Wine region: France, South-West

The South West is not so much of a region as a concept. Years ago, a group of growers were identified by a famous French writer called Pierre Casamayor and formed under a banner called “Les Vingt du Sud-Ouest” (The twenty of the south west). There were actually more than 20, but that doesn’t matter. The idea was to create a banner uniting the disparate regions of this largely unheralded part of France and to get the growers to exchange ideas about vineyard practice and vinification.

Until recently as we have said these wines were virtually unknown outside of their particular region, but have acquired an international recognition due to a passion on the part of the vignerons for regionality combined with a desire to constantly improve quality and challenge themselves (and each other). The south west is not one homogenous region but a mosaic of diverse wine styles and grape varieties as well as unique local geographies, micro-climates, cultures, cuisine and personalities.

So what do we call the South West France? Well, notionally, it begins just outside Bordeaux on the Dordogne with the various appellations of Bergerac making Bordeaux style reds and white.

If we move to the Garonne, the other tributary of the Gironde, we find the wines of Buzet, Duras and Marmandais. These tend to dominated by their particular co-operatives and are more rustic wines.

The great vineyards of Cahors from the Malbec are located on the terraces above the Lot river which carves its way towards Aveyron and the rarely seen wines of Marcillac and Entraygues made from the Mansois (or Fer Servadou grape)

Historic Gaillac on the River Tarn has been producing wines since Roman times. This was where the first sparkling wines were made. White grapes including Mauzac and the intriguingly named Len de l’Eh, red grapes include the earthy Fer Servadou and Duras (not to be confused with Cotes de Duras)

Fronton wine is drunk enthusiastically by the natives of Toulouse. It is made from the indigenous Negrette, Syrah and sometimes Gamay.

In Gascony and Madiran we find fruity aromatic whites and powerful tannic red wines, the latter made from the Tannat grape with support from Cabernet Sauv & Cab Franc.

Jurancon, in the shadow of the Pyrenees, is home of the historic Manseng grape. These wines (dry and sweet) are becoming very popular on restaurant wine lists.

Irouleguy comprises several communes in the pays Basque. Mainly red and rose are made (Tannat and the two Cabernets are the grapes) with a little white from Manseng and Courbu

The wines of the South West share a few things in common. Each one has a regional identity. Vineyards are small; everything tends to be done by hand and as naturally as possible. All the growers we deal with respect nature and the environment. These are all also wines that are meant to be drunk with food. They tend to have high acidity and tannin which is perfectly suited to a cuisine that majors in duck and goose fat and meaty products. These are not commercial wines: you never see them in the supermarket and hardly, if ever, on the high street. It is not just that they are not produced in sufficient quantity, but the wines are not about compromising to fit a customer profile

There are now two styles of made. The everyday drinking wines (known as vins de Plaisir, vin de copains – wines of pleasure, wines for friends) and the powerful oaked versions intended for ageing (vin de garde – a wine for keeping)

Whichever you drink we would say enjoy the food and enjoy the wine for what they are. Our company is now called Les Caves de Pyrene, but it used to be called Santat. Santat is the Occitan (the famous dialect of the southern France) for Santé – your health. So we say Santat! and enjoy the meal!

The torrefying travails of the 2003 are well documented; in the great heat, grapes were literally roasting on the vines. From Pau to Toulouse this was a vintage of enormous difficulty. 2005, conversely, seems to be yet another supervintage for white wines; with so many growers working from low yields and on the lees, gone are the days of thin, acidic wines. A succession of belting vintages for the reds from 1998 (’03 excepted) onwards, although with growers like Didier Barré you can almost name any year in history and he will smile seraphically as if to suggest that all Madiran is good Madiran. 05s are exceptional by any standard, marked by grace, rippling with sweet fruit. Enhanced by technological savvy in the winery (new oak, microbullage) the Godzillas of Gascony can be expected to drink comparatively young, although ageing them will obviously reap glorious rewards.

Not all wines from the South West are designed to realign the molecular structure of your palate. Ch. Plaisance, from the Fronton, is, as one might infer from the name, pleasing on the gums, as are the more structured wines of Ch. Le Roc. Look at wines from Négrette, Duras & Gamay for alternative summer quaffing. For those of you who aspire to speak in “russet yeas and honest kersey noes” our range of Gaillacs (five) & Marcillacs (two) will drink happily in your idiom. Two Marcillacs?! As Lady Bracknell might have animadverted: “To have acquired one Marcillac may be regarded as good fortune; to have acquired two looks like careless obsession.” (I’ve been told to leave that line in again.) Big can be beautiful though especially if you enjoy tannin on your tusks or lees in your lungs. Contrast the jawdropping Escausses Vigne de l’Oubli – another “semi” Sauvignon in the Moulin des Dames bracket (lots of lees contact, new oak, thick with flavour – we second that emulsion!) with the more traditional ethereal qualities of a Plageoles Mauzac-inflected Gaillac.

The red versions pit pure extract of black night against paleperfumed subtlety: the Escausses reds eat Saint-Emilions for breakfast; the Plageoles wines are in their own palely loitering uncompromising idiom. David Fourtout’s whites (Chateau Les Verdots) are a revelation, unctuous and exotic, a necessary addition to our Dordogne section. And don’t forget Monsieur Luc de Conti, aka Monsieur Mayonnaise, aka Le Vinarchiste. With lower yields and greater fruit extraction the wines from Bergerac are an impressive reminder of what can be achieved with Bordeaux grape varieties for under £10.00. But this is all so mundane, you cry…

A trip to Malbec-istan the other year yielded our xithopagi, (lots of scrabble points) most notably the wines of Clos de Gamot whose bottles might bear the ancient Roman warning “exegi monumentum aere perennius” (I have reared a monument more lasting than brass) - translated into modern winespeak as don’t forget your toothbrush. Creosote them gums or lay down for a millennium or two. The “classic” wines from Chateau du Cèdre, Chateau Paillas and Clos Triguedina are, relatively speaking, much more amenable beasts; they slide down your throat like the Good Lord in red velvet breeches to quote Frederic Lemaitre (Pierre Brasseur) in Les Enfants du Paradis – not! This year the big boys are jousting to make the supreme super cuvee for squillionaires. Step forward “Le Grande Cèdre” from Chateau du Cèdre and “Le Pigeonnier” from Chateau Lagrezette. Never mind the hilarious prices – these are wines made with meticulous care from minuscule yields and are to be sipped rather than supped. To coin a phrase we’ve copped (the Cot) in the Lot.

Milton described “a wilderness of sweets” in Paradise Lost. Check out your quintessential nectar options with Jean-Bernard Larrieu’s Jurançons, Pacherencs from Brumont and Barré, the wondrous Vin d’Autan from Plageoles and finally the honeydewsome twosome from Tirecul-La-Gravière and discover the glories of nature and the wild winemaker’s art.

Wine region: Spain

Spain = Rioja!

Wine region: France, Languedoc-Roussillon

D’OC FILLED PLATITUDES…

From the Camargue to the foothills of the Pyrenees, from the rugged barren escarpments to the lagoons of the Mediterranean, the Languedoc and Roussillon vineyards throw up a rainbow spread of spectacular geologies and intimate human histories. The wines bear voluble testament to a landscape inhabited formerly by Greeks, Romans, the Knights Templar, Cistercians and Cathars, amongst others. The rich mosaic of terroirs allied to the scent of the garrigue: thyme, lavender, rosemary, sage and savoury grow wild on the hot chalk heath and scrubland, whilst parsley, fennel and annett thrive in the more permeable soils; these lend their subtle perfumes to the wines from this region. Before one is accused of rose-spectacled romanticism such aromas and flavours can be (and are) obfuscated by the nouvelle vogue for extraction; raw earthiness and fragrant subtlety too often masked by sweet charred oak.

Fitou, like other appellations, has a wonderful variety of landscapes, climbing from the sea and lagoons to the white schistous escarpments. The wines show potential, although have yet to garner the critical plaudits of Minervois and Corbières, for example. Gnarled Carignan and wizened Grenache rule the cépage roost here, with Syrah and a tad of Mourvèdre adding spike and length to the typical blend. Expect wines with red fruits, woody notes, hints of leather and prune. The Corbières massif, crowned by Cathar castles, is a wild, arid landscape speckled with tiny villages, ranging from sandstone and marl to the ubiquitous limestone and schist outcrops in the higher zones. Once again Carignan and Grenache are vital, delivering the intensity and spicy warmth to the reds, but Syrah is increasingly used to pep up the more garagiste wines. These wines can age developing mature aromas of old leather, coffee and cocoa, undergrowth and game.  The rich and unctuous white wines (which may be made from Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Vermentino or Maccabeu) are Mediterranean in character i.e. oilier than thou, bearing pungent medicinal-herbal flavours. The quality of this appellation is continually improving with promotion envisaged for the best terroirs: Boutenac, Durban, Lagrasse and Sigean. Vines have been a feature of the Minervois countryside for more than 2,000 years. The vineyard, on mainly limestone terrain, runs down in a series of terraces from the foot of the Montagne Noir to the river Aude. Minervois-La-Livinière, granted a separate cru status recently, comprises five communes producing exclusively red wines from low-yielding Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Aromas of blackcurrants and violets dominate the reds in their early years, especially those based on Syrah, whilst secondary scents of spice, vanilla, truffle and cinnamon are bestowed with time.

Saint-Chinian and Faugères are contiguous appellations in the northwest part of the Hérault. The former (a corruption of Saint Anian – the ‘t’ pronounced ‘ch’ in Occitan) encompasses twenty communes with the vines planted on the southeast facing slopes of the Montagne Noire all the way down to the Bitterois plain. The terrain to the north of the Vernazobre (a tributary of the Orb) is predominantly schistous, and the south mainly argillaceous limestone, producing the two styles of red wine. The schist expresses the darker, more extracted wines with smoky notes which, in riper vintages exhibit mellow-mature notes of roasted coffee and cocoa, low acidity and ripe tannins, whereas the limestone gives lighter coloured wines, perfumed with fresh and floral notes (violets, crystallised berries), garrigue tones of bayleaf and spice, vanilla and liquorice on the oak-aged versions. Faugères has a higher proportion of schist with the resultant wines acquiring that toasted/roasted character. They tend to be full-bodied, rounded and powerful, with summer fruit compote flavours, and with age tend to develop leathery, animal undertones. As well as Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, the late-ripening Mourvèdre gives distinctive flavour and texture to many Faugères reds.

The Coteaux du Languedoc is France’s oldest wine growing region, situated between Narbonne and Nimes. The land is an amphitheatre open to the Mediterranean with Mistral and Tramontane winds to each side. 75% of the wine produced is red, the rest split between rosé and white. The best-known designations are La Clape, Pic Saint Loup and Montpeyroux and, for white wines alone, the endlessly drinkable salt-sharp Picpoul de Pinet.

ROUSSILLON

Greek traders planted the first vines in the 8th century BC in this region close to the border with Spain, nestling between Corbières and the Pyrenees. Today the wines are produced in 118 communes of the Pyrenees-Orientales. The region contains the most southerly and sun-drenched vineyards in France on a network of ancient terraces overlooking the picturesque fishing villages of Collioure (summer home to Fauvists such as Matisse and Derain), Port Vendres, Banyuls and Cerbère. The vines, pruned in the gobelet fashion, are well adapted to the dry climate, wind and variable soils (limestone, schist, granite, gneiss etc.). Here, along the steep slopes of the Cote Vermeille, the full-bodied table wines of Collioure and the famous vins doux naturels of Banyuls have been produced since antiquity (and even praised by Pliny). The reds may be from Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah or Mourvèdre. More vineyards are to be found at the base of the Albères massif, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here castles and medieval watchtowers dominate the scarped landscape. To the west, between the rivers Tech and Tet, the vineyards of Aspres spread over the tumbling hinterland of the Pic de Canigou (the Mount Fuji of the Roussillon). Here, on the edge of the great fertile plain around Perpignan some excellent red, white and rose wines are made. Finally, to the north of the department along the Agly river valley, the vineyards that back up against the Corbières massif, that separates the Roussillon from the Languedoc, produce a wide range of wines including the vin doux of Maury and Rivesaltes as well as the full-bodied reds of the four Cotes-du-Roussillon-Villages appellations.

The Languedoc-Roussillon, described as “the largest vineyard in the world” by Liz Berry M.W., is a laboratory of innovation where the best of the old is being given a healthy technological makeover. The wine culture of centuries (vines were introduced by Greek traders as early as the eighth century BC) has been revitalised in the last thirty years, particularly after the significant reduction in the Aramon, a variety bogging down the image of the wines from this region. Soils and climate have historically combined to create an environment that is exceptionally well suited to growing vines; grape varieties are matched to their most appropriate terroir. When the wines hit top form, you would look in vain for equivalent value for money in the Rhone or Bordeaux. To highlight this fusion between traditional quirkiness and newfangled expertise look particularly at our two estates from Minervois: Domaine Pierre Cros and Clos de l’Azerolle. Both wines fully reflect the terroir of the region, yet they retain their individual identities. The grape varieties (or blends) are different, the use of oak is different and the vinification methods are different – the wines are homogeneous only in their respective excellence.

