WHINE # 72

WINE TASTING IN SOUTH AFRICA:   My experience with South African wines is relatively limited, largely due to the paucity of decent SA wines available in Nova Scotia.  Thus, I had been looking forward for some time for the chance to taste some of the better wines from this part of the world.

We arrived in South Africa on January 2 and on our first night in Cape Town we ate in a fabulous restaurant, and had a great wine chosen more-or-less by random from an extensive wine list.  The waiter said I made a very good choice, but when is a waiter going to say:  "Why did you pick that one, it's awful?"

The next day we had a full-day tour in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.  Our guide was knowledgeable and also flexible, taking a side trip to the Thelema Winery so I could re-try the wine from the night before.  And it was just as good in the daylight hours.  We also stopped at several wineries in the Stellenbosch area, the most impressive being one owned by the golfer Ernie Els.  The wine tasted great, but it was the beauty of the place that impressed most.

The town of Franschoek is quite beautiful and has a wine train taking passengers through nearby vineyards.  Perhaps next time we might even get to stay there.

What did I  learn about South African wines?  First, some of them are very good, especially if you like New World wines that are full-bodied with lots of flavours.  If you preference is for a thin Old World wine, such as a Pinot from Burgundy then these wines are not for you.  Perhaps what I could suggest is that if you like Australian wines, you probably will like the better wines of South African, even down to the taste of Eucalyptes.

PINOTAGE:  Just as Argentina has Malbec and Chile has Carmenere, South Africa has its own distinct variety.  And, Pinotage was not first developed someplace else.  It is truly an indigenous cross (not a hybrid, although only a botanist knows the difference) between Pinot Noir and Cinsault.  Deep ruby in colour, it has a smoky taste, but also may have too much Acetone, thus sometimes smelling like paint.  Pinotage is not my favorite wine, but so what.

TIDAL BAY:  In a previous blog I touched on wine tasting this past summer in Nova Scotia.  The wine that I liked the best was a Tidal Bay from Grand Pre.  Tidal Bay is Nova Scotia's only appellation wine and is a blend of several obscure varieties.  How good is this wine?  In order to find out  I decided to be objective.  Twice in blind tastings I have paired a Grand Pre Tidal Bay against a better known white.

In late summer I paired Tidal Bay against a standard white Bordeaux.  This tasting occurred at the Maritime Seniors Golf Association annual meet.  After a long day on the golf course a slight majority of golfers preferred the Tidal Bay.  Then at Christmas I paired a Tidal Bay against a Sauvignon Blanc (Nautilaus from New Zealand).  This time sixteen of the blind-tasters chose the Tidal  Bay over the more expensive wine, which was only chosen by five drinkers.   And you thought that  there are no good wines from Nova Scotia.  On the other hand, I have resisted any temptation to put a Nova Scotian red wine up against a known wine from any of the classic red wine countries.

Incidentally Nova Scotia's best selling wine is a sparkler from Benjamin Bridge called Nova Seven.  I find this wine a little sweet for my taste, but the slightly more expensive Benjamin Bridge Classic suits me just fine.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 246:  Only once per year does Opimian offer wines from South America.  I always save my pennies (not that Canadian pennies exist any more) and load up.  There are lots of choices but my favorities are the wines of Cornellana and Casa Nueva.  I recommend 8949 a Syrah/Carmenere and 8961 a Cuvee Gran Reserva.

WHINE # 71 – Christmas 2016

Christmas Dinner:   I am sometimes asked what wine is best matched to traditional Christmas dinner.  The short answer is whatever wine you like, but that answer is really a “cop-out”.   So, let’s assume that Christmas dinner is roast turkey with all the trimmings, and let’s assume you want a white wine with the white meat.  My suggestion is a chardonnay from California.  Your turkey probably comes with a rich, creamy gravy, and a relatively heavy, buttery chardonnay will match very well.  While I usually prefer  French Chablis to the heavier wine from California in this case I suggest you go with a new world wine.

