warm. If it’s too hot there’s a risk of the fruit flavours becoming jammy. And if it’s too wet, the grape is susceptible to all sorts of moulds and diseases so nowhere too rainy. Well, I did describe Pinot Noir as a tricky grape. – Whether this long-standing reputation is fair, Pinot Noir does require more than a little TLC in the vineyard and subsequently in the winery, whether grown in a warm or cool climate region. Therefore it tends not to be seen so much in commercial style, entry level wines (though there are some so the “better value” examples are best avoided if you want to try a good Pinot). – Pinot Noir is also known as Spätburgunder, Blauburgunder, Savagnin Noir or Pinot Nero, amongst many other synonyms. It has a tendency to mutate so there are many recognised clones of the grape – over 1000 – and this means that there are differences in leaf shape, berry size, berry colour etc and different clones grow better in different places. – As might be expected, Pinot Noir is related to the other Pinots, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier. In fact current thinking is that these are all mutations or clones of the same grape. FEATURES OF PINOT NOIR WINE Despite the red Burgundy style being the holy grail, not all Pinots are the same due to the many differences in clones, growing techniques, terroir, vintages and wine-making techniques. But generally you can expect your Pinot Noir to be: Light & translucent red in colour Light in body Low in tannins Pretty high in acidity which makes them lovely and refreshing Perfumed or fragrant Complex in its aromas and flavours A varietal wine i.e. 100% Pinot Noir as it is rarely blended with other grapes Smooth with a silky texture Aged in oak, usually, although the oak will often be used rather than new so that it does not overpower the fruit flavours and aromas Age-worthy; good Pinot Noir should keep for c. 10 years and improve with age in that time As a general rule for Pinot Noir’s profile: Cool climate Pinots are usually lighter, more elegant and flavours a little more herbaceous and earthy so expect mushroom, truffles, sharp cranberry, raspberry and sour to sweet cherries. Some also show floral aromas like violet and rose Warmer climate Pinots are a bit bigger, richer and fruitier with riper raspberry, strawberry, black cherry and ripe plum with spice, liquorice and gamey aromas. Again as a general rule, Burgundy, German, Swiss and Oregon Pinot Noirs fit the cool climate profile whilst Central Otago, South American and Californian Pinots are closer to the warm climate profile; other New Zealand Pinots fall somewhere between the two. To compare different styles why not try my Pinot Noir mixed case or add some of my Pinot Noir wines to a mixed case of your own. By way of guidance my current Pinots (many of which are pictured above) increase in intensity from on the left: the light and fruity Pinots from Andreas Bender in Germany and Tracy et Cie in the Loire Valley a truly cool climate organic Pinot from Patagonia that is complex and silky smooth the light and elegant TWR Marlborough Pinot Noir the great value single vineyard Burgundy from Domaine Bachey-Legros Pegasus Bay’s Pinot Noir which has become more Burgundian and more elegant over the years and regularly achieves a number of amazing scores from wine critics the more intense but still velvety smooth Californian Masut Pinot Noir WHY IS GOOD PINOT NOIR EXPENSIVE? As already mentioned Pinot Noir is considered a difficult grape to grow Because the grape is so picky about its growing conditions it cannot be grown everywhere, meaning it has rarity value Pinot Noir’s yields are low even in warm climate

