Wine with Leslie: don't be afraid to be sweet - especially with this €8 Portuguese white at Aldi
"Perhaps ‘afraid’ is the wrong word but I know that mention of even a touch of sweetness in wine and many people stop listening."
My question this week is why are so many seasoned wine drinkers afraid of sweetness? Perhaps ‘afraid’ is the wrong word but I know that mention of even a touch of sweetness in wine and many people stop listening.
Now don’t worry, I am not advocating a return to the world of sickly Liebfraumilch that was probably the first taste of wine for anyone over 45. It was certainly my first taste - that stolen sip one Christmas Day back in the late 1970s when I was around half the legal drinking age.
The likes of Black Tower and Blue Nun are still around but most people under 40 have never tasted them yet their legacy lingers on - perhaps as race memory. The problem was not with their sweetness of course it was with their lack of balance as they had almost no acidity and tasted more of gripe-water than wine.
This week, I am encouraging you to try wine with a touch of residual sugar (what we call any sugar left in wine after the fermentation).
In a grape with lots of acidity such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc you might not even notice the sweetness but you will notice how the acidity is present but in harmony with the fruit.
You might be surprised to learn that many a New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon have residual sugar (usually 3-4%) - but the intense natural acidity in the grape and the cool climate and ferment means nobody notices.
The Mosel in Germany is the best place to try wines with sugar and acidity in perfect balance.
Not much makes it to Ireland but it is worth seeking out - it is one of the greatest wine regions in the world after all. Its steep south-facing slopes catch all the sun and the reflection from the river also plays a role - the slopes are so steep that vineyard workers sometimes tether themselves. Watch for Fritz Haag, Markus Moliter, Bender Paulessen and Dr. Loosen.
Selections this week include an Aldi bargain, one Mosel wine plus some other Germanic grapes with balanced fruit and acidity.
The exception perhaps is the Gewurztraminer which has lower acidity but such perfumed exoticism that I challenge you not to fall for it.
Try a glass of Gewurztraminer with dressed crab on toast or on its own with a bowl of smoked almonds or after dinner with some strong cheese, you never know you might just catch the Gewurz bug.
This is new to Aldi and from the high quality Arinto grape. This has a sister wine made from Alvarinho (Albariño) which is rounder, riper and drier for €8.99 - but I think this is a bit more fun. Classic Vinho Verde is lighter in alcohol (this is 11.5%) and has a touch of spritz. This has tropical fruits and lively zing and a pleasing lively prickle on the tongue.
Mosel Riesling is rare enough here but even rarer at this price point. Ripe aromas of melon, sweet apples and lime with a touch of residual sugar balanced by clean zingy acidity. Suitable as an aperitif while someone else minds the barbecue or try with a cheese plate - ripe wines like this are the perfect foil for salty cheese. The drier Selbach ‘Incline' (€14.95) is also worth a try.
I mentioned the Baer Riesling last Autumn as it won a Silver Medal at the NOffLA Awards - probably the best value riesling around. This is a sister wine which is a little fuller and softer with quince and yellow apple aromas, melon and pear flavours and good weight and balance. Also watch for their light fruity Pinot Noir
Based in Dahlenheim just west of Strasbourg, Mélanie Pfister is the 8th generation making wine in this family owned estate. This wine would normally retail for €37 but with WineSpark membership (€10 per month) it costs much less. A blend of Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer this is floral, fragrant and layered with exotic lychee and rose scents, a rounded full palate and a hit of clean fresh acidity on the finish.
From cool, rainy, Pacific influenced Bio Bio in Southern Chile on red clay soils rich in minerals. This has some residual sugar at 7g per litre but this touch of sweetness is balanced by intense acidity. Fragrant preserved lemon and lime aromas, fruity and full flavoured with lemon oil richness balanced by zingy lime acidity and a salty tang.
I’ve been drinking Trimbach Gewurz almost as long as I’ve been drinking wine but strangely I’m not sure I have ever featured it here besides passing mentions. Rose petals, turkish delight and lychee aromas, weight and texture on the palate with a beguiling tropical fruit intensity and a touch of acidity on the finish. A perfect match for spicy and aromatic Asian dishes or with cheese or shellfish. Almost all Alsace Gewurztraminer is recommended.
Whiplash beers are some of the most creative and consistent around and you can taste them at the Franciscan Well ‘Not So Easter’ Festival on the North Mall this weekend - Saturday is the last day. The Fidelity Beer Festival on 15-16 July is also coming up but may be sold out by now.
This is one of three new specials from Whiplash (there is also a Grisette and a DIPA). Single hopped with Cascade and pouring a frothy dusky pale gold. Aromas of lemon, citrus, grapefruit with floral and tropical touches. Fruity and round on the palate with a sitka spruce and tangerine tang perfect for Summer.