Mas de Daumas Gassac, invariably described as the first “grand cru of the Languedoc”, is an estate for which we have a strong affinity. The wines have charm and subtlety; every glass seems to express the history and terroir of this remarkable estate. Because of its early notoriety it endured a period of critical reverse snobbery. Those bored with garage-brewed Shiraz soup will enjoy Gassac’s more refined eloquence. The terroir of Aniane has spawned other bespoke wines, notably Domaine de Montcalmès and La Terrasse d’Elise.

And who needs clunking claret after all when you can fill your mouth with epic taste sensations from southern France at a fraction of the cost? It is not only, however, against the traditional French areas that one should be measuring the phenomenal progress of the Languedoc-Roussillon, rather it is countries like Spain and even Australia that could do with a quality/price ratio lesson.

Someone once wrote: “Far from despising the word ‘peasant’ wine, these appellations embrace it with pride and give it due nobility”. Respect due.

One cannot mention the wines without paying respect to the food. The underrated white wines are perfect with brandade de morue, monkfish bourride, red mullet and stuffed squid. Or try curried loin of pork, poached eggs à la mézoise, sole meunière… The rosés work with shellfish, crab flan, grilled peppers and aubergines, onion tart and country salads. Lighter reds are delicious with charcuterie, young partridge and guinea fowl, rillettes, and lamb cutlets cooked with garrigue herbs; the more full-bodied style with lamb casseroles, grilled beef, game (wild boar, venison), jugged hare, truffle risotto. Think wine and you think food – and vice versa.

The potential of this heterogeneous region is only just being tapped. Making great wine consistently is still a struggle, but great wines are undoubtedly being made. Every year we hear accounts of triumphs and disasters as the fickleness of the weather determines the nature of the vintage. It is nevertheless important to recognise the improvement in the wineries themselves and the drive of new generations of aspirational young growers who have injected dynamism into old enterprises and used scientific methodology to create a more polished product. However, the inherent diversity of the Languedoc is its real strength: the fact that many of the best small growers still embrace a polyculture (olives, orchards, beekeeping) contributes to their understanding and respect for the capabilities of the land; the fact that traditional grape varieties have been reassessed and revitalised (how trendy is Carignan now?) by the compelling desire to rediscover the flavour of the terroir; the consequent blending of varieties to display those discrete subtle accents of terroir; and, not least, the human factor – having met the growers I can attest that the wines mirror the personalities of the vignerons! Intuition, flair, bloody hard work coupled with Natures’s gift, a warm, dry climate with fantastic variegated terroirs and a tradition dating back a couple of thousand years: in the Languedoc wine truly lives as much in the blood as in the soil, the sun and the air.

Wine region: France

France is (currently) the largest producer of wine in the world.

Click on one of the links below for a more detailed appraisal of that region’s qualities.

Alsace
Beaujolais
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Champagne
Corsica
Jura & Savoie
Languedoc-Roussillon
Loire
Portugal
Provence
Rhone
South West

Wine region: Italy

Italy’s wine regions:

Abruzzo
Campania
Emilia-Romagna
Friuli
Marche
Molise
Piemonte
Puglia
Sicilia
Toscana
Trentino-Alto-Adige
Umbria
Valle d’Aosta
Veneto

Wine region: Chile

Chile

Wine region: Portugal

Portugal

Wine region: Germany

Germany

Wine region: Morocco

Morocco

Wine region: Lebanon

Lebanon

Wine region: New Zealand

New Zealand

Wine region: South Africa

A couple of years ago I wrote: “If you had to hold up a country as an example of how not to do it, vis-à-vis wine, then South Africa would be in pole position.” Most of the reasons were historical. During the eighties, before apartheid came to an end, other countries were able to invest heavily in vines and technology, whilst South African growers were left out of the loop. Secondly, the co-operative system which for so long determined prices and production, although it established security for the industry, neither promoted quality nor encouraged innovation. There had to be a major undertaking to abandon the age-old habit of growing as many vines as possible on the same estate on easy-to-cultivate land. Sensible measures, such as planting higher up on hillsides in search of cooler climates, are only a comparatively recent phenomenon. Having said all that there are encouraging signs: the Coastal Region has an ideal climate to produce quality grapes and there are some fascinating examples of Pinotage. And the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) system officially launched in 1998 has set benchmarks for quality that are beginning to bite. My sneaky feeling is that more growers should experiment with Rhone and Italian grape varieties rather than adding to the world’s brimming reservoirs of Chardonnay and Cabernet.

And so to 2008. That chomping noise you hear is me eating my air-dried words liberally barbecued with humble grape pie. Within the past couple of years strong identification of terroir allied to a sensitive organic approach to winemaking has driven quality of South African wines remorselessly forward. I’ve tasted great Cabernet, Merlot (and blends thereof), Shiraz is improving and Grenache, especially where there are old vines, is a star. Synergistic (yes, it’s the revival of that buzzword) blends are in fashion, oak is being used to highlight rather than obliterate the fruit, the approach to winemaking is certainly more considered at every stage of the process.

All is not rosy, however, and there have been critical murmurings of a discernible greenness in South African red wines. Is it a winemaking fault, a characteristic of the region (or certain grape varieties) or something else?

The (Fun) Winery team encompasses everything characteristic about the ‘New South Africa’. A diverse cultural and racial mosaic, combining indigenous South Africans with Northern Hemisphere adoptees - a blending of ideas, of values and of purpose, creating a natural dynamic for innovation and success. The Winery’s distinctive range reflects entirely separate styles. Each range has its own raison d’etre, independent of the others, though complementary to the bigger picture. The wines have a pleasing restraint from the Burgundian Radford Dale Chardonnay to the very mineral wines from Black Rock and Vinum.

The Winery is a winery to watch, so to speak. This year they have been recognised by the respected John Platter which garnishes virtually all the offerings with plentiful stars – and quite right.

If The Winery covers many bases extremely capably then Niels Verburg’s Luddite is a one off speciality. This is a knock-your-socks-off-and-marinate-your-toes-in-it-Shiraz, a wine so generous you’ll be smiling for days.

Wine region: Argentina

Covering a territory of over 3.5 million square kilometres Argentina holds an outstanding natural richness, where peaks and prairies, woods and deserts, forests and steppes, glaciers and waterfalls coexist. There is no imaginable landscape that can’t be found in this country.  Among that wide range of diverse ecosystems, highly suitable regions for wine growing are also found. With a few exceptions, the Argentina wine map covers a vast area to the west of the country, from north to south between 22 and 42 degrees southern latitude, all along the Andes. In this region, more than 221,700 hectares are planted with vines.

Situated on wide valleys or sloping prairies, Argentinean wine regions have well-defined characteristics, altitude being the most important one. The proximity to the Andes is the reason why wine cultivation takes place on sloping plains, from 300 metres to 2,400 above sea level. This peculiarity is unique in the world, since not only are the vineyards located at the highest altitudes known for wine cultivation, but also the general average is over 900 metres above sea level.

Another distinctive aspect of the Argentinean vineyards is their natural healthy condition, based on the mildness of a dry weather, which causes vineyard illnesses to be infrequent. Therefore, very few treatment procedures are needed to beat illnesses. The irrigation system allows soil fertility regulation by making use of the purest melt water from the Andes.

The sky, crystal clear almost every day, provides abundant sun rays which allow high levels of maturity, but always conveniently balanced with a considerable temperature range.

As an additional piece of information, but not less important, all the vineyards are located far away from urban regions, thereby avoiding the contact with pollution. The soil which supports these vineyards is young, fertile and barely farmed. This fact grants a unique feature to the wines, reflected in intense colours, deep aromas and meaty but fruity flavours.

Due to this dry and arid geography, it is common to hear people talking about Argentina wine regions as “oasis”. Such oases are divided in different regions and sub-regions, according to a well-defined structure.

Saying that Mendoza is the most important among the wine producing provinces is quite comprehensible, bearing in mind that it represents more than the 80% of all the wine production in the country, from its 146,000 hectares of vineyards. There, a quality-oriented industry is developing towards the constant search of vineyard and terroir improvements. Certainly, Mendoza holds an enviable diversity in this respect.

Basic wine geography in Mendoza can be divided in 5 great oases each of them presenting specific characteristics and differentiating from one another quite notably according to location, height and soil composition.

Northern Mendoza
It covers the lowest area of the region, watered by the Mendoza River.
Lavalle and part of Maipú, Guaymallén, Las Heras and San Martin departments are included within this area.

Altitude ranges from 600 to 700 metres above sea level. Lands are not very sloped, but yet deep.

This region is suitable for white wine growing, such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Chenin, Ugni Blanc and Torrontés. Among red varieties, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, and Malbec find a good place to grow here.

Eastern Mendoza
This region is a real wine power, considering the vineyard planted surface and the wineries located there. Height ranges between 600 and 750 metres above sea level, and relief presents significant differences in terms of weather, soil and temperature range.

Junin, Rivadavia, San Martín, La Paz y Santa Rosa are part of this region. In the areas nearby the city, soils are unable to drain water; while on the most eastern parts of the region (Santa Rosa and Rivadavia) the soil is typically desert, with sandy soils which do not retain water. Furthermore, temperature range is quite wide, due to desert weather. All the wine varieties are cultivated in this region, but Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Torrontés, Viognier, Sangiovese, Syarh, Bonarda and Tempranillo excel.

Mendoza River Area
An ancient and traditional wine region is located at Luján de Cuyo and Maipú departments. They are known as “the first wine area” of the Argentine wines. Such appellation arises from the international prestige that wine labels of this area have gained, considered the top quality wines of the country.

The privileged location, to the south of the City of Mendoza, the ideal height above sea level (650 to 1060 metres) and a perfect soil composition help to maintain this reputation.

Malbec is the emblematic wine variety of this area, and even the province and the country, though Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc stand out too.

The “first wine area”, together with Uco Valley, has become on of the most attractive wine regions for foreign investments, which have continuously been settling in the country since 1990. The prolonged age and reduced size of the vineyards of this area let to the development of boutique wineries possible.

Uco Valley
This area covers the highest vineyards of the province: up to 1,400 metres above sea level. Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos are located in this area. Characterized by a top quality red and white wine production, wines grown in this region are suitable for prolonged ageing. The typical wine varieties of this area are Semillon and Malbec, but Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Syrah have been recently implanted, with excellent results.

Southern Mendoza
Located between latitude 34.5º and 35º south, this region covers San Rafael and General Alvear departments. Height goes from 450 to 800 meters above seal level, with 1% slopes.
This area is the main producer of Chenin, but other varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are also cultivated.

There are many different varieties of grapes cultivated in Argentina, reflecting her many immigrant groups. The French brought Auxerrois, which became known as Malbec, which makes most of Argentina’s best known wines. The Italians brought vines that they called Bonarda, although Argentine Bonarda appears to be the Corbeau of Savoie, also known as Charbono in California, which may be related to Dolcetto. It has nothing in common with the light fruity wines made from Bonarda Piemontese in Piedmont.

Torrontés is another typically Argentine grape and is mostly found in the provinces of La Rioja, San Juan, and Salta. It is a member of the Malvasia group that makes aromatic white wines. It has recently been grown in Spain. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and other international favourites are becoming more widely planted, but some varieties are cultivated characteristically in certain areas.
The most emblematic Argentinean wine is made of this variety. Born in Cahors, in the south of France, it was brought to Argentina in the mid XIX century and it adapted well to every wine region in the country. It began to be massively cultivated, due to its sanity, vigour and its potential for top quality wines.

Up to these days, Malbec has been subject of many elaboration methods, which led to the most varied styles of wine, from young and simple wines to the most complex and aged ones, including rosés, sparkling and fortified wines. In every case, its primary aromas resemble ripe prunes and sometimes mint, while in the mouth it is softly meaty and rounded. Malbec is “the red wine” to pair with roasted beef, stews, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, game meats and hard cheeses.

Being the only wine variety considered 100% Argentine, Torrontés is cultivated in all the wine regions of the country, from Salta to Rio Negro. Its origin has been an issue of broad-ranging discussion amongst many wine experts, but its relationship to the Europe Mediterranean Muscat is undeniable. A proof of this bond is its fragrant and unmistakable aroma, resembling roses, jasmine and geranium, with occasional spicy essences.

The first cultivation of Torrontes dates back from the times of the Spanish conquerors, and ever since it became one of the most cultivated grape variety in the country. Recently, it has been elaborated as sparkling and fortified wine, with excellent results in both cases.