Guide to Cabernet Franc & its wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Guide to Cabernet Franc & its wines A guide to the Cabernet Franc grape and where it is grown, the characteristics of Cabernet Franc wine and what it tastes like plus what to eat with Cabernet Franc. Despite being in the 20 most planted grapes in the world, Cabernet Franc is not necessarily one of those grapes that you look for when choosing wine. It tends to keep a low profile – more of a bridesmaid than the bride. But, for years overshadowed particularly by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc is reckoned to be on the upward trend. CABERNET FRANC GRAPE CHARACTERISTICS Black grape variety Cabernet Franc is a bit of a workhorse, more often seen as a support grape to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and, since it ripens earlier, it is used as an insurance should those grapes not have chance to ripen fully due to poor weather. Having said that, Cabernet Franc needs a lot of sunshine to ripen and lose some of its naturally high acidity, otherwise it can taste rather green and stalky. It is rather like Cabernet Sauvignon but lighter and less tannic. The reason for the similarity to Cabernet Sauvignon is that Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are in fact related though it was only about 25 years ago that DNA profiling confirmed Cabernet Franc to be a parent to Cabernet Sauvignon (the other being Sauvignon Blanc). A fruity little number in more ways than one, Cabernet Franc has also been discovered to be a parent to Merlot and to Carmenère. Note Cabernet Franc is also known as Bouchet, Bordo, Breton and Cabernet Frank. Italian wines labelled Cabernet are usually Cabernet Franc. WHERE CABERNET FRANC IS PRODUCED Many Bordeaux wines have Cabernet Franc as a minority grape in the blend. The notable exception is St Emilion and the other right bank appellation, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, where it is given more prominence; in fact, the renowned St Emilion Grand Cru, Château Cheval-Blanc, instead of having Merlot as its majority grape, has c. 60% Cabernet Franc and is considered by some to be the finest wine of the Bordeaux region. Aside from Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc has long been seen as a varietal in the red wines of Touraine in the Loire Valley, wines such as Chinon and Bourgeuil, and of Saumur also in the Loire. In total France accounts for c. 58% of global Cabernet Franc production. Perhaps surprisingly Brazil is second in terms of volume at 12% with Italy third at 10%; the cooler areas in the north-east, Friuli and Veneto, see most of the plantings in Italy. There are further Cabernet Franc vines in many countries around the world but not in huge volumes, reflecting the fact that the grape is usually added to Bordeaux style blends. Increasingly however Cabernet Franc is being seen as a varietal wine on its own especially in cooler regions of new world wine-producing countries like the USA, Canada, Argentina and Chile. Yields need to be controlled to ensure that the grape’s fruit rather than herbaceous characteristics dominate; this means that it is not really a grape for the lower end of the price range. WHAT CABERNET FRANC WINE TASTES LIKE Cabernet Franc shares many characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon but it is lighter in many ways – lighter in body, tannin, alcohol, colour and acidity – so it makes a good alternative for those who find Cabernet Sauvignon a little over the top. Generally medium bodied Cabernet Franc still has sufficient structure, fruit, acidity and tannins to age well – and age earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is also generally much easier to drink, lighter and softer with a smooth texture. In fact it can be a very elegant wine. The overriding feature however is its beautiful perfume. Fruit characteristics abound in Cabernet Franc, think berries and cherries – raspberries in particular, strawberries, blueberries, cherries along with plums. Graphite or pencil shaving aromas are also typical. Other common aromas and flavours of Cabernet Franc include green pepper, green olives, violets, sweet tobacco and blackcurrant leaves. Generally the warmer the climate, the rounder and richer the Cabernet Franc wine and the more prominent the fruit aromas and flavours. The herbaceous aromas are more prominent when the grapes used in the wine have not been ripened fully. And this is the one downside to Cabernet Franc. A note of caution: Cabernet Franc is relatively well suited to the cool climate of the Loire and North East Italy as it ripens early compared to some varieties. At their best these wines can be fresh, fruity, low alcohol wines with a distinct raspberry and pencil shavings aroma profile. But those originating from particularly cool summers can taste rather austere and be especially light in body. Unripe Cabernet Franc can have rather harsh stalky characteristics. So to ensure a softer Cabernet Franc wine with good texture and integrated tannins, be wary of those produced in very cool vintages. FOOD PAIRING WITH CABERNET FRANC Cabernet Franc’s acidity and body make it a good match for a number of different foods. Its berry and herbaceous characteristics make it a particularly good match for game, lamb, duck and for herby and olive- and tomato-based dishes. Warmer climate Cabernet Franc with its rich plum flavours will go well with most red meats, especially roast beef, with mushrooms, peppers and with many cheeses including brie, camembert, smoked cheeses and even goat’s cheese. Look first at the intensity of the food and match heavier, more intensely flavoured wines with stronger-flavoured foods and lighter styles with more delicate flavours. IS CABERNET FRANC BECOMING MORE POPULAR? According to the University of Adelaide’s Database of Regional, National & Global Winegrape bearing areas, there was an increase of 7% in the vineyard area dedicated to Cabernet Franc globally between 2000 and 2016. Whilst France and Italy have both reduced their plantings in that period, countries that saw growth include Brazil, the USA, Chile, Argentina, Hungary and Canada where it is even being used for