On the other hand you may be a red wine drinker and you are not going to switch to white just because it’s Christmas.  Now the traditional advice for matching a red wine with turkey would be in the opposite direction to that given for a white wine match..  Instead of a heavy wine you will usually be advised to go with a light red; Pinot Noir being the standard choice.  This holds true for many preparations of turkey.  However, if you are a Maritimer like me you grew up with a bread and potato stuffing spiced heavily with summer savory.  My plate on Christmas day will have lots of this very spicy stuffing smothered with rich, creamy gravy.   Thus, I can go with a heavy, spicy wine, even something like an Australian Shiraz.  Confused?  Don’t worry, just open any moderately expensive bottle and enjoy.

A very special bottle:  Generally speaking, and there are lots of exceptions, the more expensive the bottle the better the wine.  But the relationship is definitely not a linear one.  Thus If you find that a $ 20 bottle tastes twice as good as a $ 10 bottle it doesn’t follow that a $ 100 bottle will be twice as good as one costing $ 50.  Just maybe it will be slightly better.

Naturally we all seek a price point where we get the maximum value; expensive  enough to be good, but cheap enough to be affordable.    Most times I choose a $ 20 bottle and only occasionally go up to $ 50.  Going above that point I generally find only a very slight increase in quality.  In other words, although the quality of the wine may be a little better, its value is a lot worse.

This leads me to my one great exception.  A few years ago my son talked me into buying a bottle of Penfolds Grange (vintage 2005).  I paid $ 340 for the single bottle.   I then very carefully laid it away wondering what occasion would justify pulling the cork. 

Well this summer an occasion arose that led me to open this wine.   My wife of 51 years had returned home from 16 days in the hospital; 11 of them in intensive care, several of those days on life support.   And, she was on her way to a full recovery. 

Once Betty had reached the point in her slow recovery that she could appreciate a good wine I decided to open my one bottle of Penfolds (I checked online and the 2005 vintage was now selling for just under $ 800).  With great care I pulled the cork and very carefully poured four exactly evenly filled glasses.  My wife, my son, my daughter-in-law and I sniffed the glass, rolled a little of the wine over our tongues, sniffed again, and eventually swallowed the most expensive glass any of us had ever tasted.

So how was it?  Speaking only for myself I can state that I had never experienced a wine with such a long finish.  The wine had nuances of chocolate and tobacco, but then so do lots of wines.  It was the length of the aftertaste that made the biggest impression.  I can honestly say that I never had a better wine, even if I have had many, many bottles of greater value.

Now, of course, it’s back to $ 20 wine, and perhaps on Christmas Eve I’ll even uncork a bottle of the $ 50 stuff. 

Blush versus Rose:  Some claim that Blush and Rose are two names for the same thing.  Uh-uh!  Blush is a mixture of white and red wine.  On the other hand, rose is made from red grapes, where the skins are removed early in the fermintation process;  before the mash turns red.  Anyway, it’s the wrong season for either, so I’ll say no more.

Opimian Offering 245:  This offering primarily has wines from South Africa.  I almost never drink South African wine, having never found a bottle that I really liked.  Consequently most of the wines are not familiar to me and I shall not make any recommendations.    However, I shall be doing a wine tour of Stellenbosch on January 4 and just maybe this will change my assessment of South African wines.

WHINE # 70

Welcome Dr. Ron Sawchuk of Prior Lake, Minnesota and Dr. Monika Thabur of Antigonish, N.S. to the Whine.

MALBEC:   In my past blogs I have many times indicated my liking of Malbecs;  particularly those from Argentina.  Recently my friend Jim asked me why I liked a wine with such an awful name.  It had never occurred to me that Malbec might literally translate as “bad nose.”  Perhaps the worst thing one could say about a wine. 

Intrigued I did a google search and learned that the name may have come from a Hungarian peasant, named Malbeck, who travelled around France planting wines.  There was even a hint that he had been working for a Cornish spy, but only a hint.  

Malbec appears to have come originally from France , where it is usually called Cot.  Originally a blending wine it is now only grown in Cahors in the south of France.  Cot is generally not very good and quite inferior to its South American cousin    Malbec as a single varietal did not come into favour until it was planted in Argentina, where it has now flourished for over a century.

Although Malbec is typically called Cot in France, when it is exported to Canada it is labelled French Malbec or simply Malbec.  Obviously marketing is critical and Canadians are familiar with the name Malbec but not with Cot.  In any event, my advice to you is to stick to the wine from Argentina, it is much superior to the wine from Cahors.