Torrontes produces a unique symbiosis with spicy food and Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai dishes. It pairs marvellously with Northern Argentinean food, such as the typical empanadas and corn stew.

Wine region: Australia

Father Ted (hunched over picnic basket to conceal what he is doing): Okay, Father, I’m just getting ready for the picnic.
Accidentally clinks two bottles of wine together as he puts them in the basket.
Father Jack: Drink!
Father Ted: Oh no, Father, it’s just sparkling lemonade.
Father Jack (with a triumphant leer): Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay 1991!
Father Ted: You can tell that just from the sound of the bottles?!
Father Jack: Drink! Drink!!

The 1990s witnessed the irresistible rise of Australian wines by means of a succession of vigorous and well mounted marketing campaigns.  Remember Oz-bins, Oz Clarke, Wizards from Oz? The main thrust of this agenda was the democratisation of wine. By actively engaging with the consumer, by helping them to identify with brands with strong images, by clever labelling and by exalting the varietal, Australians seemed to understand - better than most - that people who drank wine wanted information, simply conveyed. And they were appealing to a new generation of media-savvy, image-conscious drinkers.

Whilst promulgating the virtues of the easy-drinking varietal, Australia hadn’t neglected its own rich vinicultural heritage. Penfolds and Henschke, to name but two, were firm fixtures on fine wine lists and Australia was still producing highly individual ageworthy red wines, remarkable Semillons and amazing liqueur Muscats to dazzle the sommelier and connoisseur alike.

What was in the bottle furthermore tapped into a zeitgeist that desired undeviating reliability, richness and sweetness from its wines. Chardonnay was venerated, Shiraz became a kind of brand in itself… The greater the weight of flavour a wine could deliver at a price, the more people felt that they were getting a good deal.  (What might be described as the extra lashings of gravy principle). International wine competitions bestowed their golden approbation on the wines and Australian winemakers increasingly became media rentagobs, bluff and brash in their pronouncements, many openly deriding their French counterparts as being hopelessly mired in the past and out of touch with the contemporary consumers.

Australian wine? It is not poison…

Aimé Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac

O tempora, o mores. As its brands colonised supermarket shelves Australia began to be associated with crude homogenisation and product plugging. After various mergers and buy outs the Australian wine industry (the term is used advisedly) became dominated by a small handful of multinational conglomerates who used their clout to determine the marketing image of the whole country. When commercial success is predicated on brand recognition and price point it is difficult to reach the next level and persuade consumers that great quality can emerge from the selfsame country. The Australian wine industry had thus made it difficult for its quality producers to enter the market and pitch their wares accordingly. Success for Australia has been too much about satisfying the demands of the supermarkets and off-trade and as they have inevitably increased in price the image remains that they are essentially inexpensive, “manufactured” wines. In the current battle of bank for buck Australia has surrendered to Chile.

In a recent attempt to revitalise the image of Australia the debate about terroir was launched and how Australian wines might be marketed with a stronger regional identity.

You’ll have noticed an Australian-shaped aching emptiness in the heart of our list. This constitutes an ambivalence to one of the greatest wine-producing countries. On the one hand is an industry dominated by massive global corporations making perfectly acceptable bulk wine for the supermarkets. The provenance of these wines is irrelevant; the price point is king. Then there are the Braggadocio wines, swaggering with bold flavours, flaunting incendiary levels of alcohol. Finally, there are a number of growers who appreciate that the best way of expressing the regional identity of their wines is to work the vines with great understanding and to diminish the number of obtrusive interventions in the winery.

Terroir is not just about the soil but, philosophically speaking, the way the finished wine bears the imprint of the place it came from and the nature of the vintage. Barossa has indeed its individual sense of place and particular style of wine. In Australia, in particular, there is a kind of prevailing determinism whereby winemakers desire correctness and maximise interventions and so manipulate their wine towards a precise profile. Profiling is taking a product of nature and gearing it to what a group of critics thinks or a perception of what consumers might be comfortable drinking. What they call consistency, others might call homogeneity. Besides all sort of chemical interventions it is the use of oak as the final lacquering touch that often tips these wines into sweetened stupefaction. They become so big they are essentially flavour-inert.

Enjoying wine is about tasting the flavours behind the smoke and mirrors, or in this case, beyond the toasty oak and alcohol. It is not that these components are bad per se, just that they are overdone and throw the wine out of balance. The wines of Barossa have natural power and richness; to add more to them is to, in the words of Shakespeare “throw perfume on a violet”. Having said that I think there is generally a more judicious approach to oaking in the New World than previously. It’s also true to say that we have witnessed the emergence of wines from cooler climate regions in Oz (Mornington, Tasmania, Yarra, Eden and Clare Valley, Great Southern, Adelaide Hills etc, where the winemakers realise that aggressive oaking would mask, if not emasculate, the subtler aspects of the fruit in their wines. This is a positive trend. There is still, however, a tendency to look at super-ripeness as a license to layer on the flavours. A Napa Valley producer once told me proudly that his Chardonnay (14.5%) went through malolactic, lees-stirring and a high proportion of barrique. A transformation from nondescript duckling to ugly swan? The Syrah/Shiraz dichotomy has been mulled over by a few New Zealand growers who are trying to come to grips with the grape. They call their wines “Syrah” to (and I quote) “differentiate it from the typical porty Australian shiraz”.

Wine region: USA, California

California, USA

Wine region: France, Beaujolais

My great mate Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has an enormous cellar full of the last century’s best Beaujolais vintages. He… has his cellar rigged up with a quadraphonic high fidelity phonograph set on a continuous loop. This device plays his hit musicals over and over again at considerable volume. The wines seem to love it, for they are amongst the finest examples of aged Beaujolais that I’ve ever tasted.

Sound and Wine – Oberon Kant

Beaujolais is a French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and few tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labelled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes though Aligoté is also permitted. Beaujolais tends to be a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity. In some vintages, Beaujolais produces more wine than the Burgundy wine regions of Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais put together.

The wine takes its name from the historical Beaujolais province and wine producing region. It is located north of Lyon, and covers parts of the north of the Rhône département (Rhône-Alpes) and parts of the south of the Saône-et-Loire département (Burgundy). While administratively considered part of the Burgundy wine region, the climate is closer to the Rhône and the wine is unique enough to be considered separately from Burgundy and Rhône. The region is known internationally for its long tradition of winemaking, uniquely emphasized the use of carbonic maceration, and more recently for the popular Beaujolais nouveau.

The region of Beaujolais was first cultivated by the Romans who planted the areas along its trading route up the Saône valley. The most notable Roman vineyard was Brulliacus located on the hillside of Mont Brouilly. The Romans also planted vineyards in the area Morgon. From the 7th century through the Middle Ages, most of the viticulture and winemaking was done by the Benedictine monks. In the 10th century, the region got its name from the town of Beaujeu, Rhône and was ruled by the Lords of Beaujeu till the 15th century when it was ceded to the Duchy of Burgundy. The wines from Beaujolais were mostly confined to the markets along the Saône and Rhône rivers, particularly in the town of Lyon. The expansion of the French railroad system in the 19th century opened up the lucrative Paris market. The first mention of Beaujolais wines in English followed soon after when Cyrus Redding described the wines of Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour as being low priced and best consumed young.
The Gamay grape is thought to be a mutant of the Pinot Noir, which first appeared in the village of Gamay, south of Beaune, in the 1360s. The grape brought relief to the village growers following the decline of the Black Death. In contrast to the Pinot Noir variety, Gamay ripened two weeks earlier and was less difficult to cultivate. It also produced a strong, fruitier wine in a much larger abundance. In July 1395, the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Bold, outlawed the cultivation of Gamay as being “a very bad and disloyal plant"-due in part to the variety occupying land that could be used for the more “elegant” Pinot Noir. 60 years later, Philippe the Good, issued another edict against Gamay in which he stated the reasoning for the ban is that “The Dukes of Burgundy are known as the lords of the best wines in Christendom. We will maintain our reputation”. The edicts had the affect of pushing Gamay plantings southward, out of the main region of Burgundy and into the granite based soils of Beaujolais where the grape thrived.

“Beaujolais is nature with its fragrances, its light, its infinity, evening rest and morning enthusiasm.” Jules Chauvet

The soils of Beaujolais divide the region into a northern and southern half, with the town of Villefranche serving as a near dividing point. The northern half of Beaujolais, where most of the Cru Beaujolais communes are located, includes rolling hills of schist and granite based soils with some limestone. On hillsides, most of the granite and schist is found in the upper slopes with the lower slopes having more stone and clay composition. The southern half of the region, also known as the Bas Beaujolais, has more flatter terrain with richer, sandstone and clay based soils with some limestone patches. The Gamay grape fares differently in both regions-producing more structured, complex wines in the north and more lighter, fruity wines in the south. The angle of the hillside vineyards in the north exposes the grapes to more sunshine which leads to harvest at an early time than the vineyards in the south.

There are twelve appellations and ten crus in Beaujolais. Of the crus Brouilly, Régnié and Chiroubles tend to be the lightest and most instantly drinkable, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Saint-Amour produce more medium-weight, structured wines and Julienas, Chenas, Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent require a certain amount of ageing before they reveal their full potential.

There is now more to these wines than jam today. The Beaujolais-Villages and Régnié from Domaine de la Plaigne have impressive colour and extract; the Brouilly from Domaine Cret des Garanches is enticingly juicy but with the sort of tannin to tackle food and the quartet from Didier Desvignes (there’s a name for a viticulteur) are certainly no bubblegum bimbos. And now to prove that Gamay from old vines on poor soils can compete with the posh neighbours in Burgundy: welcome a silky Moulin-à-Vent from Gay-Coperet, a brilliant, lively Fleurie from Yvon Métras, bitingly mineral Brouilly from Domaine Lapalu and the inimitable Morgon from Jean Foillard. Here be premier cru-sading Beaujolais, intense, naturally made wines from old vines and low yields using minimal sulphur. Gimme that Gamay!

Some growers make wine of truly transcendent deliciousness:

Take the Foillards in Morgon, for example. Morgon is in the heart of the Beaujolais, and is as tumblingly pretty a winegrowing landscape as you can find anywhere. Jean Foillard is one of the region’s greatest growers, and he has a big parcel of vines up on the Côte de Py, whose iron-stained, ‘rotten’ (or crumbled) schist soils produce wines out of which regiments of cherries march like gleaming toy soldiers.His wife, Agnès, has turned their rambling old farm into a warm, modern guesthouse where I stayed that night, eating, as darkness fell, with her and the children. When we had tasted wine a little earlier, the children were playing in the courtyard; an old neighbour (the man who organised the village band) had dropped in; other guests had arrived, tasted and talked about the wine, comparing it to others they knew. Bordeaux, maybe… or a fresh red from Chinon… and what about Santenay?… or then there’s Poulsard from the Jura… Their voices faded. I wrote in the book about the intense emotion Jean Foillard’s Morgon suddenly produced in me; what I didn’t write about was how, at the same moment, I was suddenly hit by an overwhelming sense of rootedness. The Foillards seemed, for a few moments, like their own vines, anchored in the Côte de Py, belonging to it, exploring it for a short lifetime, before their own children arrived, and their children’s children, and so on, like another line of toy soldiers, marching off into the future.

Andrew Jefford

With Jean-Claude Lapalu’s wine you can detect the fists behind the fruit. This is one of the new crew of sternly-made rock steady cru Beaujolais. Grapes are hand-picked and sorted, loaded by conveyor to avoid damage, and given neither SO2 nor cultured yeasts during the fermentation. During 8-10 days maceration a wooden grill is used to enhance extraction. The wine stays at least a half year on its fine lees gaining power and complexity. And yet the Brouillys are neither heavy nor clumsy and one could easily imagine them ageing ten to fifteen years.

The old vines were old when Jean-Claude’s grandfather began farming them in 1940. Is this where the schist of Côte de Brouilly touches the signature granite of Brouilly? It seems almost to inhabit a hypothetical halfway house between Beaujolais and Priorat! The old vines Brouilly is the combination of two cuvées, one made by carbonic maceration, the other a traditional vinification with destemmed grapes, (Jean-Claude only uses indigenous yeasts and doesn’t use any sulphur during vinification,( there is only some added at the bottling and then only in very small quantities: 2gr/hl). The cuvaison lasts for10 to 20 days. The two cuvées are then assembled after their malolactic fermentation and spend the winter in stainless steel tanks. The dark red fruits on the nose and palate can’t disguise a probing minerality; if ever granite was translated into liquid this is the case. 