Guide to the Merlot grape and wines

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Guide to the Merlot grape and wines A guide to the Merlot grape and where it is grown, the characteristics of Merlot wine and what it tastes like plus what to eat with Merlot. Often in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon, with which it is frequently blended, most famously in Bordeaux, Merlot has somehow acquired a reputation for being inferior, its reputation not helped by the 2004 film Sideways in which Merlot was shunned by one of the main characters simply because his ex-wife liked it. But it is the second most widely-grown grape in the world so there must be something to like about this maligned grape, Merlot, and its wines, as we will discover. MERLOT GRAPE CHARACTERISTICS Merlot is a black grape variety that ripens earlier than many other varieties and is therefore often used as an ‘insurance’ in blends, should other grapes not have chance to ripen fully due to poor weather e.g. in Bordeaux where a larger percentage of Merlot may be used in wines if the later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon has not seen enough sunshine and warmth. On the downside, Merlot buds early which makes it susceptible to frost and it is thin-skinned which makes it susceptible to rot and mildew so in very cold and/ or damp years there is a risk of low or even no yields. But on the whole Merlot is considered relatively easy to grow and that means that, despite the fact that it plays a significant role in many fine wines such as Pomerol and St Emilion in Bordeaux, Merlot can also be found in many more commercial-style wines of varying quality across the globe. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the French word for blackbird, ‘merle’, and there are differing views as to whether it is because its skin colour resembles the colour of a blackbird’s feathers or whether it is because that species is particularly partial to the sweet grapes. Other names for Merlot include Merlot Noir, Merlau, Médoc Noir and Sémillon Rouge. WHERE MERLOT IS PRODUCED France is home to circa 40% of the world’s Merlot vines and about half of those are in Bordeaux, from where the grape originates. Often seen as a support grape to Cabernet Sauvignon in that region, there is in fact more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon planted there. Merlot is traditionally the more dominant grape variety in the Bordeaux blends of the right bank areas of Bordeaux (north of the Dordogne river) such as St Emilion, Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac, Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol as it is well-suited to the limestone and clay soils there. However Merlot is added in seemingly ever-increasing quantities to wines of the traditionally Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant left bank areas of the Médoc and Haut Médoc (south of the Gironde river), especially in vineyards with less of the traditional left bank gravel-based soils. The other main French region that has Merlot plantings is the Languedoc-Roussillon region which produces mainly blends of IGP wines, previously known as vins de pays, of varying levels of quality. Following France in the rankings, Italy, the USA and China have the next largest vineyard areas dedicated to Merlot but these account for just 9%, 8% and 6% respectively. WHAT MERLOT WINE TASTES LIKE When it comes to flavour, Merlot is a bit of a chameleon because firstly it is often blended with other grapes but secondly and perhaps most importantly its aromas and flavours can vary greatly depending upon a number of factors including the climate conditions in which the grape has grown, whether it has been picked early or late in the ripening season and whether it has been oak-aged or not and for how long. So Merlot can be quite hard to recognise. Pure Merlot wine from cooler climate regions or from early-picked grapes is known for its classic red fruit flavours – raspberries, plums and even strawberries with some vegetal notes like peppers and even grass. These red-fruit flavoured Merlots are considered more old-world style; they generally have lower levels of tannin and alcohol but have good levels of acidity and a smooth texture. Note that if Merlot displays too many green flavours, it is likely that the grapes were picked a little too early or may not have really ripened fully. When produced in warmer climate regions 100% Merlot wine will be bigger and bolder, often considered to be a more international style of Merlot. Fruit flavours may also include blackcurrants and blackberries, ripe plums with spicy notes, chocolate and even a touch of fruitcake. Alcohol is likely to be higher and the wine generally more full-bodied with soft tannins (given the thin skins). In blends Merlot is valued for its natural sweetness – not that it is high in residual sugars but more that the fruit flavours are of sweet juicy ripe fruits – and for its softer, more approachable characteristics. In fact it is specifically paired with Cabernet Sauvignon in order to tone down some of Cabernet’s more austere qualities. Merlot-dominant wines age relatively well but are generally ready to drink much earlier than their Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant counterparts. FOOD PAIRING WITH MERLOT Merlot wines, whether a simple commercial style, a fresh, cooler climate, red-fruit style or a richer, spicier style, can of course be enjoyed on their own because of the soft tannins and smooth texture though you may enjoy the finer examples of Merlot after it has been in bottle at least three or four years. Which foods would complement Merlot – and vice versa – really depends upon which style of wine it is. Easy-drinking, lighter, fruity Merlot pairs well with tomato-based sauces, pizza or chilli con carne. The more savoury style of Bordeaux Merlots or Merlot-dominant blends complements most red meats including game, mushrooms, truffles and roasted vegetables especially the more mature wines. The juicier, fuller-bodied style of Merlot make for a good match for steak, game, lamb especially when served rare, and duck. But really you can’t go too wrong with Merlot. If