WINES OF NOVA SCOTIA:   For a long time I have avoided drinking Canadian wines; particularly those from Ontario and from my home province of Nova Scotia.  Primarily I am a red wine drinker and most growing areas in Canada do not have enough days of warm sunshine to produce popular red varietals such as Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.  For example, for Cabernet grapes to ripen about 220 growing days are required.  In Nova Scotia in a good year we may get 190.

My anti-Canadian (and in particular anti-Nova Scotian) bias has been pointed out to me on several occasions, and in response I decided to try and be a little more objective and try to taste Nova Scotia wines with a more open mind.   This led to a short wine tour of the province (with a few stops for golf).  First stop was at the tiny Petite Riviere winery on the south shore.   The winery is currently owned by Antigonisher Sean Sears.  This winery offers exceptionally friendly tours and we ended up tasting 8 of the vineyards wines.  All were drinkable and the whites were particularly good.  Their Seyval Blanc, called Risser’s Breeze, I found particularly refreshing.

Wolfville Magic Winery Bus:  Most of Nova Scotian wineries are to found in the Annapolis Valley; not surprisingly since this area has the best weather.  A fabulous way to visit some of these wineries is to take the Magic Winery Bus.  This double-decker bus runs continuously on a loop through Wolfville, stopping at four different wineries.  One hops off, stays for an hour at a winery (or two hours if you are having lunch).  Hop back on and go to the next winery.    Two of the stops I particularly liked.   At Grand Pre Wineries there are beautiful vistas of the Annapolis Valley and the winery itself, including the restaurant, is very elegant.  Luckett’s winery is newer but also has great vistas of Cape Blomidon.  Lunch at Luckett’s is an experience not to be missed.  Not only is the food great, but the restaurant is outside (under a canopy) and the atmosphere is wonderful.

How good are Nova Scotian wines?  After tasting many different Nova Scotian wines this summer my conclusion is that the Reds are drinkable but not up to world standards.  On the other hand, Nova Scotia makes very good sparkling wines, excellent dry whites, and the ice wines are unexcelled.  Nova Scotia’s feature white  is called Tidal Bay.  Tidal Bay is Nova  Scotia’s only appellation wine.    In order to be called Tidal Bay each year a winemaker submits his/her wine to a tasting panel.    The wine must be a blend of specific varietals (including L’Acadie Blanc, Vidal and Seyval) and cannot contain more than 11 per cent alcohol.  Tidal Bay wines are crisp and light, but with lots of flavour.  My favorite is the one made by Grand Pre, which incidentally won gold this year as the best Tidal Bay.

Beaujolais Nouveau:   Once a year I feel the need to remind you of a wine to avoid.  Each November you will find large displays of Beaujolais Nouveau at your local wine outlet.  Don’t be fooled by this famous marketing ploy.  Beaujolais Nouveau is a thin, slightly acidic wine that won’t hold up to any food match and isn’t very nice for sipping.  This is not to say that there are not very tasty Beaujolais, there are, just not this one.

Travel Blog:  Some of you know that I have two blogs; this one on wine, and a blog on travel.  My travel blog is written and posted only when a trip (usually a cruise) is being taken.  Thus, I have not made a posting in some time, but in January and early February Betty and I will be visiting South Africa and a number of countries along the eastern side of that continent.  We will also be crossing the Indian Ocean to the sub-continent and beyond.  If any of you Whiners are interested in reading my travel blog please let me know and I’ll add your e-mail address to the distribution list so that you are notified when a travel blog is posted.

Opimian Offering 244:  The first offering of the season features wines from Australian and New Zealand.  Although pricey I recommend 8800 Briar Ridge Old Vines Shiraz.  Slightly more moderately priced are 8827 GMH Meritage and 8844 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz.  In any event my recommendation is to stick to Shiraz.  Although there are other good wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, from Downunder, nobody makes better Shiraz than those from Oz.

WHINE # 69

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy wine and that’s kind of the same thing.”

END OF SEASON:   As I indicated in earlier blogs my Whines are posted to coincide with offerings of the Opimian Society.  As Opimian 243 is the last offering of the season I shall not be writing further blogs until mid-fall.  I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the past season of Whines and thank you very much for reading them.

