 |
There are so many differences in wines — grapes, regions, and styles. How do you keep track and know what you’re getting? Try cutting loose and experiment with some new, less popular, and unusual wines, and one of fine wine’s most enduring hurdles — selecting an untried bottle — can be turned into a fun adventure.
Ten years ago, finding unique wines in the Twin Cities was not so easy to do. The “basic” types crowded out the exciting, little known, and traditional products. Today, more importers are working in this market, and many shops are taking care to select the best of the very broad range offered, allowing customers to find wines that will surprise and excite the senses. Recently, I checked out some local retailers to see what they now have to offer.
Brian at Sam’s Wine Shop (218 Washington Ave N, Mpls., 612.455.1045, www.samswineshop.com) urged me to consider Cru Beaujolais — one of the most ignored and misunderstood wine producing regions. Cru Beaujolais are red wines made from the Gamay grape south of Burgundy. For a fraction of the cost of Burgundy, these wines offer delicate but persistent aroma, intensely fruity, earthy character, and the ability to age. Cru village names appear on the label. Look for place names like Regnie, Julienas or Morgon. Cru Beaujolais has more power and interest than Beaujolais Village or Beaujolais Nouveau, which have together shaped the large market’s perception of the entire region. Though silky and refined, there is a wild side to the cru wines. They are wonderful with the foods of the season, but pair as well with a warm summer afternoon.
The Loire Valley is also confounding in the variety of wines that are produced from one grape — Chenin Blanc. Dry and crisply mineral, semisweet, incredibly perfumed or sparkling, the wines could cover an entire meal with aplomb. Regional names like Vouvray and Touraine or Anjou-Saumur are in evidence locally and, again, words on labels give clues as to style. Sec means dry, demi-sec is a step toward more sweetness, and Moelleux refers to a concentrated, sweet wine. The sparkling wines, called Cremant d’Loire, offer great value and fine quality in many cases. The fascinating thing about Chenin Blanc based wines is their consistent acidity, which balances sweetness, making these wines both flexible and appetizing. |
|
|
|
|
Chuck at Solo Vino wine shop
(517 Selby Ave, St Paul, 651.602.9515, www.solovinowines.com) urges me (and you) not to overlook Austrian red wine. When you think Austria you may think of the Alps and crisp, white wines. Certainly, white Gruner Veltliners have gained popularity for their spicy, dry appeal, but several native black grapes such as Blaufrankish, Zweigelt, and St. Laurent can now be found in area shops. These are not big, powerful wines, but they possess a subtle intrigue of aroma, red fruit and dried herb notes that will surprise you. Austrian winemaking is precise and consistent — so, if these wines taste unique and you enjoy them, you can be confident of any number of producers.
For a bigger red wine, though different, look for Monestrell from Spain. This grape is called Mourvedre in southern France, and is also known as Mataro. It ripens quite sweet with small, thick skinned berries and needs hot, dry vineyards, which make Spain’s Jumilla, Alicante and Valencia regions good sources. The wine is tannic, warmly alcoholic and rich — at times, almost savagely animal. Cline Cellars of California make a number of great Mourvedre wines, as they have access to very old vines in the Contra Costa.
The vin jaune (yellow) wines of France’s Jura region, sparkling Shiraz from Australia, or any of the wines made from dried grapes such as Italian Ripasso and Amarone are also good bets to try. And don’t forget Spain’s Sherry and Madiera — they both still need your love. With the help of a good sommelier or knowledgeable shopkeeper you could explore the unexpected for a long time, without repeating. Or, drop me a line for more clues at gregory.warren@yahoo.com. Cheers!
|
|
|
|
|
|