Ice wine is perfect for chocolate desserts Wines With Attitude

Why drink sweet wine with dessert – and which sweet wine?

Wine & Food, Wine Styles

Why drink sweet wine with dessert? And which sweet wine? Celebrations like Birthdays, Mothers’ Day and Christmas are the perfect excuse to lay on a feast including dessert. Do you give any thought to which wine you will drink with pudding or stick with the red or white wine you have been drinking with the main course? Find out why drinking a wine that’s sweet with desserts makes sense and what the key characteristic is that sweet wines need in order to complement desserts. This blogpost also includes a comparison of different types of sweet wines like Sauternes, ice wine, vin doux naturel, Moscato d’Asti and port, a brief description of how each is made and which type of desserts each pairs with best. WHY HAVE A SWEET WINE WITH DESSERT? After carefully selecting white and red wines for the first two or three courses of your meal, why would you not also find something to complement the pudding? Carrying on drinking the wine you have had during the previous course or courses will often not work and here is why. Drinking a wine that is not at least as sweet as your dessert can make your wine taste at best less fruity, at worst flat, bitter and even astringent. In addition, any tannins in red wine will clash with the food’s sweetness, make the wine taste metallic and bitter and the tannins will seem even more prominent and unintegrated. There are a handful of sweet wine and savoury food combinations that work well, some of which are mentioned below, but bear in mind that if you drink sweet wine early in a meal, it is very hard to go back to a dry wine especially a red and enjoy it as the flavours of the wine will seem flat. THE MAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF SWEET WINE TO DRINK WITH DESSERT The fundamental thing to remember, if you are going to have any wine with your dessert, is 1) to make sure that the wine is at least as sweet as the dessert. Many people over the years have told me, as soon as sweet wine is mentioned, that they don’t like it but I suspect that most of those people have not had the right sweet wine and consumed it with the right food. I’m not dictating what you should or should not drink but your dessert and wine will both taste better and complement each other if you choose a wine that is sweet and with one other key characteristic and that is… 2) good acidity. A wine’s acidity makes the wine seem drier than it actually is and it will ensure that the combination of sweet wine and sugary food is not sickeningly sweet. Acidity will slice through the sweetness of a dessert, make the wine seem balanced and leave your mouth watering. DIFFERENT SWEET WINES & WHICH DESSERT TO EAT WITH THEM Below are some sweet wines (some are classified as fortified wines but are also sweet or medium-sweet), together with some suggestions of the type of desserts that will work well with them. There are no hard & fast rules however but it is worth following suggestions 1) and 2) above. PUDDING OR DESSERT WINE WITH FOOD There are many ways of achieving sweetness in wine and many of the world’s wine regions have their own specialities like TBA Riesling, Barsac, Monbazillac, Tokaji from Hungary but I’m going to use Sauternes as my main dessert or pudding wine example since it is considered by many to be the world’s best sweet wine. All these wines are produced in the same way. Sauternes is typically produced mainly from Sémillon grapes that have been affected by ‘botrytis cinerea’, a fungal infection also known as noble rot, which in the right conditions makes the grapes shrivel on the vine, leading to very concentrated and sweet juice. Sémillon gives the wine body and tropical fruit flavours; Sauvignon Blanc which is often added to Sauternes brings acidity and citrus flavours and the best Sauternes wines include a small portion of Muscadelle which add lovely floral aromas to the wine. Flavours in the wine will include a range of citrus flavours like lime, grapefruit, tangerines and lemon zest, honey, apricots and often mango, pineapple and barley sugar. You can pair Sauternes and other noble rot-affected wines with most desserts but in my opinion they work best with lighter desserts such as fruit tarts, lighter chocolate puddings with fresh fruits such as raspberries, cherries or strawberries. Desserts with any of the typical fruit flavours of Sauternes will match as well e.g. citrus-flavoured puddings and apple pie. For heavier desserts with lots of cream you could still drink Sauternes but it must have a high level of mouth-watering acidity to cut through the fat in the dish. Similarly for desserts with salt like a salted caramel brownie, make sure your Sauternes has good acidity because the salt will reduce the acidity of your wine and make it seem quite flat and even flavourless. Tokaji is typically sweeter and more marmalade-y than Sauternes – it is a great match with a crème caramel and any other caramel-based desserts. Sauternes will also pair well with many blue cheeses like Roquefort – and with foie gras for those with a preference for more savoury dishes but as mentioned above, be wary if you plan to switch to a dry wine, especially a red, after it. ICE WINE WITH FOOD Ice wine also known as Eiswein is wine produced from grapes left to freeze on the vines; when the grapes are pressed only the sweet juices that have not frozen are used in the wines. Ice wine should also have good acidity to prevent them being too sweet and to help them pair well with most puddings. Often made from white grapes like Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer and Riesling, increasingly ice wine is being produced from black grapes like Cabernet Franc, Merlot and even Austria’s Blauen Zweigelt which