WINES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST:  It’s now been 40 years since Steven Spurrier shattered the wine world with his famous blind comparison of the wines of Napa Valley with the best wines of France (see Whine 59).  Since 1976 the United States has become the fourth largest producer of wines in the world, and Californian wines are now considered by many to be the very best in the world. 

It is easy to assume that in the U.S. only California makes good wine.  In fact there are many other states that now take wine making very seriously.  Two of those states are Oregon and Washington.  Oregon, of course, lies north of California and the climate is considerably cooler.  For that reason Oregon, the fourth largest producer in the U.S., has specialized in cool weather varietals.  Some of the world’s best Pinot Noirs come from Oregon.

North of Oregon lies the state of Washington which has 43,000 acres of vines under cultivation.  It is second only to California in terms of production.  Washington wines are exported to 40 different countries. The major wine-growing area lies east of the Cascade Mountains in an area of shrub-steppes.  The climate is much warmer than that of Oregon, where the grapes are grown on the Pacific side of the Cascades.  Washington’s wine growing area is essentially a desert and during the growing season it has two hours more sunshine per day than does the Napa Valley.  Combined with hot daytime sunshine and cold nights the climate is ideal for growing grapes.  In addition, the soils are perfect with centuries of volcanic deposits.

It comes, then, as no surprise that Washington produces warm weather wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

My personal experience with Washington wines has been very, very positive.  Nonetheless, these wines are not always easy to find.  In Nova Scotia the Port in Halifax is currently featuring 2014 Charles and Charles Cabernet/Shiraz for $ 17.99.  Some stores in Ontario offer a 2012 Steven Falls Cabernet for under $ 20 (this wine is highly recommended by my Toronto son).  For those who like to cruise, Oceania always seems to feature Washington wine on its ships.

COOKING WITH WINE:   How often have you heard the statement “if you won’t drink it, don’t cook with it?”  This is plain silly.  While wine definitely improves most foods during cooking, particularly meats and fish, most of the subtlety of fine wine is lost during the cooking.  During cooking several things happen to the wine, the main ones being the concentration of acids and the boiling off of the alcohol.

The primary thing that happens to food when cooked with wine is the enhanced flavours that the wine acids bring out in the food.  So cooking with an acidic wine such as Chianti (which I almost always refuse to drink) is a good thing.  Secondly, a highly tannic, oaky wine (such as one of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignons) may actually add a “chalky” taste to the meat.  Thus here is another reason to ignore the above statement about only cooking with what you would like to drink. 

Wines also vary in alcohol content, but as the alcohol disappears during the cooking it doesn’t really matter what wine you choose in terms of alcohol content.  I should point out that this only happens if the wine is added early in the process.  Adding wine near the end of the cooking period, where the alcohol doesn’t have time to boil off, may be a bad thing.  Finally, like the acid in a wine, sugars in a wine also concentrate during cooking.  Thus, if you want to add a slightly sweet taste to what you are cooking use a sherry rather than a table wine.  One of my favorite dishes is beef short ribs braised in a sherry sauce.  Here a medium dry sherry is best as a sweet sherry will add too much sugar.

In sum up; add a $ 12 wine to your favorite sauce and save your $ 30 wine for the glass that sits next to the dinner plate.

AFTER DINNER DRINKS:  If you snoop in your friends cupboards you will no doubt find several bottles of sweet liquors.  No doubt these were gifts from friends who thought they were being kind. 

Most of us probably enjoy a sweet dessert after a nice meal.  That doesn’t mean, however, that the crème caramel or apple pie needs to be accompanied by a sweet drink.  In fact chocolate probably goes best with a nice tannic wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon.  And, in my opinion the very best finish to a fine meal is a quality brandy such as Cognac, or my favorite, Armagnac.  As far as brandies go, you can’t beat the French.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 243:  Since this offering has wines from both Washington State and from Oregon I’d like to be able to make recommendations.  However, I have not tried most of the wines listed and at very high prices I can’t really suggest that you buy any.  Similarly the California offerings are also extremely pricey and the few that are offered in affordable range I have not found to my taste.