Brouilly, Croix des Rameaux, from beautifully exposed prime parcels of eighty year old vines and aged in three-to-five year old barriques after a long cuvaison, disports a wonderfully wild nose of leather, tar and red cherry and palate-punching dark fruits: stylistically it seems to straddle Burgundy and the Rhone

Although Lyon looks south to the Rhone, its true partner-in-wine is Beaujolais (the local Cotes du Lyonnais wines are Gamay). A primeur wine with that familiar slight prickle of gas is good to slug with fish and country salads as well as soft cheese. A Beaujolais-Villages would suit a plate of charcuterie. Chiroubles and Brouilly, although fruity, still have sufficient weight and acidity to tackle dishes like pig’s trotters. Régnié would also trough well with various parts of the pig, while an aromatic Fleurie will happily wash down equally aromatic andouillette.  Morgon, one of the more full-bodied and robust of the cru Beaujolais, could cope with game and beef. Overall the Beaujolais wines are adaptable, juicy and fruity. Gamay may not hit great heights, but when you’re eating… simplicity is a friend to simplicity.

Wine region: France, Alsace

The ability to tell your Alsace from your Elbling is the raisin (sic) d’être of a wine connoisseur.
The Alternative Wine Glossary

The geography of the wine growing area in Alsace is determined by two main factors, the Vosges mountains in the west and the Rhine river in the east. The vineyards are concentrated in a narrow strip, running in a roughly north-south direction, on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges, at altitudes of 175-420 m. Those altitudes provide a good balance between temperature, drainage and sun exposure under Alsace’s growing conditions. Because of predominantly westerly winds, the Vosges mountains tend to shelter Alsace from rain and maritime influence, and the region is therefore rather dry and sunny. Rainfall in Colmar is 500 mm, but can vary greatly between sites. While the slope down the Vosges is generally east-facing, many of the best sites are south-west to south-east facing, and benefit from extra sun exposure.

Alsace has a very varied geology, with many different kinds of soils represented in the vineyards.] Alsace’s very varied soils are a result of its location at a geological fault. Alsace as a whole is located on the western part of the Rhine Graben, which is the result of two systems of parallel faults, with a dropped down block between the Vosges and the Black Forest.

The best terroirs in Alsace are located on the ridges by the foothills of the Voges, between two geological faults. Here, the bedrock is a mosaic of cracks and disruptions in many directions. On top of the bedrock, soils of varying origin form a thin layer that has either has been formed on site, as alluvium or moved by gravity from higher elevations.The upper parts of the hillsides are granitic, normally followed by Bundsandstein, Muschelkalk and marl of various origin. Here and there, for example on Grand Crus Altenberg de Bergheim and Florimont (Ingersheim) oolitic Jurassic limestone dominates, but this is quite rare.On bedrock from Triassic and Jurassic, one can separate the Grands Crus into three classes; limestone, an intermediate group and terroirs low in lime. The rule of thumb is that the higher the lime content, the more acidity is brought to the wine. If the acid content is high, the grapes may be harvested quite late which gives a good chance of making a wine that combines body, complexity and storage potential.

If limestone gives acidity, particularly some of those citric aromas we associate with Riesling then marl on warm soils give power marly terroirs with warm soils include Schoenenbourg (Riquewihr), Osterberg (Ribeauvillé), Pfersigberg (Eguisheim) and the Lieu-dit Muhlforst (Hunawihr). The terroirs on limestone rich marl from Oligocene include Grand Crus Sonnenglanz (Beblenheim), Mandelberg (Mittelwihr) and Mambourg (Sigolsheim). They have the potential to endow superior wines with acidity and body. However the conglemorates tend to weather to heavy, cold soils that require perfect weather to ensure a good ripening process. While Mambourg, perfectly south-facing, can provide the sunlight that allows perfect maturation almost any year, other Oligocene terroirs will give Rieslings with rough edges in less than perfect vintages. Furthermore, Pinot Gris is very likely to suffer from humidity that will inevitably be struck by a fair share of grey rot.

Terroirs low in lime, such as Froehn (Zellenberg) and Sporen (Riquewihr) are not suitable for Riesling because the levels of acidity will be to low. Instead, these are soils for Gewurztraminer.

Several Grand Crus rest on the granitic bedrock, just west of the western fault. Granit is hard and will only slowly be decomposed to a sandy soil. Drainage is very good, and the soils will heat up early on clear autumn days. However, the lack of water causes the wines from warm granite terroirs such as Brand (Turckheim) and Schlossberg (Kientzheim/Kayersberg) to be best in intermediate years. If the microclimate is cooler such as on Sommerberg (Niedermorschwihr) and Wineck-Schlossberg (Katzenthal) one should look for the warm vintages to find the best wines.

There are a few interesting Grands Crus on unique geology. One is the legendary Rangen de Thann, situated on the dramatic southern slope of a volcano. There are two main producers on Rangen, Zind-Humbrecht and Schoffit, creating arguably the most magnificent wines of region.

To sum up, great Riesling grows either on complex, warm soils rich in limestone (e.g. Schoenenbourg) or calcareous, cold soils with an extremely favourable microclimate (e.g. Rosacker, Furstentum and Hengst). On difficult cold soils, it is sometimes necessary to allow some malo-lactic fermentation to achieve a reasonable balance in lesser years.

Almost all wines are white, except those made from the Pinot Noir grape which are pale red, often rosé. Sparkling wines known as Crémant d’Alsace are also made. Much of the white wines of Alsace are made from aromatic grape varieties, so many characteristic Alsace wines are aromatic, floral and spicy. Since they very seldom have any oak barrel aromas they tend to be very varietally pure in their character. Traditionally all Alsace wines were dry (which once set them apart from German wines with which they share many grape varieties), but an ambition to produce wines with more intense and fruity character has led some producers to produce wines which contain some residual sugar. Since there is no official labelling that differentiates completely dry from off-dry (or even semi-sweet) wines, this has occasionally led to some confusion among consumers. It is more common to find residual sugar in Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris, which reach a higher natural sugar content on ripeness, than in Riesling, Muscat or Sylvaner. Usually there is a “house style” as to residual sugar, i.e., some producers only produce totally dry wines, except for their dessert style wines.

Late harvest wines
There are two late harvest classifications, Vendange Tardive (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN). Vendange Tardive means “late harvest” (which in German would be Spätlese), but in terms of must weight requirements, VT is similar to Auslese in Germany. Sélection de Grains Nobles means “selection of noble berries”, i.e. grapes affected by noble rot, and is similar to a German Beerenauslese. For both VT and SGN, Alsace wines tend to be higher in alcohol and therefore slightly lower in sugar than the corresponding German wines. Therefore, Riesling VT and Muscat VT tend to be semi-sweet rather than sweet, while Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris tend to be rather sweet already at VT level. But as is the case with sweetness in other Alsace wines, this depends to a large extent on the house style of the producer.

Albert Mann is a progressive domaine that must be ranked among the very top of Alsace producers. Since 1984, it is run by Jacky and Maurice Barthelmé. The latter is married to Marie-Claire, granddaughter of the late Albert Mann.The family has close family ties with the owners of Paul Blanck in Kientzheim which explains why vines on the two Grands Crus of Kientzheim, Furstentum and Schlossberg are included in the portfolio of Albert Mann.

Besides the above-mentioned, Albert Mann farms land on Grands Crus Hengst (Wintzenheim) and Steingrubler (Wettolsheim) and some outstanding lieux-dits. In all, the domaine covers 22 ha in as many as 8 communes.The style is powerful with full respect for the terroir. Albert Mann works with high ecological ambitions, and applies a minimum of fertilizers in the vineyards. Hard pruning results in low yields and high must weights. On remarkable terroirs as Hengst and Furstentum, which naturally offers high acidity, the overall result is complex wines with superior balance and outstanding cellaring potential.

Jean-Pierre Frick turned into organic viticulture in the 1970s, went fully biodynamic in 1981 and has not chaptalized since 1988.  Biodynamic viticulture includes the use of certain preparations. Preparation 500, called “Horn manure”, is used to give life to the soil and improve the root-soil interaction, while 501, “Horn silica” improves the interaction between the foliage and the light. Frick ploughs the soil carefully, uses cow dung every fourth year as the only fertilizer and lets wild herbs flourish in the vineyard during the growing season. In short, the idea is to give the vine a chance to utilize the soil and the sunshine as much and as naturally as possible.

Jean-Pierre aspires to capture the essence of the grape and also the flavour of the terroir and makes a huge range of wines. Some are selections, some lieux-dits, some from Grand cru vineyards; others are late harvested and one range is vinified entirely without sulphur. His Chasselas (the grape originates in Switzerland), vinified without the addition of sulphur, is left on the lees. It is quite vinous reminiscent of greengage, mirabelle plums and dried banana. The Riesling Rot Murle from high upon the hill is dry with hints of blackcurrant bud, tobacco and mineral – impressively lively in the mouth. The Pinot Gris is typically round and rich: think plum jam, caramel and apple compote: try with cheese. His Riesling Grand cru is a wine of considerable complexity and develops intriguingly in the glass. Notes here of praline, vanilla and mineral; it opens to reveal yellow fruits and menthol and has a long, fresh, almost salty finish with flickering minerality. The unsulphured Pinot Noir Strangenberg has beautiful discreet aromas of cassis, griotte cherries, grenadine and spice.

Alsace wines excite loyalty and suspicion in equal measure. The labelling, despite the presence of the varietal, often obfuscates rather than clarifies the true identity of the wine and some estates make a bewildering number of cuvées which can change annually. The word “speciale” is not an underused one in Alsace. As with Burgundy the vineyards are highly fragmented and the character of the wine is determined by the specific location. The wines are also highly vintage sensitive with reduced acidity highlighting the richness and alcohol. The practice of chaptalisation still continues.

The wines, particularly Rieslings and Pinot Gris are capable of greatness, with the former capable of great longevity. Riesling in Alsace veers towards the dry – Andrew Jefford once described an example as being “as dry as bleached bones”. With its lower acidity any residual sugar in Pinot Gris becomes apparent. This grape is golden with characteristic aromas of honey, sweet pastry, pulped pears, yellow plums and quinces in alcohol. Heady Gewurztraminer is immediately recognisable with its powerful perfume of luscious peaches, Turkish delight and sandalwood. At its worst it reminds one of face cream and lychees in syrup. Muscat is always a pleasure; never very complex it has an intense grapefruit quality and some of the Grand cru examples possess some underlying minerality.

Fot all their aromatic properties the wines in Alsace require robust food. Food in Alsace tends not to be found in any other region of France, with some noteworthy exceptions. As Alsace is the region that invented the brasserie, some Alsatian dishes such as choucroute are served all over France. Wherever you are in France, a dish that is denominated “à l’alsacienne” will invariably be served with choucroute.

Pork is an important meat in Alsace and the pig is known as le seigneur cochon (the noble pig). A type of stew called baeckeoffe ("baker’s oven") is initially prepared at home with pork, mutton, beef and vegetables being marinated in wine for two days then put between layers of potato and taken to the baker’s to be cooked. Choucroute alsacienne is sauerkraut (aromatic pickled cabbage) and is served hot with sausage, pork or ham, and a local beer or glass of wine. Flammeküche, or what is called tarte flambée in French, is pastry filled with cream, onions, cheese, mushrooms and bacon. A vegetarian alternative to this is zweibelküche or tarte à l’oignon, which is an onion tart. Tourte is a pie containing ham, bacon or ground pork with eggs and leeks.

For a couple of weeks in late May, asparagus (asperges), are available and the Alsatian variety are sought after all over France. Another delicacy from Alsace is fois gras, and this kind is heavily in competition with the fois gras from southwest France.

Fish is cooked in a variety of ways, notably with Riesling wine. Such dishes include matelote (river fish stew) and truiteau bleu (trout boiled briefly in Riesling, then served with a dash of vinegar).
Alsace is also renowned for its patisseries, including the kougelhopf, a sultana and almond ribbed moulded dome-shaped cake, or the tarte alsacienne, a custard tart with local fruits such as quetsches (plums). Birewecks are made with dried fruit that has been marinated in kirsch.

Kirsch is to cherries what cognac is to grapes and there are lots of different kinds of fruit brandies available to round off you meal in Alsace.

Wine region: France, Bordeaux

France • Bordeaux

Wine region: France, Burgundy

France • Burgundy

Wine region: France, Champagne

France • Champagne

Wine region: France, Jura & Savoie

Jura & Savoie

Wine region: France, Corsica

Corsican wines have a very distinct identity, initially due to a long tradition and knowledge of wine-making. Six centuries before Christ, the Greeks were making Alalia wine (from Aleria), one of their favourite drinks. In 35 BC Virgil mentioned the wine of the Balagne, ruby-coloured and agreeable to the palate. During the centuries of trouble and invasion which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, the vines survived, awaiting the return of peace, and of wine-makers. From the 11th century, the Pisans, who had become the administrators of the island, put Corsican wine in the vessels of their priests and the goblets of their nobles. A century later, the Genoese, having replaced the Pisans, did the same. After 1769, French sovereignty did not put an end to wine-making activity and to wine exports to Italy. But, after 1850, first oïdium, and then phylloxera ravaged the vines. These blights were, however, overcome. By the end of the century there had even been a renewal in sales overseas, and the development of several important domains. However, from the early years of the twentieth century a general collapse in wine prices halted this expansion, and the Great War completed the decline, killing, with the same weapon, the men, the vines and the commercial links. There remained only a few marginal sectors of production. Fifty years were to pass before the island’s viticulture became again a valid sector of the economy.

