Chablis AOC 2010
Doesn’t it strike you as odd that we rarely if ever pause to ask what variety of apples were used to make that apple tart in the fridge (or the apple juice for that matter) or where were they grown?
I don’t think these are cranky, food-obsessive questions.
To help put it in context, why not view it all through wine-coloured glasses?
And as you reach for a glass of your favourite wine — say an austere New Zealand sauvignon blanc, or that nice soft Italian pinot grigio — it may strike you as ironic that we often know far more about wines made half a world away than what’s being grown a few kilometres from our own homes.
I find it startling to see the contrast between how fluent we are in delights of terroir (the unique land and climate grape vines) and cépage (the particular varietals of grape grown on it) of our wine; while apparently happily oblivious to Ireland’s own basic products (milk, fruit, meat and more) and the spin-off deli items such as cheese, cider, beer and much more.
Far from being of only narrow, atavistic interest, these ancient Irish food-preserving traditions have more in common with well-made wine than they do with processed, anonymous food — and are every bit as brilliant and precious as the best of the wine world.
Which is why wine fans are swapping stemware for half-pint glasses for the nationwide Irish Craft Beer Week (irishcraftbeerfestival.com) culminating in the All-Ireland Irish Craft Beer Festival at the RDS from Friday to Sunday.
¦ And in similar spirit, today’s highlighted wines (below) are effectively a celebration of biodiversity.
Stocked by Lidl, M&S and O’Briens, they range from household names such as chardonnay to the lesser-celebrated but no less interesting and tasty minority interest grapes of, for instance, south west France and north east Italy.
¦ See www.beor.org, a site promoting Irish beer and cider, and there’s more about wine, beer, cider and biodiversity on my blog at blakecreedon.wordpress.com.
Deep in south-west France, grapes including colombard, gros
manseng and ugni blanc (aka trebbiano) are mainly distilled
into Armagnac, but also contribute dry, crisp white wines, such
as this aromatic Côtes de Gascogne. At full price, this was
eclipsed by others in O’Brien’s range for value, but now, with
20% off, I reckon it’s great value.
Sicily was a key point on the map long before the Roman
empire got going, so it was one of Europe’s early adopters of
wine. They seem to have the hang of it — this is a delightful,
crisp, cherry-fruity nero d’Avola / sangiovese blend. The name
of the first grape refers to its colour and town of origin and,
delightfully, the second means ‘Jove’s blood’— seems the
ancients were as good at marketing and branding as they were
at making wine.
Eight of Lidl’s wines have picked up gongs at this summer’s
International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), including
this lovely (and great value) cool, crisp chardonnay. The other
Lidl wines similarly honoured, which I highlighted earlier this
year, are the Chablis Premier Cru 2009; Sancerre 2010, and
Chianti 2011.
The two white grapes that go into Bordeaux blanc are such a
great complement to each other that the blend is emulated all
over the world — in this instance, a generous, juicy, fresh white
from Adelaide Hills in southern Australia. Solo sauv blanc is
ubiquitous, of course, but semillon is also sometimes vinified on
its own (primarily in Australia) and it can make a terrific, fleshy
rich wine.
Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara are the principal grapes
behind this gorgeous and incredibly detailed wine. Quite light
in colour, it’s packed with expressive charries and herbs. There’s
’atin and drinkin’ in it. Yes, the price is pretty steep, but I have
seen it at €12.99 in O’Brien’s in the past, so keep an eye out for
reductions again.
Some good wines could be accused of being too restrained, of
lacking generosity. Others can be too flamboyant and OTT. This,
though, is just right: Elegant and authoritative, but enriched by
ripeness and spice, nodding firmly towards Port, which this
region’s winery and grapes are all principally dedicated to
making. Delicious and great value — my bargain of the week.
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