In Whine # 67 I predicted higher prices for American wines because of the relative position of the Canadian dollar.  Perhaps that explains the terribly high prices in Offering 243.  If, on the other hand, you really want to order something, the one recommendation that I am willing to make is 8729 Castoro Cellars Zinfandel.  I have found this Zin to be very drinkable.

WHINE # 68

GLASS CORKS:   A few weeks ago we happened across a very nice restaurant in Cornwall, Ontario (Caso Paolo Ristorante Italiano is well worth a visit).  To accompany our meals of parmigiana I ordered an inexpensive Sicilian Syrah (this Cusamano is also worth a try).  To my surprise the bottle came with a glass cork; the first I had ever seen.

From trusty Google I learned that glass corks were developed in Germany about a decade ago as an alternative to screw tops.  Designed to look like decanter stoppers these glass corks have a plastic O-ring which provides a tight seal, and allows the wine to be easily re-sealed should one not finish the bottle.

Apparently they are used in some German and Austrian wines (which is perhaps why I didn’t discover them before) and have also been tried by a few American wine producers.  In the United States they did not catch on and have been more-or-less abandoned.  This is unfortunate as they look very elegant and have no disadvantages that I can tell.

I KNOW WHAT I LIKE:    We’ve all heard someone say (or we’ve said it ourselves):  “I don’t know much about this but I do know what I like.”  This could refer to art, or to music, or even to wine.  At first reflection this seems like a silly statement, but is it really?  For example wines vary along many dimensions such as acid level, level of tannin, and of course the amount of alcohol.  So someone may like their wines to be thick and heavy whereas someone else may prefer their wines to be light-tasting.  Neither person may realize that they are reacting to the alcohol level in the wine.  Similarly someone may like the dried-puckered feeling in the mouth that comes from a good dose of tannin.  Meanwhile another may like the fruity-flavour that tends to come through with a younger wine without much tannin.

If you are someone who does know what you like, then it is an easy step to realize that certain grapes produce light wine (Gamay and Pinot Noir), and other grapes are generally found in heavier wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz).  Similarly, if you like a wine with a bit of an acidic bite then northern Italian wines may be for you.  If you like your wines to be thick and chewy (high alcohol content) then New World wines, particularly from California or Argentina, may be what you are seeking.  Generally speaking French wines will give you the opposite sense in your mouth.
 

If you read my blogs regularly you know that I am interested in matching wines to the food that I am eating.  It should be noted, however, that it is even more important to choose a wine that matches your taste preferences.  In other words, pick a wine that you know you like and don’t worry about what food it is going to accompany.

SOUTH AMERICAN 2014 VINTAGE:   A reader wrote that he was finding Chilean wines to be not as good as he remembered.  After an exchange of e-mails I found that he was complaining about the 2014’s.  Checking my wine diary I confirmed that I am still drinking 11’s and 12’s and had only drunk one 2014 (it was poor but a wine I hadn’t had before).

It turns out that 2014 was a difficult year for both Chile and Argentina, as late frosts destroyed somewhere between 30 and 70 per cent of the grape crops.  However, many reviewers maintain that the remaining grapes that were harvested were of high quality.  That doesn’t match with the above observation.

On the other hand, I can’t help wondering about how the supply was maintained when perhaps half the crop was lost.  Is it possible that for some or many of the less expensive brands grapes were used that might otherwise have been discarded or gone into bulk wines?  This could explain both of the above observations.  In any event I would love to hear from any of you who are Chilean drinkers.  What do you think of the 2014’s?

WINES FOR SUMMER:   As the warm weather approaches it is time to ease off on the Merlots and the Chardonnays that you have been drinking all winter and choose some very light wines for sipping; and, some very heavy wines to accompany barbecued meat.

Nothing beats a well-chilled beer on a hot afternoon, but a close second can be a low alcohol wine that is icy cold.  My preference is a Vinho Verde from Portugal because first it is crackling and second it contains only about 9.5% alcohol.  Another good choice would be a French rose which is lighter than most other roses.  If you are more traditional, then the grapes of choice should be Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  If you must sip a red wine on a hot day, then try a slightly chilled Pinot.

