WineWhine # 21
Welcome to Martin Gleize of Paris, France.
In this issue of the Whine I am going to start a long-avoided series on Italian wines; make some comments on recognizing a decent wine list; talk a bit about gout; and, of course, refer to the latest offering from Opimian.
ITALIAN WINE. For 20 issues of the Whine I have avoided discussing Italian wine. The reason is that understanding Italian wine is extremely difficult. However, since I have been challenged by one of my readers the time has come!
As late as the 1990’s Italy produced more wine than the world outside of Europe. Only France produces more wine than Italy. With this much wine how does one know what is a good and what is a bad bottle? The task is made difficult because historically Italy has produced not only great wines but boatloads of truly awful plonc. And, of course, wine drinkers remember the 1986 scandal when 22 died from drinking methanol-laced Italian wine. More recently, it was discovered that producers of Brunello were substituting cheaper varietals than the required Sangiovese.
In theory, one should be able to recognize quality through a labelling system that is similar to the Appellation Controlee system used in France. Under this system the wine is shown to be from a particular area and the varietals and percentages of varietals are controlled by law. The top category is denominazione di origini controllata garantita (DOCG), followed by DOC and finally IGT (indicazione geografica tipica) which simply means wines typical of a region. On the other hand, there is lots of plonc sold with DOC and IGT on the label. Much more importantly many of the very best Italian wines (the so-called super Tuscans, for example) refuse to follow the classification system at all, preferring to blend non-traditional grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon into their wines.
Italy produces much more red wine than white wine. However, many of the whites are particularly good and I’ll write about Italian whites in a later Whine. In this issue, however, I shall restrict my comments to some of the better know inexpensive reds.
Sangiovese. This is the most commonly planted grape in Italy. This is the grape used to make Chianti, the well-know wine from central Tuscany. The world is awash with this light-colored, light-bodied wine. Cheaper Chiantis are highly acidic and low in tannins. This means that the first sip will taste “sharp.” On the other hand, when paired with an acidic food, such as your favorite tomato sauce, they can be a reasonable accompaniment. Chianti Classicos come from a more restricted region and are usually much less acidic. My advice is to avoid any Chianti that costs less than $ 20.
Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. These 3 Italian varietals are grown in Veneto (the region around Venice) and are blended to make the well-known wines of BARDOLINO and VALPOLICELLA. These light, somewhat prickly and bitter wines, which are intended to be drunk young, are produced in vast quantities and are found world-wide. Perhaps these are my least favorite of all wines (reminding me of stuff made from a wine kit). However, be careful not to confuse ordinary Valpolicella with the superb wine Amarone della Valpolicella which I shall discuss next time.
Montepulciano. As one goes farther south in Italy the wines become less acidic. Montepulciano is the main varietal grown in the Abruzzo area east of Rome. It is a medium bodied wine that is slightly smoky to taste. With more tannins than the wines above it ages well. Inexpensive, this wine is worth a try.
Nero d’Avola. This variety (sometimes called Calabrese) is the mainstay of Sicily. This wine is relatively powerful and packed with fruit. It is deeply colored and high in tannins. If you are looking for a bargain in an Italian wine, try one of these Sicilian wines.
GOUT AND RED WINE. Given my advanced age it is probably not surprising to learn that several of my male friends suffer from gout. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood that leave deposits in the joints (particularly in the feet). For a long time it has been assumed that gout is effected by a rich diet. Alcohol is assumed to exacerbate this extremely painful condition.
Recently I was eating roast beef with a group of friends, two of whom suffer from gout. One accompanied his food with glasses of decent Cabernet while the other had his glass confiscated by a very protective spouse. Curious I decided to do a little net browzing.
It turns out that the most complete study of gout and alcohol was published in 2004 by a group of Harvard researchers lead by H.K. Choi. Based on a national health and nutrition examination these researchers found that the blood levels of uric acid were indeed associated with the consumption of some alcohols. Beer, in particular, seems to be the main culprit. On the other hand, THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN URIC ACID AND WINE INTAKE. In fact, some even recommend drinking red wine. For example, Victor Konshin in his book “Beating Gout: A Suffer’s Guide to Living Pain Free” recommends one glass of red wine each day for gout sufferers.
FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN ONTARIO. My bargain recommendation this time is a wine from Lebanon, sold at the LCBO for $ 13.50. Chateau Ksara Reserve Du Couvent 2007 is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This medium-bodied wine is smooth and flavourful. It is light enough for sipping and heavy enough to accompany all but the most robust of foods. Give a bottle a try and let me know what you think.