Riesling grapes from Wines With Attitude

Riesling – love it or hate it?

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

Riesling wines – love them or hate them? A guide to Riesling wines Though I now have a number of Riesling wines in the portfolio, I was long in two minds about having more than one – in my experience people either love Riesling or hate it which is why I describe it as the Marmite grape (with apologies and also homage to the manufacturers of Marmite). But there are many different styles of Riesling wine that it is doing it a disservice not selling more than one plus I was long ago persuaded to by a new customer who was keen to get hold of some Andreas Bender Dajoar Zenit Riesling that he had had with friends in the Portland restaurant in London. I am so glad I did as it is a beautiful wine. And it is after all unfair to write off Riesling as a whole since it produces so many different types of wine. So in this blogpost I shed some light on the Riesling grape and its wide range of wines. Where is Riesling from? This white grape is also known as Johannisberg, Kleinriesling, Rheinriesling, Riesling Gelb and a host of other names but should not be confused with Riesling Italico or Welschriesling which are synonyms of a somewhat less-known grape. So versatile and hardy is the Riesling grape that it can be grown in many different regions around the world, producing a wide range of wine styles and flavours as it is also good at expressing its terroir. It grows best in cool climates and tolerates well cold winters. The location of the vines can have a huge impact on the style and flavours of the wines with cooler climate Rieslings producing more delicate green fruit & floral notes, warmer climate Rieslings generally being more peachy and richer in style. Germany is the homeland of Riesling with c. 45% of the world’s Riesling vineyards. It produces, some would argue, the best Riesling wines though there also are some poorer versions produced there as Germany tries, rather unsuccessfully, to convert the overseas wine-drinking public to their pride and joy. Riesling is grown throughout Germany though the Mosel and Pfalz regions produce the most. Mosel famous for its slate soils produces a light floral style of Riesling. The best sites there are considered to be the steepest sites with slate soils near the river where the grapes can benefit from maximum sunshine due to carefully positioned vines and reflections from the water’s surface. The reputation that German Riesling still has as a medium dry or even medium-sweet white wine is not really justified as most nowadays is dry or ‘trocken’. The USA, perhaps surprisingly is the second largest producer of Riesling with c.10% of the world’s Riesling vineyards and growing interest for Rieslings from California, Oregon and Washington State. Australia is gaining itself quite a good reputation for very dry, lime-flavoured Riesling – look for Clare Valley and Eden Valley Rieslings. In France Riesling is a permitted grape variety only in the Alsace region where the wines often have pronounced minerality. There has been a tendency for Alsace to add sugar to its wines to help boost the alcohol levels (rather than to sweeten them since they are vinified dry). Therefore Alsace Riesling is often more full-bodied than German Riesling. New Zealand is developing its Riesling vineyards; it is its 6th most produced grape variety. New Zealand is producing both off-dry and dry wines – the Te Whare Ra Riesling D is Dry, the ‘D’ meaning dry (they also produce a Riesling ‘M’ version for medium-dry). Austria produces mostly dry Riesling but also very sweet, dessert wine. A little known fact is that Luxembourg also grows a small proportion of the world’s Riesling but then not so surprising given it lies close to the Mosel region. Flavour Profile of Riesling wines It is partly Riesling’s ability to express its terroir well that makes it hard to generalise about one single flavour profile for its wines. Riesling wines can have one or more of the following – florals, minerality, fruit and spice. However one thing that all good Riesling has wherever it is produced is bracing acidity – just like Sauvignon Blanc. Even sweeter versions will not be sickeningly sweet as the sweetness should always be balanced by acidity. Rieslings aromatics can be quite concentrated. Distinct flavours that are usually recognisable include lime, green apples, pears and floral notes like jasmine and lime blossom especially when the wine is young, dry and from cooler regions. As Riesling develops richer peach and even nectarine flavours dominate and/ or if it is from a warmer site tropical fruit. As they get older Rieslings get richer and a wider range of aromas and flavours come to the fore including honey, beeswax, spice and toast plus sometimes the distinctive petrol or kerosene aromas may develop. The petrol note, loved by some and detested by others, is more likely to be found in better Riesling wines than in more commercial-style wines where grapes from higher-yielding vineyards are used. It is also detectable earlier in warm climate Rieslings. It should however always be subtle in any Riesling. According to Andreas Bender, producer of several Rieslings including the lovely Dajoar Zenit Riesling from the Mosel, Riesling needs some time in bottle to become rounder and for all the flavours to fully express themselves. I could see this in early 2019 when doing a vertical tasting with him of his 2015 and 2017 Zenit Rieslings; the 2017 needed a little more time to develop to its full potential. Give it another 12 months or so and it will match the 2015. Better winemakers such as Andreas aim to make the grape’s aromatic qualities show and therefore usually ferment the wine in stainless steel tanks. If oak is used it will be large vats and old oak to minimise the impact. Lees contact may also be used to give some Rieslings texture and richness which some