On the other hand, once you fired up the grill you need to switch from very light wines to very heavy wines that can stand up to the high protein meats that have been heavily spiced.  A Bordeaux or a Burgundy simply won’t do.  For a medium rare steak nothing beats a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa or Sonoma.  If your supper happens to be spicy pork ribs then there is no choice other than an Australian Shiraz.  Finally, if you are simply grilling burgers then go for a good Malbec from Argentina; not a $ 12 one, rather go for one in the $ 16 - $ 20 range.

CELLAR OFFERING 242:  2015 is claimed to have been the best year in Burgundy since 2005.  For this reason, but only if you have very deep pockets you might consider ordering one of the Pinots that are featured.  On the other hand, should you be of lesser means my recommendation would be either the 8683 Corbieres or the 8704 Chateau Canet Minervois Rouge.

Trivia

WHINE # 67

TRIVIA:  I thought I’d be a little lighter in this Whine and pass on some little known facts that relate to wine drinking.  So let’s start with who drinks the most wine.  If you guessed the French or the Italians, try again.  The per capita consumption of wine is greatest by far in the Vatican, where the consumption per person is 76 liters per year.  Now that is a lot of communion wine.

Of course it comes as no surprise that the consumption of alcoholic beverages ranges greatly from country to country.  Also, there is wide variation in what types of beverages are the preferred drinks.  In terms of total consumption of alcohol Belarus (not counting the 800 citizens of the Vatican) tops the list, followed by Moldova, Lithuania and Russia.  At the other end of the scale Pakistan has the least per capita consumption, followed closely by Mauritania, Libya, Kuwait and Bangladesh.  Canada comes in at 40^th, slightly ahead of the United States.  Canadians, of course, love their beer, with more than half of our alcohol consumption coming in cans, glass bottles or on tap.  Only 22% of our alcohol comes in wine bottles.

In terms of preference for wine over other drinks Equatorial Guinea tops the list at 72%, followed by Italy at 66%. The beer champions live in Namibia with 97% of their alcohol consumption in the form of various beers.  This is followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina at 73%.  Now, if you prefer spirits you should find yourself right at home In Haiti where 99% of all alcohol is in the form of spirits.

SOME OTHER FACTS:  Of all the books in the Bible, the only Old Testament book with no reference to wine is the Book of Jonah.

Women make better wine tasters than men, as on average they have a better sense of smell.

One should never fill a wine glass more than 1/3^rd full to allow the aromas to collect (and so as not to make a mess when you swirl your glass).

The number one fruit crop in the world is wine grapes.

Plato believed that the minimum drinking age should be 18, after which one should drink in moderation.  However, he also believed that men over 40 should be allowed to drink as much as they wanted in order to cure the “crabbedness of old age.”

When checking the vintage on a bottle of wine remember that grapes in the southern hemisphere are picked in what is our spring.  Thus, for example, a 2014 Argentinian wine is already a ½ year older than a 2014 French wine.

Finally, the Code of Hammurabi which formed the basis of Babylonian law in Mesopotamia around 1800 B.C. set many precedents for future generations.  For example, it contained the concept of “an eye for an eye”; it established the principle of “presumed innocence”; and it was the first code to mention a “minimum wage.”  However, my favorite was an included law that declared that fraudulent wine sellers “were to be drowned in a river.”

WINE PRICES GOING FORWARD:    There are many factors determining the price of wine including marketing decisions, taxes, reputation and quality of the particular wine, and, of course overall inflation.  However, in Canada we import most of our wine, so an important additional factor is exchange rates with various currencies.

We all know that the Canadian dollar has recently dropped dramatically following the downward plunge of world oil prices.  Four years ago our dollar was equivalent to the American dollar and now a Loonie is only worth ¾ of a greenback.  In both countries inflation is relatively low so we should expect rising prices for those wonderful Cabernets from Napa or Sonoma.

Sometimes, however, we focus too closely on American currency and don’t compare our dollars to other currencies, in this case with those countries that send us our favorite wines.

For those who like Old World wines we need to look at the Euro.  Here our dollar has also declined in value but not nearly as dramatically as against the US dollar.  In 2012 a Loonie got one about .78 Euros, in 2014 about .64 Euros, and currently about .68 Euros.  So prices of French, Italian, and Spanish wines should also increase.

