Wine with Leslie: How to shop 'local' — wherever you are in the world
Barrel of wine from Majorca, Balearic islands, Spain
I’m off to Spain on my holliers like many of you so this week I want to remind you to drink local when you get there. I’m recently returned from a trip to the Balearics and from Madrid Fusión, the annual gastronomy conference which brings together the best of Spanish food and wine.
The talks from chefs and producers at Madrid Fusión were informative but I confess I spent more of my time tasting my way around the stalls discovering new wines and even a new Sherry producer: Bodegas Leona (I adored their floral creamy Manzanilla and nutty, complex Oloroso).
While on Mallorca and Menorca I dined extremely well on local black pigs served as jamón, grilled and served pink and succulent, and of course as sausages not unlike the ones Jack McCarthy makes. The local black pigs are also used for sobrassada — a sort of soft chorizo that is gorgeous on crunchy bread drizzled with a bit of local olive oil. All this was perfectly matched by the Mallorcan wine.
While some Mallorcan producers are following the oak-driven approach (as in Rioja) and growing Syrah and Cabernet, the best wines I tasted were from native Mallorcan grapes grown that seem better adapted to the climate and the red iron-rich ‘Vermell’ limestone soils.
Grapes to watch for are Callet, Fogoneu and Manto-Negra which seem to be interrelated. The wines from these three grapes are bright, fruity and supple and would work well served a little cooler — they also tend to be a little lower in alcohol, a rare thing these days.
I mention two Mallorcan producers here — from Celtic Whiskey Shop and Vinostito plus a wine from Tenerife. All the Canary islands make wine so eschew Rioja and Ribera and ask for something local.
Bodegas Mustuguillo ‘Mestizaje’ is also suggested — Mustiguillo is a Bobal focused estate near Valencia which specialises in organic old vine Bobal grown at altitude (800m). The estate was granted Pago status in 2010 3 one of only 19 in the country. Think of a Pago as the Spanish equivalent of a Grand Cru Monopole such as Romanée Conti or Château Grillet. It is initiatives like this and the renewed focus on terroir and local grapes that will see Spain continue to thrive and intrigue and we should pay close attention.
New Zealand Consumer Wine Fair — more than 100 wines to taste. Monday, May 9, 6.30-8.30, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dublin 8. Tickets: €20 available online at Eventbrite.
Stockists: JJ O’Driscolls, O’Donovans, No.21 Off-Licences, Vintry, wineonline.ie
From the cooler Rias Baixas sub-region of Salnés, the most Atlantic influenced of the 5 sub-regions. This is from a progressive co-op and great value given with proper cool climate Albariño flavour. Peach, lemon and melon aromas, textured pear and peach fruits on the palate, zingy and crisp with a tang of saline freshness on the finish.
Stockist: Celtic Whiskey Shop Dublin and Killarney celticwhiskeyshop.com
This is from the much lauded Mustiguillo winery which was the first Pago of Valencia (Pago El Terrerazo) — the Spanish equivalent of a ‘Grand Cru’ Monopole. This is 72% Bobal (plus Syrah and Garnacha) and pours with a bright purple hue and aromas of herbal tinged berry fruits — juicy and fruit-driven with taut red fruits on the palate and not a little elegance.
Stockists: JJ O Driscolls, World Wide Wines, Martins, Independents.
I featured this producer’s Monastrell in the past but not their Garnacha: both are worth trying. Tempranillo might be the icon grape of Spain but Garnacha should not be overlooked. From 30-40-year-old vines grown at altitude, this pours a deep garnet and has spicy red and darker fruit aromas with a bright, herbal tinged fruit-driven palate — perfect for pizza or paella.
Stockists: Clontarf Wines, Red Island Wines, Martins Fairview, Baggot St. Wines, Celtic Whiskey Shop celticwhiskeyshop.com
One of my favourite Spanish wines — made from biodynamically grown Mallorcan grapes Callet and Montonegro-Fogoneu. Dark ruby hue with herbal red fruit aromas mixed with leather and spice. Elegant and supple on the palate with complex minerality and layered berry fruits.
A step up to the black label Àn 2016 (€35) will give even more elegance, purity and complexity.
Stockists: Green Man Wines, Liliput Stores, Lilieth, Loose Canon, Station to Station stationtostationwine.ie
This estate has just 15ha and the owners originally worked with Ànima-Negra. This is 100% Callet, a dark-skinned but lower alcohol grape (this is 11% abv). From organic grapes and with no added sulphur this has bright juicy red fruit aromas, cherry and strawberry fruits, a supple and soft palate and would make a perfect lunch or picnic wine.
Stockists: Ardkeen Stores, Deveneys deveneys.ie, Green Man Wines greenmanwines.ie, On The Grapevine, Clontarf Wines, Kellys.
Envínate translates as ‘wine yourself’ (I approve!) — old vine untrained Listan Prieto (País) grapes are sourced from volcanic slopes and vinified primarily in neutral concrete with finishing in barriques. Bright red fruits with pink peppercorn hints, bright and supple with lively crunchy red fruits and a pleasing volcanic mineral freshness on the finish.
Stockists: Bradleys, Worldwide Wines, Carryout Tramore, Independents, celticwhiskeyshop.ie, eganswhiskey.com
P&H Egan Whiskey was created in 2013 by descendants of Egan’s Brewery and Distillery in Tullamore (now The Bridge House Hotel). Conviction is their latest release and won Best Blended Whiskey at the World Whiskey Awards 2022. A blend of Single Malt and Single Grain whiskey aged in Bourbon Cask for 10 years and finished in XO Cognac casks.
I have a weakness for Cognac finished whiskey and this is a very solid example. Sweet honey aromas with caramel, vanilla and dried fruit notes: creamy honey hits the palate first followed by marzipan and apricots and the finish has a pleasing kick of cloves and nutmeg.