Just One More Thing…

(The most famous Colombo quote)

Rich in tradition, the identity of Corsican wine is also one of variety and quality. These attributes are the result of a selection of native grape varieties (principally Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu and Vermentinu) and of imported ones (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay) as well as of a variety of natural conditions (soil, relief and climate). The AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controllée) wines are, in fact, determined by the localisation and proportion of the native grape varieties and by the special nature of each producing region.

There are nine Appellations, at three levels: Corse, Village and Cru. The Appellation Corse is applied to the whole of the island, but mainly concerns the east coast and the Golo valley. The character of this Appellation comes from the high percentage of imported, mainly Mediterranean varieties (Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan). The Appellation Corse-Village is given to five regions: Calvi, Cap Corse, Figari, Porto Vecchio and Sartène. In these regions the proportion of native Corsican grape varieties is higher. These are mainly Sciaccarellu and Niellucciu, except in Cap Corse where Vermentinu predominates.

The Appellation Cru is applied to two regions: Ajaccio and Patrimonio. Sciaccarellu is the predominant variety in the former, whilst Niellucciu characterises the latter. Niellucciu is the variety which gives the wines of Patrimonio their renown. It produces a full-bodied wine of a deep red colour, supple and rich, said to have “un nez de fourrure de lièvre et de règlisse”: a nose of “hare-fur” (a term used to describe its subtle gamey bouquet) and liquorice. These wines also have scents of red berries, violets, spices and apricots. Studies carried out in the 1980s have shown that the Niellucciu grape is no other than the Tuscan variety, Sangiovese, of the famous Chianti Classico. Sciaccarellu is the black grape variety characteristic of the granite areas of the island. It is considered apt for producing wines suitable for ageing, and produces wines of great distinction, with a peppery nose. In its bouquet one finds aromas of red fruits (blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants), almonds and charred wood, and flavours of peach and almonds.

Vermentinu is the white grape variety of Cap Corse. This grape comes from the Malvoisie line, the great Mediterranean variety. Vermentinu produces white wines which are among the best of the Mediterranean. They vary in colour from pale and transparent to golden-yellow. These wines, crystal clear, are characterised by floral aromas, lightness and freshness. The golden-coloured wines are more aromatic than fruity, and have an after-taste of almonds, hazelnuts, apples and honey. If today they are less highly prized than the pale wines, they are the only ones which can be aged.

Wine region: France, Loire

France • Loire

Wine region: France, Rhone

France • Rhone

Wine region: France, Provence

France - Provence

Wine region: Italy, Abruzzo

Despite the outward simplicity of Abruzzo’s DOC system, certain details of Abruzzi’s production are worth pointing out. The native Montepulciano (not to be confused with the town of that name in Tuscany where Vino Nobile is made) is a vine of convincing character that has been winning admirers abroad.

In parts of the Abruzzi, notably in the low hills of the northern province of Teramo (where it can be referred to as Colline Teramane), Montepulciano becomes a red of irresistible character, full-bodied, even robust, with a capacity to age but with such supple smoothness that it can be eminently drinkable even when young. In higher inland areas, or from vineyards where growers have the habit of high yields, the wines tend to be lighter, often better suited to Cerasuolo, a sturdy cherry-coloured rosé.

The Montepulciano variety was developed through selection by the growers and it displayed significant capacity for adaptation to different environments, which facilitated its spread to other territories nearby. Today, it is cultivated in all four provinces of the Abruzzi (Chieti, L’Aquila, Pescara and Teramo) at altitudes not exceeding 500 metres. In addition to the variety of the same name, Sangiovese, which is clearly of Tuscan origin, having been developed in the Chianti district, is also used in the production of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

A special wine, the Cerasuolo, is made through vinification off the skins or, in vintages when the must is weak in color, after brief maceration. The wine is named for its cherry-like colour. The Cerasuolo is not easy to produce. Even slight blending with another wine is sufficient to destroy its excellent sensory characteristics.

Most Trebbiano is based on the prolific Tuscan variety, which makes light, rather acidic whites of subtle aroma and flavour. A few growers work with the true Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (which may or may not be related to the Bombino Bianco of Apulia). A choice few have managed to make Trebbiano of remarkable depth and texture, with a propensity to develop complexity with four or five years, sometimes even more, of aging. But those fine wines are not easy to find.

So You Think You Know About Trebbiano?
Edoardo Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo seems to hail from another planet; no-one has a clue why the wine is the way it is - we’ve found that its optimum drinking period is 10-15 years from vintage after a couple of hours in the carafe. This is the theory as told to us by Valentini’s son: in the 1950s with the industrialisation of the Italian wine industry the Trebbiano Toscana was imported into Abruzzo to supplement the local version. Being a more robust, high-yielding variety with bigger grapes it eventually entirely replaced the indigenous Trebbiano of Abruzzo (and thus became known itself as Trebbiano d’Abruzzo). The Valentini family, using records dating back to the 1860s, discovered the properties of the original Trebbiano and using clonal selection (over a period of 40 years!) in one vineyard of 2.5 hectares have essentially recreated the old Trebbiano with all its unique qualities. As far as we know this is the only example of traditional Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and is made in a traditional way to express the style and the terroir (big old foudres). 

One cannot mention the wines of Abruzzo without referring to two of the dominant personalities of the region both of whom died recently, namely Edoardo Valentini and Gianni Masciarelli. Valentini’s wines display a startling naturalness, their tiny, individual flaws only enhancing their profound charm. Taking years to develop their full profile, the wines often need plenty of aeration to blow off the occasional hint of reduction. This all falls perfectly in-step with one of Valentini’s favourite lines, “Natura non facit saltus” or “Nature doesn’t leap.”

The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is only made in certain vintages and then minuscule yields allied to a reputation for hermetic privacy means that receiving an allocation at all is doubtful. Nevertheless, we have secured a reasonable quantity for your (and our) delectation. It is difficult to describe so pure and yet brimming with intangibles, except to say that it has that perfect equipoise of delicate fruit and minerality that characterises all great wine (and particularly red Burgundy).

Gianni Masciarelli, who died in 2008, and his wife Marina Cvetic have been among the shining beacons of Abruzzo. For years, this beautiful land, with its abundance of sun, great soil and the easy-to-grow Montepulciano grape, had wallowed in mediocrity as scores of producers were clearly taking advantage of what was given to them. Gianni, along with his inspiration, the reclusive Valentini, proved to the rest of the world, through hard work, low yields, and a desire to be the best, that Abruzzo and the Montepulciano grape could produce world-class (and then some) wines. The wines are different to Valentini’s with their intense purple-black colour and terrific plush, plummy fruit. The Villa Gemma has been lauded by Gambero Rosso; Montepulciano Marina Cvetic has garnered high critical regard as well. The various Trebbianos are excellent.

Although located between northern and southern Italy, the cooking of Abruzzo betrays more southern influences and consists of two different and distinct cuisines: the coastal one based on fish and that of the hinterland based on pork and lamb.

Brodetto Abruzzese is the fish soup of the Adriatic. As is customary in these things there are myriad versions of this. It is made with assorted fish such as monkfish, rascasse, red and grey mullet, John Dory and hake, the discarded heads and tails of which are used to make the stock.  Garlic, tomatoes and cuttlefish are slowly cooked together and the resultant sauce is put at the bottom of earthenware pot, topped by a layer of raw fish and a few mussels, then some more cuttlefish and tomato sauce and finally wine and fish stock is added. Other marine dishes include small squid eaten raw, seasoned with chilli, and octopus is cooked with chilli. Chilli also features in the local Maccheroni all Chitarra, a lamb ragù used to accompany a type of square homemade spaghetti called tonnarelli.
Abruzzo is well known for its pasta. Chittarina, a sheet of pasta that’s cut into thin spaghetti by pressing it against what are, essentially, guitar strings, is usually served with a tomato sauce and fresh herbs. Paccheri is tubular shaped pasta, about an inch in diameter, but falling ‘flat’ once cooked.  The sauce is a cinghiale (wild boar) sauce...a delicious combination with Masciarelli’s “baby” Montepulciano, for example. Local pork products include prosciutto d’Aquila, similar to the Spanish jamon Serrano, and ventricina, a sausage made with pork, chilli, wild fennel and orange zest. As in all other mountainous regions, the shepherds prepare lamb just as it was hundreds of years ago. It might be cooked “a catturro” (in a large copper pan in the open air) with basil, onion, sage and chilli, or with cheese and egg, or all’arrabbiata, which is alive with chilli.

Cheeses are of great importance in the regional diet, pecorino being the favourite. The local caciovallo is made from buffalo’s milk, and is spiced with chilli. Scamorza, a pear-shaped curd cheese, is made from cow’s milk and is sometimes grilled on a spit.

Wine region: Italy, Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna, as the name reveals, consists of two distinct sectors which coincide more or less at the capital of Bologna. To the west lies Emilia, with its prosperous towns strung like jewels along the ancient Emilian Way: Modena, Reggio, Parma, Fidenza, Fiorenzuola, as far as Piacenza on the Po. East of Bologna lies Romagna with the towns of Faenza, Forlì, Cesena, Ferrara, Ravenna and the Adriatic resort of Rimini.

Emilia-Romagna’s wines might be considered northern Italy’s most eccentric, different on the whole from their neighbours’, often facile in style but always refreshingly individualistic.

In Emilia the premier wine is Lambrusco, in frothy shades of purple to pink, made from grapes grown on high trellised vines, mainly in the flatlands south of the Po. Romagna’s wines come primarily from the native Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Albana, the variety the accounted for Italy’s first white DOCG.

Lambrusco is produced in volume in the four DOC zones around Modena and Reggio, though few consumers abroad have tasted the wine in its authentic dry style. Most Lambrusco shipped away is amabile or sweet, while most of what is drunk at home is dutifully dry and more often than not DOC. Though there are historical precedents for both types, the dry is considered the unparalleled match for the region’s rich cooking.

Even the hill wines of Emilia tend to be frothy. Vineyards in the foothills of the Apennines to the south render fun-loving whites made from Malvasia, Trebbiano and Ortrugo and zesty reds from Barbera and Bonarda. But there is a definite trend in the DOC zones of Colli Piacentini, Colli Bolognesi and Colli di Parma to make still and somewhat serious wines from such varieties as Sauvignon, Chardonnay, the Pinots, Barbera, Cabernet and Merlot.

Moving into Romagna, the plains of the Po basin between Ferrara and Ravenna are noted for fruit, vegetables and ultra productive vines, most of which are sources of blending wines. The hills south of Imola, Faenza, Forlì, Cesena and Rimini are known for wines from the native Albana, Sangiovese and Trebbiano all of which carry the name Romagna.

Albana di Romagna, which emerged in 1987 as Italy’s first DOCG white wine, is most often dry and still with a distinctive almond undertone and occasionally some complexity. Albana’s best expression seems to be as a richly sweet passito from partly dried grapes. The traditional semisweet and bubbly versions are usually consumed at home. Romagna’s Trebbiano, distinct from other vines of the name, is almost always light and fresh, whether still or bubbly, with a fragility that makes it best in its youth.

The favourite of Romagnans is Sangiovese, usually a robust red with a certain charm in its straightforward fruity flavours. But increasingly producers of Sangiovese are making reserve wines of greater depth of bouquet and flavour with the capacity to age gracefully.

Traditionally, the people of the region preferred their wines young and frisky rather than mature and complex. In this regard, they went against the wisdom that bold sturdy food called for bold sturdy wines. Here, instead, a fruity and lightly acidic wine was thought to complement rich food because it contrasted with it. But in the past ten years there have been subtle changes on both the food and wine fronts. For one: As the food is getting lighter, in accord with heart-healthy dining, the wines are getting bigger. The other great change is a movement toward excellence. In the early 1970s, they were direct and uncomplicated, pleasing to drink but not world-class like those from Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Piedmont and Tuscany. The most famous red was the very agreeable Lambrusco, which bore little resemblance to the confected horror that still stands on supermarket shelves in this country. The Lambrusco the Italians enjoy has an agreeable dry, grapey flavour and often (but not always) a light sparkle and the best examples of this wine merit reconsideration as a companion to food. With its remarkable ability to enhance the flavour of pork and cut the fattiness that can accumulate in the mouth, it is the perfect wine to go with the region’s charcuterie.