Nonetheless the news is not all bad.  Our dollar has slightly gained against the Chilean Peso and against the Australian dollar.  Since inflation in Australia matches that in Canada we shouldn’t expect much change in the price of our favorite Shiraz.  Similarly inflation in Chile is only slightly higher than ours so again I would not predict much change in the price of Chilean wine.

Argentina, however, is in financial crisis.  Inflation is running at about 33% and at the same time the Peso has plummeted.  A dollar now gets about 12 pesos, up from 8 pesos in 2014 and 4 pesos in 2012.  Whether or not we see declining prices for Malbec in future, we certainly should not see price increases.  For those of us who love Malbec this is good news.

Finally, the other major wine producing country that is in financial difficulty is South Africa.  Today the Rand is worth a little more than ½ of what is bought in 2012.  Pinotage will remain a relatively inexpensive wine.

In conclusion it looks like 2016 will be the year to drink wines from the southern hemisphere.

QUOTES:  “Beer is made by men, wine by God.”  Martin Luther circa 1500

“Always drink some wine before you cook with it.  Nothing to do with the flavour, it just numbs the fear of cooking.”  Unknown

CELLAR OFFERING C241:  This time all the wines are French.  If you like subtle, flavourful, but relatively thin wines, and if you have deep pockets then you should find some great wines for cellaring. 

8599 Cremant de Bourgogne is a very interesting wine for those who find they prefer Champagne over Cava or Prosecco but can’t really justify the cost.  Cremant de Bourgogne tastes very much like Champagne but costs about half the price.  Still more expensive than Spanish Cava, it is almost affordable.

8603 Brouilly is one of the nine villages of Beaujolais and definitely a step up from ordinary Beaujolais or even Beaujolais Villages.

8609 Chateau Maillard  Graves is a wine I don’t know but was surprised at the relatively low price.  Possibly worth a try.

8616 Hortevie Saint Julien is a very nice wine.  On the other hand a bottle will cost you the equivalent of 3 bottles of very good Argentinian Malbec.  I suggest that if you order a case you don’t let your partner see the credit card slip.

 

 

WHINE # 66

Wines from the South of Italy 

After leading the world in wine production for most of the past decade in 2014 Italy dropped into second place (behind France).  Italy is also second in terms of wine exports; this time slipping behind Spain.  To the surprise of some, France’s exports have slipped to third.

Italy, of course, has been making wine for more than 4,000 years and over that time it has developed a huge number of indigenous varietals; perhaps as many as 2,000.  As a relatively large country, that more-or-less runs North-South, Italy covers 10 parallels (from the 36^th to the 46^th).  For that reason there is considerable variation in temperatures and rainfall.  Temperature and length of growing season both influence the varietals that can be successfully grown as well as the style of wines.  In cooler climates wines tend to be lower in alcohol and higher in acidity.  Hotter climates tend to produce wines with more tannins.

For most of the modern age, wines from Northern Italy were much better known both inside and outside Italy, and they commanded, and still command, much higher prices.  The best known wines come from regions such as Veneto (Amarone made from the Corvina grape being the most famous), Piedmonte (Barolo from the Nebbiolo grape is considered to be one of Italy’s top wines) and, of course the best known Sangioviese grape of Tuscany (from which is made Brunello di Montalcino and Vino nobile de Montepulciano).  Chianti is also made from Sangiovese, but only some Chianti’s are of decent quality.

On the other hand, it was long believed that the South of Italy could not produce quality wines.  In fact, for a long time the wines of Southern Italy were not very good.  In part this was a self-fulfilling prophecy as producers in the south aimed for quantity over quality.  For many years bulk wines from Southern Italy were shipped north to be used in blends, giving body to their thinner Northern cousins.  The grapes were grown on small farms and were then sent to politically run and sometimes outright corrupt co-operatives.  Additionally, not so many years ago Bordeaux and Burgundy were considered to make the world’s best wine.  Thus, there may have been a preference or bias against the wines of Southern Italy which were more robust with higher alcohol content.  

As wine laws strengthened and became more rigorously enforced the market for bulk wines declined.  For the past three decades or so Southern Italian wine producers have increased the quality of their wines to the point that today there are readily available high quality wines that sell for very reasonable prices.  This is partly due to the decline of the co-operatives and partly due to the increase of foreign ownership which brought investment monies for equipment, expertize, etc.