Sauvignon Blanc wine by Wines With Attitude

All about Sauvignon Blanc

Grape Varieties, Wine Styles

ALL ABOUT SAUVIGNON BLANC It is probably no surprise that Sauvignon Blanc features in the top 10 most planted wine grapes in the world.* Check out any list of the most popular wines in the UK and Sauvignon Blanc will be close to, if not at, the top. We Brits have fallen big time for the whole Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc brand and whilst there are many great examples of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, there are also many other amazing Sauvignon Blanc styles which are explored in this guide to Sauvignon Blanc. Read on to find out about the Sauvignon Blanc grape and where it is grown, the characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc wines and what they taste like plus what to eat with Sauvignon Blanc. SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAPE FACTS & CHARACTERISTICS White grape variety Sauvignon Blanc is also known as Blanc Fumé, Blanc Fumet, Fumé Blanc and Muscat-Silvaner. The name is derived from the French for wild’ “sauvage”. Sauvignon Blanc has often been confused with Savagnin Blanc which is believed to be one of its parents. Chile has in the past imported what it thought was Sauvignon Blanc and only in the 1980s was much of it discovered to be another grape variety, Sauvignonasse. Sauvignon Blanc is a parent of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Sauvignon Blanc is an early ripener and the vine’s growth is vigorous which means that it is best grown on poor soils in cool climate areas to rein it in and slow down leaf growth, which can also be tamed with pruning. Its naturally high yields mean that Sauvignon Blanc can be – and is – used to produce huge volumes of inexpensive wine but keeping costs low by not pruning leaf coverage prevents the grapes from ripening and leads to herbaceous or green notes caused by compounds called methoxypyrazines – remember how grassy flavours and aromas used to dominate many Sauvignon Blanc wines? On the other hand, left too long on the vine, overripe grapes can produce wines dominated by big tropical fruit flavours so picking at just the right moment is crucial, depending on the characteristics the winemaker is aiming for in his wine. Sauvignon Blanc is a naturally pungent or aromatic grape with good acidity. Cool climate regions again are best to prevent this acidity dropping too much as sugars rise in the ripening grapes. Rather than being mainly used for high volumes of more commercial entry-level wines, Sauvignon Blanc is increasingly being produced in the mid to high price range and as its characteristics can be influenced by different factors in the vineyard and by different techniques in the winery, very different styles of Sauvignon Blanc wine can be produced as you will read below. WHERE SAUVIGNON BLANC IS PRODUCED According to the University of Adelaide’s Database of Regional, National & Global Winegrape bearing areas, vineyard area dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc globally almost doubled between 2000 and 2016. Circa 50% of plantings are concentrated in three countries – New Zealand, France and Chile. NEW