Less well-known are Bonarda and Gutturnio, reds from the province of Piacenza. These grapes grow in profusion near the banks of the nearby Po, Italy’s largest river. Bonarda is similar to a less fruity Beaujolais, and does not age well. It pairs admirably with charcuterie, vegetable soups (especially those incorporating beans) and many meats. Gutturnio is made either as a still wine, or with a slight sparkle.  It has gained more acceptance recently because it has a structure that allows it to combine with either light or more substantial dishes. Barbera, lighter than its Piedmontese cousin, is seen on its own, or as part of a blend (usually with Bonarda). Try with Piadana Romagnola, a sort of griddled doughy pancake stuffed with ham and grilled zucchini or spinach and parmesan.  Albana di Romagna was Italy’s first white wine to be awarded the DOCG designation in 1987. Produced from the grape of the same name, it comes in four different types, though usually only the secco (dry) and passito (richly sweet) are seen.

Situated in northern Italy, with its eastern border on the Adriatic Sea, the region of Emilia-Romagna includes nine provinces, divided into two sectors. In the west, in Emilia, are the provinces of Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena. In the east, in Romagna, are Ferrara, Forli, Ravenna and Rimini. Bologna straddles the two and is the region’s capital. This is gastronomic heaven. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the first solid food a baby in this region is fed. It comes in 75-pound wheels and has been made by hand in the same manner for 700 years. It is unmistakably nutty and fragrant, is delicious to eat on its own–it will melt in your mouth—or you can grate it over pastas or vegetables. The animal of choice in Emilia-Romagna is the pig. Italians will tell you that the pig is like the music of Verdi—nothing goes to waste. Nose-to-tail eating indeed! Indeed, the pig gives its heart and other bits to make charcuterie that is unrivalled anywhere in the world for delectability (says me). Most famous is the silken prosciutto di Parma, the exquisite air-cured ham. Bologna loves its mortadella, a delicate sausage studded with pistachio slivers and eaten either in slices or chunks. Modena favours zampone, stuffed pig’s trotter (feet) that is boiled and served at New Year’s with lentils. Ferrara likes salama al sugo, a very soft sausage that crumbles when cooked and is served with mashed potatoes. Eggs and abundant flour make the sheets of fresh pasta for which the region has no rival. When cut, these become tagliatelle that will be tossed in ragù, a delicate meat sauce sweetened with carrot and softened with milk. Tortellini, cappelletti and tortelloni are pastas of various sizes that embrace such fillings as prosciutto, mortadella, ricotta and chard, or pumpkin with candied fruit. The region also boasts gorgeous fruits and vegetables. And of course it has grapes. Emilia-Romagna grows a great quantity of them—and up until recently, quantity was prized far more than quality.

Wine region: Italy, Friuli

The compact region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, commanding the northern Adriatic Sea with borders Austria and Slovenia, continues to set the pace with modern Italian white wine. Drawing from worthy native varieties and the choicest of the international array, Friulians have applied studied vineyard techniques and avant-garde enology to the production of highly distinctive whites, as well as some eminently attractive reds.

Friuli has two DOC zones of exceptional status in Collio Goriziano, or simply Collio, and Colli Orientali del Friuli, adjacent areas that follow the border of Slovenia from Gorizia west and northwest to Tarcento. The exchange of air currents between the Alps and the Adriatic has created a highly favourable habitat for vines on the terraced slopes called ronchi. Carso is a unique zone in the hills above the seaport and regional capital of Trieste. The other six DOC zones cover low hills or plains, but quality there can be convincing, most notably from Isonzo, which rivals Collio and Colli Orientali for the class of certain wines.

Friuli has built a glowing reputation in Italy and abroad for white wines made by relatively small wineries and estates. The whites had long been dominated by Tocai Friulano, a variety related to Sauvignon Vert or Sauvignonasse. But recently the European ruled that Tocai must change its name so as not to be confused with the Tokay or Tokaji of Hungary, which is the name of a wine but not a vine.

Friuli’s Malvasia Istriana, Ribolla Gialla and Verduzzo also can be intriguing, as can such admirable foreign varieties as Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco and the ever popular Pinot Grigio. The Friulian style is towards the exquisitely fresh and fruity, with delicate fragrance and flavour that express clear varietal character. Many producers consider their whites to be too pure and linear to benefit from wood aging.. But there are a growing number of exceptions to the rule, in white wines that gain depth and complexity from blending, oak aging and other artistic touches.

Friulian reds were traditionally light and fruity, best to drink within two to five years of the harvest. That style applied to the predominant Merlot and Cabernet Franc, as well as to Pinot Nero and the worthy native variety of Refosco. But certain winemakers have heightened structure and nuance by blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other varieties and aging the wine in small oak barrels.

Friulians have shown an encouraging tendency to revive varieties that had been neglected. Foremost among the legends is Picolit, a white that ranked as one of Europe’s finest sweet wines around 1800, when it was favored by the Hapsburgs and other royal families. Despite low yields, Picolit has been coming back. So has Verduzzo, which makes refined dessert wines in a place called Ramandolo in the Colli Orientali. Ribolla Gialla, a native of Collio, has benefited from new methods that make it into a dry white of character.

Among the reds are Refosco, also known as Terrano, which can be made either light and fruity or into a durable wine for aging. Though rare and odd, Franconia and Tazzelenghe make distinctive reds, but perhaps the Pignolo and Schioppettino varieties have the most intriguing potential.

The homespun cooking of the Friulian hill country presented historical contrasts with the more refined Venetian-style fare eaten along the coast. Over time, though, the two cuisines have reached a happy union in dishes accented, often rather sharply, by the tastes of Austrian and Slavic neighbours, who remember Trieste as their gateway to the Mediterranean.

In Alpine Carnia and the vine-draped hills of Udine and Gorizia, the open hearth fogolar with conical chimney is used for grilling beef, lamb, kid, poultry, sausages and mushrooms. The indispensable polenta goes with cheese, meat stews, blood puddings and game: hare and venison often cooked in salmì (highly seasoned wine sauce) and a mixed flock of fowl, including woodcock, duck and little birds called uite.

Wine region: Italy, Campania

Campania – A Tradition of Viticulture

What makes Campanian wines so interesting are the native grape varieties cultivated since Roman times. Particularly noticeable is a lovely natural acidity that ensures a long life and wonderful balance. Take Fiano, for example, originally named Latino, to be distinguished from grapevines of Greek origin.  It is a vigorous grapevine flourishing both in volcanic soils as well as clayey ones. The first evidence of its existence dates back to the twelfth century, when the noble Fiano aroused the interest of Federico II from Svevia, who gave order to purchase it, and of Carlo d’Angiò, who had 16,000 vines sent to Manfredonia for a royal vineyard planting. So now you know. It presents a light straw yellow colour and elegant perfumes with floral, fruity bouquet and pleasant mineral hints that with age are enriched with resinous notes and honey flavours. On the palate it is dry, fine, savoury, well structured and balanced. Appreciable for its aromatic persistence, exalting the long sensations of peach and ripe pear, it can also be quite smoky.

Falanghina is an ancient species of grape, which was already familiar to the Samnites and Romans who prized it and also called it Falernina, due to its diffusion throughout the “Falernus Ager”. It was probably Roman merchants who brought this grape from Greece to Italy, spreading its cultivation throughout the centre and south. It owes its Latin name to the word “phalange”, namely “tied to the pole”, describing the ancient system of cultivation used to make the vines grow. Firm reports on the vine are more recent and date back to 1825, when Falanghina was mentioned in a treaty as being one of the best Samnite-origin grape species. Later on, in the thirties, a group of oenologists were to crown Falanghina as one of the best Italian grape species, to the extent that they recommended its diffusion in order to improve production in the South’s main wine producing areas. Today, Falanghina is experiencing renewed success thanks to a policy of rediscovery and enhancement of historical and regional grape species.

Falanghina is currently widespread throughout Campania, where it is used for making the homonymous wine and in many DOC wines (Denominazione di Origine Controllata -Controlled Denomination of Origin), both in its pure form (such as the Campi Flegrei Falanghina, Sant’Agata dei Goti Falanghina and Taburno Falanghina wines), as well as together with other white grapes (such as for Capri white wines, Costa d’Amalfi white and Falerno del Massico white wine). Its ideal habitat is on the island of Procida, in the Campi Flegrei area and in the Sannio. The vine matures in the second half of September and is generally harvested at the start of October. Falanghina is a white wine with a delicate nose, with hints of broom, whilst it is full-bodied, fresh and pleasant on the palate. It has good acidity and fine, delicate, fruity notes. It has a broad and pleasantly bitter aftertaste that recalls the pomegranate. It can be drunk with grilled or fried fish, with pasta dishes with seafood or vegetable and tomato sauces; it happily accompanies the most traditional recipes from the Campania region, such as “paccari napoletani”.

Greco di Tufo makes enchanting wines. In ancient times its excellent grapes were named Aminea Gemina because they generated some characteristic double bunches. According to Aristotle, the Aminea grapevine comes from Thessaly, native land of the Amines who settled in Campania and planted the Greco on the slopes of Vesuvius. Mentioned by Columella, Plinio and Virgilio, the Aminea grapes have been appreciated since the ancient times for particular ageing capacity. For centuries, the Montefusco area has been the elected site for the Greco cultivation, due to the extraordinary mineral characteristics of its soil. Good Greco has brilliant, luminous deep golden colour with flashes of gold and green. It’s an elegant and balanced wine with captivating fragrances of white flowers, minerals, citrus, white fruit, pear and apple overlaid by sensations of honey. The fine acidity melds well in the richness of the body and in the long aftertaste of fruit and mineral.

Grown on the Apennines belt overlooking all three seas, Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Adriatic, Aglianico is considered the linking element among the great southern red wines and it is rated along with the best red grapevines in Italy. The origin of its name is controversial: several researchers date the Aglianico (or Glianica) etymon back to Hellanico or Hellenic, confirming the Greek origin of the grapevine. In Porta’s opinion (1592) the Hellenics vines coincided with the ancient Helvolae described by Columella and Pliny. Recent studies considering the assonance between “guaranico” and Glianico, locate in Aglianico the ancient Guarano mentioned by Pliny. Enough already of the fancy-schmancy etymology for the Taurasi wines can speak volumes for themselves.  The aromas bloom of ample ripe cherries, sweet spices, plum, tobacco, pepper, tar, eucalyptus, vanilla, liquorice and coffee. On the palate the wine is typically supple and silky, followed by concentrated texture mellowed into the richness and ripeness of the body. The tannins are sweet and fine, the finish is a very long revival of fruity, spiced and toasty sensations.

Wine region: Italy, Molise

The often overlooked region of Molise, which was once an appendix of Abruzzo, gained official status in wine in the 1980s with the DOCs of Biferno and Pentro di Isernia. The undeniable aptitude for vines on the sunny hillsides between the Apennines and the Adriatic indicates that with a little more effort Molise’s wine producers could match on a small scale the quality of their neighbors in Abruzzi, Apulia or Campania.

The recent DOC of Molise takes in a number of Italian and native varieties, creating new possibilities for producers who are striving to establish an identity with wine beyond the region. The rolling hills and the mild Adriatic climate of Molise should enable classy wines, though the evidence in bottle has been scarce so far.

The IGT category of Osco or Terre degli Osci refers to the Oscan people who inhabited Molise in prehistoric times. The other IGT category is Rotae.

The Di Majo Norante winery is located to the north of the Gargano in Molise on the estate of the Marquis Norante of Santa Cristina. This estate has been dedicated to the cultivation of vines since the 1800s. In the 1960s a modern cantina was constructed and vines were replanted in the Ramitello zone. Optimal exposure, constant breezes during the summer, excellent soil composition and a slope toward the Sciabolone and Madonna Grande valleys, blend together to create a particularly favourable environment for the production of wine.

In the hills of Molise, lamb, kid and mutton are popular, along with pork for sausages, salame and soppressata, sometimes preserved in terra-cotta vases under fine local olive oil. Prosciutto may be salt cured, though it is also smoked--rare in Italy. Prominent cheeses are caciocavallo from the town of Agnone, pecorino and scamorza. Part of the Caciocavallo Silano DOP is in Molise.
The port of Termoli provides triglie di scoglio (red mullet, base of a tasty soup), fresh anchovies, squid, crabs, clams and sea snails.

Molise produces quantities of dried pasta, though in country homes women still often roll the dough by hand. Specialties include sagne (lasagne), laganelle (tagliatelle), crejoli (similar to the Abruzzi’s maccheroni alla chitarra) and recchietelle (orecchiette). Pasta is often served with ragout of lamb and pork, invariably with diavolillo (chili pepper), and a grating of sharply flavored pecorino cheese.
The tomato, fresh or preserved, is omnipresent in Molise, as are beans and artichokes. Campobasso is noted for giant white celery. The region also produces fine extra virgin olive oil.