In any event, if we ignore history and historical biases and only look at wines in 2016, we would perhaps come to the conclusion that the best value Italian wines are not from the North but from the sunny South.  Of course, this statement is made by someone who likes big, bold, high alcohol wines.

Below I shall give a brief description of some of the major wine producing areas of Southern Italy.  Each area produces many different varietals but I shall describe only the ones that are best known for each area.  Almost all of these wines can be purchased for less than $ 20, which makes them high value.

ABRUZZO:   This isolated region lies due east of Rome and for that reason may perhaps be described as being part of Central Italy rather than being truly part of Southern Italy.  Nonetheless I’ll include Abruzzo in this list because it is a huge producer of wine (almost twice as much as Tuscany) and its most famous wine, Montepulciano, has all the characteristics of wines from further south.  Montepulciano has an alcohol content of 14% or more and the wine is dark, fragrant and softly tannic.  It is capable of aging and is a great wine to accompany spicy foods.  It must be noted, however, that Montepulciano is a completely different wine than the Tuscan wine Brunello di Montepulciano.  In the case of the Tuscan wine the grape is Sangiovese, the name coming from the Tuscan town of origin.  Montepulicano di Abruzzo is a wine made from the Montepulciano grape.  The Tuscan wine costs three times the Abruzzo wine and is much lighter and more acidic, exemplifying the characteristics of Northern Italian wines.

CAMPANIA AND BASILICATA:   The region around Naples (Campania) and the isolated and underpopulated region between the toe and the boot of Italy (Basilicata) compete for being the home of one of the Italy’s best grapes (Aglianico).  This grape was brought to Basilicata by the Greeks around 600 B.C.  It was thought to have healing powers, and in 212 B.C. Hannibal sent his troops to Vulture in Basilicata to restore their strength by imbibing in this wine.

Aglianico is a black grape that produces wine that is high in both tannins and acids.  For that reason Aglianico can be rough in its youth, but if aged a few years becomes one of the Italy’s finest wines, giving hints of tar and coffee.  Unfortunately, the production of Aglianico is relatively small.  For example there are more than 10 times as many acres of Sangiovese planted than Aglianico.  For that reason some of the best (e.g. Aglianico del Vulture) command higher prices than other wines of the South.  For example, various Agliancios range in price in LCBO stores from $16 to $ 36.

Nonetheless, it is well worth seeking this fabulous wine and laying down a few bottles.

PUGLIA:  The heel of Italy’s boot is a region called Puglia (do not pronounce the “g”) and this area exclusively produces two inexpensive wines that are worth mentioning.  Both are widely planted.  Negroamara (meaning black and bitter) is a big tannic wine that needs spicy, heavy food.  Nonetheless, it is very cheap and can be a very drinkable “plonc” to enjoy with your summer barbeque.  However, it is not a sipping wine to serve your 90 year-old aunt.  The other wine of Puglia is Primitivo, which once was thought to be the origin of California Zinfandel.  It turns out that the origin plants for Zin did not come from Puglia, yet there is a close genetic relationship between Zin  and Primitivo.  This soft, but spicy and slightly acidic, wine is a great substitute for its more expensive California cousin.

SICILY:  I have twice visited this beautiful island and provided you don’t try to drive yourself I recommend it to any tourist.  The indigenous wine of Sicily is Nero d’Avola and this grape is now planted far beyond Sicily.  The wine is dark and well-structured and reminds many of Syrah.  Nero’s have a wide range of prices, but even at the lower end these wines are worth a try.

PETER MONDAVI:  The wine world recently lost one of its great innovators.  Peter Mondavi (brother of Robert Mondavi) managed the Charles Krug winery for many years and was responsible for vintage-dating varietal wines and was the first in California to import French oak barrels.  He attributed his longevity (he lived to 101) to good genes, hard work, pasta Bolognese and daily Cabernet Sauvignon.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 240:  This offering has lots of high-priced wines from Northern Italy but in keeping with the theme of this Whine I shall restrict my recommendation to just one wine:

8568 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, DOC, Corsi, 2014.