FINDING A DECENT WINE LIST. I don’t think I have ever had bad food in a restaurant with a good wine list. Yet, many restaurants pay little attention to the wines they list. Since the mark-up is at least 100%, why do restauranteurs pay so little attention to their wines? I have no answer.
A good wine list should do four things: (1) there should a variety of light and heavy wines; (2) there should be wines from several countries; (3) there should be a good range of prices; (4) there should be wines that can’t be found a your local government store; (5) the vintage should be listed and most importantly it should be accurate.
Recently I have eaten in what should be 3 of the Maritimes better restaurants. At Churchill’s (Digby Pines) there was neither a Cabernet nor a Malbec on the list. Worse when I ordered a 2005 Zinfandel a 2008 appeared. This insult was repeated a second time after I had re-ordered. The excuse offered was it was the end of the season and they were re-stocking. Obviously, they had re-stocked with less aged wines and hadn’t bother to edit the wine list.
A restaurant with a good wine list is a great new French restaurant in Moncton called Petit Cavalier. The wine list included lots of French wines but also interesting wines from other countries. The relatively inexpensive Argentinian Malbec that I ordered matched beautifully my duck confit. At the end of the evening I complimented the restauranteur on his wine list. “Yes”, he said “after I was open a few weeks I brought in a Sommelier to help me upgrade my wines.”
Finally, I recently visited one of my favorite restaurants, Acton’s in Wolfville. There were four of us (including three wine lovers and a designated driver). Three is an awkward number for a bottle of wine. However, as they stocked as great Tempranillo from Rioja, the decision to have a second bottle of the same wine was unanimous. I am sure that if more restaurants paid attention to their wines, their profits would go up.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 198. This offering has many interesting sounding wines, most of which I have not tried. Consequently my recommendations will be brief this time. Since my bias is that the best Australian wines come from Coonawarra I would suggest you (and maybe me) should try # 5747 the Red Trio.
In an earlier Whine I talked about Meritage (the New World wine that imitates French wine). # 5754 would be a change to try Meritage.
I was pleasantly surprised by an earlier coupon wine, Milyaroo Merlot. If you are looking for an everyday plonc you might try # 5766.
Finally, I was not impressed with a case of “Fat ‘n Skinny” that I ordered from an earlier offering. I suggest you avoid # 5775.
Welcome to Martin Gleize of Paris, France.
In this issue of the Whine I am going to start a long-avoided series on Italian wines; make some comments on recognizing a decent wine list; talk a bit about gout; and, of course, refer to the latest offering from Opimian.
ITALIAN WINE. For 20 issues of the Whine I have avoided discussing Italian wine. The reason is that understanding Italian wine is extremely difficult. However, since I have been challenged by one of my readers the time has come!
As late as the 1990’s Italy produced more wine than the world outside of Europe. Only France produces more wine than Italy. With this much wine how does one know what is a good and what is a bad bottle? The task is made difficult because historically Italy has produced not only great wines but boatloads of truly awful plonc. And, of course, wine drinkers remember the 1986 scandal when 22 died from drinking methanol-laced Italian wine. More recently, it was discovered that producers of Brunello were substituting cheaper varietals than the required Sangiovese.
In theory, one should be able to recognize quality through a labelling system that is similar to the Appellation Controlee system used in France. Under this system the wine is shown to be from a particular area and the varietals and percentages of varietals are controlled by law. The top category is denominazione di origini controllata garantita (DOCG), followed by DOC and finally IGT (indicazione geografica tipica) which simply means wines typical of a region. On the other hand, there is lots of plonc sold with DOC and IGT on the label. Much more importantly many of the very best Italian wines (the so-called super Tuscans, for example) refuse to follow the classification system at all, preferring to blend non-traditional grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon into their wines.
Italy produces much more red wine than white wine. However, many of the whites are particularly good and I’ll write about Italian whites in a later Whine. In this issue, however, I shall restrict my comments to some of the better know inexpensive reds.
Sangiovese. This is the most commonly planted grape in Italy. This is the grape used to make Chianti, the well-know wine from central Tuscany. The world is awash with this light-colored, light-bodied wine. Cheaper Chiantis are highly acidic and low in tannins. This means that the first sip will taste “sharp.” On the other hand, when paired with an acidic food, such as your favorite tomato sauce, they can be a reasonable accompaniment. Chianti Classicos come from a more restricted region and are usually much less acidic. My advice is to avoid any Chianti that costs less than $ 20.
Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. These 3 Italian varietals are grown in Veneto (the region around Venice) and are blended to make the well-known wines of BARDOLINO and VALPOLICELLA. These light, somewhat prickly and bitter wines, which are intended to be drunk young, are produced in vast quantities and are found world-wide. Perhaps these are my least favorite of all wines (reminding me of stuff made from a wine kit). However, be careful not to confuse ordinary Valpolicella with the superb wine Amarone della Valpolicella which I shall discuss next time.
Montepulciano. As one goes farther south in Italy the wines become less acidic. Montepulciano is the main varietal grown in the Abruzzo area east of Rome. It is a medium bodied wine that is slightly smoky to taste. With more tannins than the wines above it ages well. Inexpensive, this wine is worth a try.
Nero d’Avola. This variety (sometimes called Calabrese) is the mainstay of Sicily. This wine is relatively powerful and packed with fruit. It is deeply colored and high in tannins. If you are looking for a bargain in an Italian wine, try one of these Sicilian wines.
GOUT AND RED WINE. Given my advanced age it is probably not surprising to learn that several of my male friends suffer from gout. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood that leave deposits in the joints (particularly in the feet). For a long time it has been assumed that gout is effected by a rich diet. Alcohol is assumed to exacerbate this extremely painful condition.
Recently I was eating roast beef with a group of friends, two of whom suffer from gout. One accompanied his food with glasses of decent Cabernet while the other had his glass confiscated by a very protective spouse. Curious I decided to do a little net browzing.
It turns out that the most complete study of gout and alcohol was published in 2004 by a group of Harvard researchers lead by H.K. Choi. Based on a national health and nutrition examination these researchers found that the blood levels of uric acid were indeed associated with the consumption of some alcohols. Beer, in particular, seems to be the main culprit. On the other hand, THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN URIC ACID AND WINE INTAKE. In fact, some even recommend drinking red wine. For example, Victor Konshin in his book “Beating Gout: A Suffer’s Guide to Living Pain Free” recommends one glass of red wine each day for gout sufferers.
FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN ONTARIO. My bargain recommendation this time is a wine from Lebanon, sold at the LCBO for $ 13.50. Chateau Ksara Reserve Du Couvent 2007 is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This medium-bodied wine is smooth and flavourful. It is light enough for sipping and heavy enough to accompany all but the most robust of foods. Give a bottle a try and let me know what you think.
FINDING A DECENT WINE LIST. I don’t think I have ever had bad food in a restaurant with a good wine list. Yet, many restaurants pay little attention to the wines they list. Since the mark-up is at least 100%, why do restauranteurs pay so little attention to their wines? I have no answer.
A good wine list should do four things: (1) there should a variety of light and heavy wines; (2) there should be wines from several countries; (3) there should be a good range of prices; (4) there should be wines that can’t be found a your local government store; (5) the vintage should be listed and most importantly it should be accurate.
Recently I have eaten in what should be 3 of the Maritimes better restaurants. At Churchill’s (Digby Pines) there was neither a Cabernet nor a Malbec on the list. Worse when I ordered a 2005 Zinfandel a 2008 appeared. This insult was repeated a second time after I had re-ordered. The excuse offered was it was the end of the season and they were re-stocking. Obviously, they had re-stocked with less aged wines and hadn’t bother to edit the wine list.
A restaurant with a good wine list is a great new French restaurant in Moncton called Petit Cavalier. The wine list included lots of French wines but also interesting wines from other countries. The relatively inexpensive Argentinian Malbec that I ordered matched beautifully my duck confit. At the end of the evening I complimented the restauranteur on his wine list. “Yes”, he said “after I was open a few weeks I brought in a Sommelier to help me upgrade my wines.”
Finally, I recently visited one of my favorite restaurants, Acton’s in Wolfville. There were four of us (including three wine lovers and a designated driver). Three is an awkward number for a bottle of wine. However, as they stocked as great Tempranillo from Rioja, the decision to have a second bottle of the same wine was unanimous. I am sure that if more restaurants paid attention to their wines, their profits would go up.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 198. This offering has many interesting sounding wines, most of which I have not tried. Consequently my recommendations will be brief this time. Since my bias is that the best Australian wines come from Coonawarra I would suggest you (and maybe me) should try # 5747 the Red Trio.
In an earlier Whine I talked about Meritage (the New World wine that imitates French wine). # 5754 would be a change to try Meritage.
I was pleasantly surprised by an earlier coupon wine, Milyaroo Merlot. If you are looking for an everyday plonc you might try # 5766.
Finally, I was not impressed with a case of “Fat ‘n Skinny” that I ordered from an earlier offering. I suggest you avoid # 5775.