Wine region: Italy, Piemonte

Piedmont, Italy’s westernmost region with borders on Switzerland and France, is hemmed in by the Alps and the Apennines, which explain why its name means foot of the mountain. Though it ranks only seventh among the regions in total production, Piedmont is considered a giant of Italian wine in every other way.

Piedmont has the most DOC-DOCG zones with 50 (nine DOCG & forty-one DOCs) and stands proud as the region with the largest percentage of its wines officially classified. It has no IGT. For craftsmanship, respect for tradition and devotion to native vines in their historical habitats, the Piedmontese have no rivals in Italy.

The climate is rigid by Italian standards, with distinct changes of season. Winters are cold with plenty of snow. Summers are for the most part hot and dry. Spring and fall are temperate to cool with fog normal at harvest time. A majority of the region’s vineyards are located in the Langhe and Monferrato hills, which are connected to the Apennines in the southeast. But several wines of significance are also grown along the foothills of the Alps to the north between Lake Maggiore and Valle d’Aosta.

The focal point of premium production is the town of Alba on the Tanaro River. In the nearby Langhe hills, Barolo ("king of wines and wine of kings") is produced at the rate of about 6 million bottles a year and Barbaresco, which many experts rate its equal, rarely reaches 2.5 million bottles. Both come from Nebbiolo, which gives them the powerful structure that makes them capable of improving for many years from such fine vintages as 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1990, 1989, 1985 and 1982.

The traditional Barolo and Barbaresco were admired almost as cult wines, though often criticized as too elaborate for modern palates. But the combination of favorable vintages and perfection of techniques among winemakers, many of them young, seems to be changing the old-fashioned image. Barolo and Barbaresco have retained their ample dimensions while becoming better balanced and more approachable than before.

The Alba area is renowned for its smooth, supple Dolcetto under several appellations, and for first-rate Nebbiolo and white Arneis from the Roero hills. But the most dramatic progress in the Alba and Asti areas has come with the ubiquitous Barbera, which, after ages of being considered a workhorse variety, has rapidly taken on aristocratic airs.

Certain aged Barberas have emerged to stand comparison with fine Nebbiolo reds. Piedmontese drink more red wine than white, and about half of the red is Barbera, which can also be attractive in youthfully fruity and bubbly versions. Three other red wines that have recovered after decades of decline are the crimson Grignolino, the often fizzy Freisa and the buoyantly sweet and bubbly Brachetto from Acqui.

In the other major area of Nebbiolo production, the hills to the north, modern styles are emerging in such reds as Carema, Lessona, Sizzano, Fara and the long vaunted Gattinara, which along with neighbouring Ghemme has been granted DOCG. Piedmont is a leading producer of sparkling wines. Foremost among them is Asti, the world’s most popular sweet bubbly wine. The market for this fragrant white is actually larger abroad than in Italy. In fact, worldwide demand is so great that a shortage of Moscato di Canelli grapes has developed.

Piedmont is also a major producer of dry sparkling wines by both the classical and charmat methods, though many of the Chardonnay and Pinot grapes used for them originate outside the region, mainly in neighboring Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardy or in Trentino-Alto Adige.

Among still whites, Gavi shows a crisp yet elegant style that explains why admirers consider it one of the best with seafood and why it was recently promoted to DOCG. Smoothly fruity Arneis continues to gain ground in Roero, where the light, zesty Favorita is also emerging. Some predict a revival of the ancient white Erbaluce di Caluso from near Turin.

Although Piedmontese growers were among the first to experiment with such foreign varieties as Cabernet and the Pinots early in the19th century, those vines had largely faded from favour. Just recently, though, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and Nero and, especially, Chardonnay have shown promise. The regional Piemonte DOC applies in part to sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinots and other varieties. Still, as admirers have noted, even wines from international varieties bear a stamp that is unmistakably Piedmontese.

Barbaresco is one of the great wines of Piedmont and should be drunk with all due respect. It is a wine of extremely ancient origin and was mentioned by Livy in his monumental History of Rome. According to an old tradition, the Gauls were attracted to Italy and descended into the peninsula because of the goodness of the wine of Barbaritium, from which the word “Barbariscum” and later Barbaresco were derived. However, some experts argue that the wine derived its name from the barbarian hordes that raided extensively in Italy before and after the fall of Rome.

Long ago, Barbaresco was called Nebbiolo or Barolo and those who vinified it added Moscatello and Passeretta grapes, which gave the wine a sweetish flavour and made it effervescent. Barbaresco, the aristocratic red wine we know today, was mentioned in 1799, when Austrian General Melas requested “Nebbiolo di Barbaresco” to celebrate in worthy fashion his victory over the French.

It was only toward the middle of the 19th century, however, that production was begun of a dry type of wine, which brought out all of Barbaresco’s extraordinary qualities. Professor Domizio Cavazza, a noted enologist, introduced new vinification techniques and, in 1894, founded a cooperative winery exclusively dedicated to the production of Barbaresco. The enologist, comparing it with the greatest French wines, described Barbaresco as “fine, soft and generous.”

Barolo began acquiring its royal standing as early as the Middle Ages and its reputation steadily grew in succeeding periods. It was customary for sovereigns, as well as many nobles, to enrich their tables with classic Bordelais or Burgundian bottles of the wine. It is reported that Barolo was often found on the table of Louis XIV, while other admirers of the wine included King Charles Albert, the Marquises of Saluzzo and of Monferrato and Maria Cristina of Savoy.

Many other illustrious figures in history also contributed to the growth of the wine’s reputation, chief among whom was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour. Cavour used to give dinners at which the wine was featured. He took a personal role in the making of the wine at his estate at Grinzane and the results he obtained were outstanding. In a short time, he became a highly expert grower and the Barolo of his vineyards was fully competitive with the finest French wines.

Pontiffs were also enchanted by the wine. At the beginning of the 19th century, Pius VII exclaimed, after having tasted an excellent Barolo: “Ah, La Morra! A beautiful sky and good wine!’’ Afterward, he ensured that the wine was always available at his court and he drank it frequently.

Because of the absolute excellence of the quality of Barolo, there has never been any dearth of poets and writers to render homage to the wine.

These two great wines would happily accompany any of one of the myriad of superb dishes from Piedmont such as Hare in Salmi, Lombard style, Faraona al Cartoccio, Brasato al Barolo, Wild Duck with Pappardelle and Picciono Ripieno (stuffed squab).

Wine region: Italy, Marche

The Marche (plural, originally from le marche de Ancona, referring to the March of Ancona) are one of the twenty distinct regions of Italy.

They are located in the central area of the country, bordering Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the north, Tuscany to the north-west, Umbria to the west, Abruzzo and Lazio to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the east.

The wines vary in style from the potentially superb Verdicchios with their marked acidity to the meaty, powerful blends of Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

The vines of the extremely ancient Verdicchio variety, which originated in the region but is now grown as well in Friuli, the Veneto, Tuscany and Campania, cover the hills that flank the river Esino. It is believed that the cultivation of vines in the Marches began in that same area. At the centre of that historic grape-growing district, known as the Castelli di Jesi, stands the community that has given its name to the wine, the ancient Aesis, a Roman colony although probably of Umbrian origin. The history of that town, Jesi, is intertwined with that of its Castelli, of which there remain only the ruins: Castelbellino, Castelplanio, Maiolati, Monte Roberto and Cupramontana. The latter was a town that grew up around a temple built in honour of the goddess Cupra and restored in 217 by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. At the temple, propitiatory rites were performed in which wine, the probable ancestor of Verdicchio, was drunk in honour of Cupra, goddess of wealth and opulence.

The reputation of Verdicchio spread from the Roman lands to the barbarians beyond the Alps, who invaded and brought down the empire in the West. When in 410, Alaric, king of the Visigoths, was passing through the Marche on his way to besiege and sack Rome, he reportedly ordered that 40 mules be loaded with barrels of Verdicchio to take along with him because he held that the wine was excellent for maintaining and stimulating the strength of his soldiers.

Verdicchio has been cited in poetry innumerable times over the centuries. Among those who have mentioned the wine was the noted Tuscan poet of the 16th century Pietro Aretino. Despite his reputation as a denigrator of everything and everyone, he had nothing but warm words of praise for the wine’s dietetic and gustatory virtues.
Verdicchio’s name is derived from “verde,” meaning green, referring to the yellowish-green skin of the grape, which gives the wine a subtle, greenish hue. It produces crisp, dry wines of naturally high acidity and often with hints of citrus fruits and almonds.

Colle Stefano is situated in a hilly belt in the hinterland of the Marche, 420 m above sea-level, in the Verdicchio di Matelica DOC zone. This narrow tableland which stretches from the south to the north is watered by the Esino river and bounded on the east and west by the mountain range of the Appennini Umbro-Marchigiani (1479 m above sea-level). Unaffected by the mitigating influence of the Adriatic Sea, the region is notable for its cool, dry microclimate with high temperature differentials which is ideal for the propagation of Verdicchio di Matelica, an indigenous species of vine that has grown here for many centuries and here ripens late to be harvested from the second half of October onwards. Fabio Marchionni took over the family vineyards from his father a few years ago, having just graduated from the new oenology school in Ancona and done his apprenticeship in Germany. He keeps yields extremely low, less than forty hectolitres per hectare, and makes wine with painstaking care.

The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi can be labelled with the geographical qualification Classico when it is produced in the oldest sector of the zone indicated in the DOC discipline.

The recent Esino DOC, which coincides with parts of the two Verdicchio zones, provides for red and white wines, usually fresh and fruity. The region’s other white wines, notably Bianchello del Metauro and Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, are usually light and zesty and also go nicely with seafood.
The red wines of the Marche are based chiefly on Sangiovese and Montepulciano, sometimes blended, sometimes not. The most important in terms of volume is Rosso Piceno, dominated by Sangiovese. It comes from a DOC zone covering much of the eastern flank of the region, stretching from the superiore area between Ascoli Piceno and the sea, north through the coastal hills to Senigallia.
Rosso Conero, dominated by Montepulciano, has gained even more praise, thanks to the devotion to quality shown by its leading producers. It originates in a zone on the slopes of the Conero massif south of Ancona. Both Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno were habitually made to drink within two to four years, when they are persuasively round and fresh in flavour, though certain producers have made wines that age remarkably well from good vintages, sometimes for a decade or more.
The northern part of the region is the DOC zone of Colli Pesaresi, where the prominent wine is a Sangiovese, which bears a strong family resemblance to the wines of that variety of neighbouring Romagna. Although the emphasis remains strongly on native vines, recent results with such outside varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon have shown eminent promise in the temperate hills of the Marche.
Pasta triumphs in the Marche, with preference given to homemade versions. Housewives prepare mountains of wide tagliatelle, and maccheroni destined to be filled with exquisite flavours. Consider the maccheroni di Campofilone, a thin tagliatelle dressed with a ragù of pork, veal and fresh tomatoes. Recipes are handed down the generations. Even today in the country the would-be daughter-in-law must pass muster with her future mother-in-law: she must know how to lay out a perfectly round layer of pasta that is of uniform thinness, and to cut it in a variety of shapes. One of the region’s signature dishes, Vincisgrassi, is a special recipe that reflects the Marchigiani attitude to life.  Handmade with care, this festive dish is a type of lasagne that is layered with truffles or veal sweetbreads, chicken livers and mushrooms dusted with grated cheese and covered with béchamel sauce.  Legend has it that a chef made the dish centuries ago for an Austrian prince who fought in the war against Napoleon in 1799.

Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast, is famous for its “brodetto” or fish soup. Like Chateauneuf-du-Pape brodetto may contain up to thirteen different kinds of fish (yes, I know, with ChNeuf it is grape varieties not fish!). It is often flavoured with wine vinegar and sometimes a sprinkle of saffron. Also prepared along the coast, the “brodetto marchigiano” made with fish dipped in flour, fried in a mixture of oil, onion and parsley, and flavoured with saffron. Breathtakingly fresh local seafood might feature a cast of calamari, lobster, cockles, sea dates and spider crabs – that chilled Verdicchio sounds just the ticket.

Further inland other ingredients come to the fore. One specialty is the “pecorino di San Leo”, a cheese made from sheep’s milk, “ricotta” (a kind of cottage cheese) from Urbino, “bazzott” (a local fresh cheese) from Fano, and the “olive ascolane”, big white olives filled with a mixture of cheese, egg, nutmeg, white minced meat chopped and mixed with prosciutto, mortadella and salame, lemon peel and parsley, then dipped in beaten egg and bread crumbs and fried in oil - the ultimate antipasto, the tardis of olives. Made according to a tradition that can be traced back to as early as the 16th century in the province of Pesaro-Urbino, Casciotta di Urbino has a pale yellow paste that is lightly perforated by characteristic little holes.  Made primarily from ewe’s and cow’s milk, Casciotta should be eaten after a maturation process that lasts from 20 to 30 days.  Mild and only slightly acidic, it is enjoyed simply with a slice of ciauscolo, grilled polenta, or with sweet accompaniments such as jams and pears.