ZEALAND SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the best-known Sauvignon Blanc these days but in fact the grape variety was only planted there in the early 1970s. Pioneers like Brancott Estate and Cloudy Bay saw the potential for Sauvignon in Marlborough’s largely cool climate, and other producers followed to such an extent that the grape is now the most planted in New Zealand and accounts for 72% of the country’s total wine production. And according to NZWine.com, three quarters of all New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is planted in Marlborough. FRENCH SAUVIGNON BLANC Despite the huge influence of New Zealand in Sauvignon Blanc’s history, more Sauvignon Blanc is still grown in France than in New Zealand or indeed any other country, spread across the country but mainly in the Bordeaux, Loire Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon wine regions. Before the emergence of Marlborough Sauvignon, the cool-climate Loire Valley’s Sancerre was considered by many as the epitome of Sauvignon Blanc (and still is to many). Pouilly-Fumé is perhaps less well-known but very similar in style. Better known for its red wines, Bordeaux has long grown Sauvignon Blanc for a range of different wines, dry and sweet. And in Languedoc-Roussillon Sauvignon is used mainly for cheap and cheerful, fruity IGP (or vins de pays) wines. CHILEAN SAUVIGNON BLANC Sauvignon Blanc is Chile’s most planted white grape variety accounting for c. 10% of the country’s and 12% of the global vineyards although, as mentioned above, some of the older plantings are Sauvignonasse. Stick to wines from the cooler parts of the country like San Antonio, Bío Bío and the Leyda Valley for the more elegant wines. There are further Sauvignon Blanc vines in many countries around the world but not in huge concentrations. It is worth mentioning South Africa however which is increasing its Sauvignon Blanc vineyards and creating some fine examples of sauvignon, often with crisp gooseberry characteristics. WHAT IS SAUVIGNON BLANC LIKE? It used to be said that you could tell a glass of Sauvignon Blanc by a distinctive smell of cat’s pee. That odour, now referred to as boxwood since certain species of boxwood apparently emit a similar smell when flowering, is thankfully no longer a common feature of the wine. In fact there are many different aroma/ flavour profiles for Sauvignon Blanc that have evolved as winemakers use different factors in the vineyard (such as different clones, quality and type of soils, vine pruning methods and harvesting dates) and different techniques in the winery (such as different fermentation temperatures, using oak barrels for fermentations and/ or ageing, malolactic fermentation, lees ageing and blending). All these different factors make it difficult to define one Sauvignon Blanc style. There are various ways to try to paint the picture but all involve making generalisations – I make some regional generalisations but perhaps key to the styles of Sauvignon is whether your wine is from a cool or warm climate area: COOL CLIMATE SAUVIGNON BLANC Cool climate Sauvignon will be lighter in colour and

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