Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission for purchases made through links on this page.
.
Wine, like many other pursuits, can slip into the mundane at times, but you can remedy that by expanding your wine horizons and stepping into the unknown. With an estimated 10,000 varieties of vinifera growing on the planet, there seem to be options for every culinary whim and quest. Do you have the chardonnay blahs? How about a crisp glass of pecorino or trebbiano spoletino (both from Italy)? Tired of getting your palate slapped with cabernet and shiraz? Perhaps a Spanish mencía enjoys a flank steak and grilled peppers. Greece produces excellent wines from grapes that I still can’t pronounce, but that won’t stop me from drinking them. The bottom line is that there are very few countries on earth that don’t grow grapes and don’t make wine. It may come as a surprise to some that China is now the world’s largest grape producing country and to be fair some of them are very good (I’d like to think the ethics of growing grapes in China are better than others Chinese industry factions, but I don’t know if this is a fact). We are going to explore.
Announcement 2
.
When we think of old world wine regions, France, Italy and Spain come to mind, but Georgia is considered to be the birthplace of wine, with evidence of its production dating back to 6000 BC. Eastern European countries, in general, have a long history of wine production, but volumes are small relative to the Big Three. We don’t see much wine from the Czech Republic, for example, but a young winemaker named Milan Nestarec has built a cult following for his natural approach. His website states that his venture is not a winery but ideas that are represented through wine. El’s 2020 Nach (which translates to purple) is a blend of Pinot Noir, Blaufrankisch, and St. Laurent that has become much the same as it was in Georgia thousands of years ago. He uses a small amount of sulfur in his export wines so they can survive the journey across the ocean, but other than that, it’s raw. It is presented in a one liter bottle with a crown cap and the message is simple; relax, pop, drink. It sounds strange, but red grape flavors are rarely used to describe red wines, but this one is very grapey, along with some hints of cranberry juice and cherry (which is why I like it chilled).
Announcement 3
.
When it comes to supporting Ukraine, even the smallest gestures can make a difference. Kolonist wines are on our market, and the proceeds go to the Ukrainian relief fund. A gentleman by the name of Carl Steinke (Old Country Wines) has imported them into Alberta, and you can find them at numerous retailers around town for around $27 a bottle. Ukraine had a small but thriving wine culture, until Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol measures severely curbed it in the 1980s, but few remain. The red is made from Odessa black, a hybrid that displays a heart of cherry/blueberry frit with some notes of pipe tobacco, while the white partner, sukholymanskyi bily (the name of the grape), displays notes of lime, quince and lychee in a heart. of white stone fruits.
Announcement 4
.
Italy is home to hundreds of grape varieties that stretch far beyond what we tend to see on our shelves. Take the white pecorino grape, for example. It may share its name with a famous sheep’s milk cheese, but the similarities end there. Its beginnings are likely to originate in the Marche and Abruzzi regions, but plantings extend beyond those areas. It is an old variety that normally shows a good vein of salinity through its mineral/citrus core, making it ideal for shellfish. There are some in our market; Belisario is one I’ve been enjoying recently and it just so happens to be a great pairing with bouillabaisse.
Hungary has a vibrant wine culture, but outside of its famous sweet wine, Tokaji, we don’t see much more than a few dried versions of the furmint grape (the grape also used to produce Tokaji). Earlier this month, I tasted a delicious red made from kadarka, an indigenous red grape found in both Hungary and Bulgaria. It is estimated that only 700 hectares of this grape are grown worldwide, making it a rarity without a doubt. Hungarian producer Heimann-Szekszard makes a beautiful example of this wine, a lighter-bodied red that was anything but light in flavor. He reminded me of a high quality Beaujolais, with some spicy notes of blueberries and raspberries backed by bright, lively acidity. You should be able to find it for around $27 at select stores.
ad 5
.
Spain has become a trusted source for high-quality wines that won’t break the bank, and some of my favorites lately come courtesy of Mencía, a grape native to the Iberian Peninsula (it’s known as Jaén in Portugal). Mencía develops high levels of terpenoids that give it an intense aroma of red fruits and liquorice. The wine, which is a herald of the Bierzo region of Spain, can be turned into powerful reds with a lot of concentration and grip, which makes them ideal for cellaring or as a companion to beef and game meats. I hosted a Spanish tasting a few weeks ago and the Domino de Tares Cepas Viejas Mencía ($35) was a big hit, a strong wine that developed nicely after being decanted for about an hour.
The wine route less traveled can be full of tasty wine discoveries, so pull off the highway and check out those backroads. Getting lost isn’t always bad. Health!
Looking for wine in Alberta? Go to www.liquorconnect.com
Geoff Last is a long-time Calgary wine merchant writer, instructor, and broadcaster. He can be heard every Friday on CJSW’s Road Pops show between 4-6 pm He was awarded a scholarship at the Napa Valley Professional Wine Writers Symposium for articles that have appeared in this column. Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected]