The Marchigiani cherish every inch of the pig.  Ciauscolo, a type of spreadable pork, is traditional in this part of Italy.  This specialty is made form the belly and shoulder of the pig and flavoured with salt, pepper, fennel, garlic, and orange rind.  Other pork specialties include Carpegna Prosciutto, Soppressata da Fabriano, and Fegatino, a liver sausage.

Nor are vegetables neglected. Courgettes are sautéed with pancetta, onion and garlic and then stewed with tomatoes. Cauliflowers are coated with a light egg batter to which some cooks add mistra (a local liqueur made of aniseed) and fried. During a spring festival beautiful broad beans are picked and served with caciotte cheese, and in May at the Marchigiano Artichoke Festival in Montelupone the famous Marchigiano artichokes and Monteluponese artichokes are served at stalls and at dinners held in the town square.

Wine region: Italy, Puglia

Puglia has 25 DOC zones, the most of any southern region, yet, like its neighbours, it produces a small percentage of classified wine (just over 2%). Despite rapid improvement, Puglian wines have yet to establish a clear-cut reputation for excellence, though they are widely appreciated for value abroad.

Puglia can be divided roughly into two viticultural sectors by a hypothetical line crossing the region between Brindisi and Taranto. To the north, the terrain is rolling to hilly and the climate is temperate, even relatively cool at certain heights in the Murge plateau. Dry wines from there tend to have moderate strength, with impressive fruit, good acidity and ample bouquet.

Red wines generally derive from the native Uva di Troia or Bombino Nero, as well as Montepulciano and Sangiovese. White wines are dominated by the Verdeca variety, though Bianco d’Alessano, Malvasia, Trebbiano and Bombino Bianco are also evident.

The leading DOC zone of northern Puglia is Castel del Monte, the one appellation that enjoys an international reputation. It has a fine rosé and a full-bodied red that can be good young but often gains stature with age. In much of the north the emphasis is on red wines under such DOCs as Rosso Canosa, Rosso Barletta and Rosso di Cerignola. Just north of the Brindisi-Taranto line white wines dominate, in particular those of the Itria valley, Locorotondo and Martina Franca, home of the conical roofed stone houses known as trulli. Throughout the region experimentation is under way with international varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon among the whites; Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Nero among the reds.

“A thirsty land where the sun turns into wine” wrote Dante Alighieri neatly, alluding to Apulia. The region’s wine growing tradition is ancient dating back to before the contact with the Phoenician traders. Apulian wines were acclaimed by Greeks and Romans alike, and, although there are faint echoes of the quality that made these wines once so sought after, mass production has somewhat diminished Puglia’s reputation as wine-producing region. The Uva di Troia, legend has it, were brought to Apulia by Diomedes. Having journeyed up the Ofanto river, the exiled hero anchored his ship with a number of stones he’d brought with him from the city of Troy. He used these as markers to delineate the territory of the Diomedean fields. The Greek prince has also brought with him vine shoots, which he planted along the Ofanto, giving birth to Uva di Troia, or Trojan grapes. This legend has contributed to the creation of many different names for this grape variety, whose aliases include Uva di Canosa, Barletanna, Nero di Troia, Troiano, Uva di Barletta and Uva della Marina. (With thanks to Mario Busso)

The grape is currently grown in the province between Bari and Barletta and along the Apulian coastline. Today Nero di Troia is a supple wine bursting with fresh aromas of violets, black berries and hints of star anise. On the palate it has good acidity and tannins that are lively but never astringent and allow a certain ageing potential. San Domenico and Zagaria, the two estates that make up the Azienda Agricola del Conte Spagnoletti Zeuli, occupy some 400 hectares in the countryside of Andria, in the province of Bari. While most of the land is dedicated to olive groves, the slopes of the outlying hills are planted with rows of Bombino Nero, Montepulciano and Nero di Troia.

South of the Brindisi-Taranto line lies Salento, a flat peninsula that extends between the Adriatic and Ionian seas to the easternmost point of Italy. Though hot, it is not quite torrid, thanks to the play of sea currents and the breezes that waft across the Adriatic from the Balkans.

Salento’s traditional wines were the powerful, inky reds from Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. But increasing attention is being given to fresher reds and rosés, as well as to some unexpectedly bright and fruity white wines. Primitvo di Manduria, the early ripening variety of Salento is related to California’s Zinfandel. Though it once served primarily as a blending wine, Primitivo from a new wave of producers has shown undeniable class in a style that stands comparison with its American counterparts.

Local viticulture in this area has a long tradition: excavations carried out in the archaeological site of Monte Sannace (to the north-east of Gioia del Colle) revealed an extensive Peucetian settlement (VIII-III cent. BC) and led to the recovery of numerous pieces of pottery for containing wine and olive oil. The territory is rich in historic tradition: as well as the aforementioned site of Monte Sannace there is the Norman-Swabian Castle, the cathedral and not far away the Grotte of Castellana, the Sassi of Matera and the Trulli of the Valle d’Itria – more cultural history than you could shake a considerable stick at.

The geological history is no less fascinating. Once upon a time between the cretaceous plate of the Bari area and the Southern Apennines, the saddle of Spinazzola formed a broad strait that linked the Ionian Sea to the Adriatic, where the today’s territory of Gioia del Colle was submerged (as evidenced by the discovery of marine fossils in the local soils). The typical Murgian hill soil is a mix of clay and limestone, rocky and packed with minerals. Thin layers of red earth mixed with limestone and silica sit on huge fossil-rich monolithic reefs confirming the origin of this land and the name of the locality Spinomarino recalls its original shape: coastal prominence in the strait of sea which submerged the low surrounding lands.

The region has a marked agricultural inclination with notable cultivations of vineyards, almond and olive groves, cherry and plum orchards. The hilly terrain confer to these lands optimum climatic conditions for viticulture, by way of a right microclimatic balance of sun, winds and mild temperatures.

At the end of the 18th century Nicola Petrera, an ancestor of the current owner, chose the Spinomarino hill, the most aired and sunny one in the Gaudella area, to grow Primitivo grapes. Filippo Petrera has preserved both tradition and passion for this Primitivo until this very day. The family ensures the greatest care in every detail: organic farming, grape selection, processing and bottling. The family processes only their own estate grown grapes under the brand name “Fatalone”, with a total production of 40,000 bottles per 6 hectares of vineyards. The vinification process takes place in open-cycle wine tanks, without the aid of yeasts, with frequent pumping of the must over the pomace. The must is kept in contact with grape skins for three to five days at a temp. of 28°C; a gentle pressing and a slow fermentation then completes the process.

Among the many DOCs of Salento, Salice Salentino stands out for its robust red and refined rosé, though wines from such appellations as Squinzano, Brindisi, Alezio and Copertino can show unexpected class. The Salento IGT applies to red wines that often carry individual names. White wines also show promise, Chardonnay in particular, though Salento is also renowned for flowery rosés that rank with Italy’s finest.

Olive trees thrive nearly everywhere in Apulia, whose production of more than 200 million liters a year accounts for nearly half of Italy’s total volume of oil. Four types have been singled out for DOP: Colline di Brindisi, Dauno, Terra di Bari and Terra di Otranto. The region is also an important source of organic produce, accounting for about 10 percent of the nation’s total.
Pasta, from the region’s supplies of durum wheat, range through variations on maccheroni, spaghetti and lasagne to the small shells called orecchiette (or strascinati) and cavatieddi, served mainly with vegetables or tomato sauces, usually with garlic and peppers. Rice is also esteemed, notably in tiella, which refers to an earthenware baking dish, though the name may have derived from the Spanish rice dish of paella. Tortiera is a casserole, whose various ingredients are gratinéed with pecorino or caciocavallo or pane grattugiato, breadcrumbs which substitute for cheese in many southern dishes.

The Adriatic and Ionian seas provide a wealth of seafood and frutti di mare. Especially prized are oysters and mussels from beds in the Gulf of Taranto, though the range includes octopus, cuttlefish, squid, anchovies, sardines and sea urchins.

The Murge plateaux provide grazing land for lamb and kid, the preferred meats, though the diet is enhanced by beef and poultry and pork as the base of an ample array of salumi. Cheeses cover the southern gamut of pecorino and pasta filata varieties, though among the latter burrata (whose name refers to the buttery softness of its cream-filled interior) stands out from the towns of Andria and Martina Franca. The hard cheese called Canestrato Pugliese, named after the canestre or reed baskets in which it was formed, is protected by DOP. Part of the Caciocavallo Silano DOP is in Apulia.

Apulian bakers specialize in the flat focaccia (or puddica) and variations of pizza from both wheat flour and potatoes. These include calzoni, calzuncieddi, panzerotti and sfogliate, in which the dough is folded over a filling and fried or baked. Biscuits are also popular, especially the doughnut shaped frisedde and the curly taralli. A rich array of pastries and sweets is enhanced by such ingredients as ricotta, almonds for marzipan, candied fruit and honey.

Wine region: Italy, Sardegna

Sardinians have sharply reduced vineyards and volume of production recently while notably improving the general quality of wines. Among DOC wines, whites prevail by nearly two to one over reds. The island’s most productive vineyard area is the Campidano, the fertile plains and low rolling hills northwest of the capital and major port of Cagliari. The varieties grown there, Girò, Malvasia, Monica, Moscato, Nasco and Nuragus, carry the name of Cagliari in their denominations.

The wooded slopes of the northern Gallura peninsula and the northwestern coastal area around Sassari and Alghero are noted for premium whites. Vermentino dominates the dry wines, notably in Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, though the Torbato under Alghero DOC can be equally distinguished. Vermentino, a variety also planted in Liguria and parts of Tuscany, makes a white of winning style in the Gallura hills, though it can be produced throughout the region under the Sardinia DOC.

The Vermentino variety can be found under fairly intensive cultivation in nearly all the Mediterranean coastal districts from Spain to Liguria and on the two major islands semi-enclosed by that arc, Corsica and Sardinia. It is also grown in small areas on the island of Madeira and at some places in southern France. Vermentino is clearly Spanish in origin. It traveled from Spain to Corsica in the 14th century and from there went on to Liguria. Its appearance on Sardinia was fairly recent, the final decades of the last century, and it was first planted in the Gallura at the island’s northernmost tip.

Although it is now found throughout Sardinia, Vermentino expresses itself best, yielding wines of outstanding personality, in the Gallura, an area incessantly swept by the fierce wind from the Alps, the Mistral. The area’s dry, harsh soils are not conducive to most agricultural growths.

The quality of the wine is due not only to the microclimatic conditions but also to the character of the terrain, which features a thin and poor substratum of granitic material. That material accounts for the wine’s pronounced aroma, which is balanced by a substantial alcohol level, fine fragrance and good body.

Moscato can be either still or sparkling, but it is always sweet, notably from Sorso and Sennori and the Gallura hills and the town of Tempio Pausania in the north. Malvasia may be sweet, but is perhaps most impressive dry from the town of Bosa and the Planargia hills on the western side of the island, as well as under the Cagliari DOC. Still another refined sweet white is Semidano, which has a DOC for all of Sardinia, though it is most noted from the town of Mogoro.

The most individual of Sardinian wines is Vernaccia di Oristano. From a vine of uncertain origin grown in the flat, sandy Tirso river basin around Oristano, it becomes a Sherry-like amber wine with a rich array of nuances in bouquet and flavour.

The most popular white variety is Nuragus, which is believed to have been brought there by the Phoenicians. Its name derives from the island’s prehistoric stone towers known as nuraghe. Nuragus is the source of a modern dry white, clean and crisp, if rather bland in flavour.

The island’s important red varieties are Cannonau, a relative of the Granacha brought from Spain, and Carignano and Monica, also of Spanish origin. Cannonau and Monica can be dry or sweet, though trends favor the dry type toned down in strength from its traditionally heroic proportions. Vineyards in the rugged eastern coastal range around Nuoro are noted for rich, red Cannonau. Wines of note comes from the towns of Oliena, Jerzu and Dorgali and the coastal hills of Capo Ferrato. Cannonau also makes a fine sweet wine, which can be reminiscent of port.

A Sardinian meal always begins with an appetizer: wild boar ham, sausage lamb or veal trotters, clams or mussels cooked alla marinara with white wine, garlic, and parsley, burrida (dogfish marinated in a walnut and garlic sauce), bottarga (salted, dried and pressed roe of tuna or mullet) served in paper thin slices with lemon and olive oil. The accompanying breads are fabulous. Some examples are: su civraxu, the most common, large, round, flour loaf; su coccoi made with hard-wheat semolina and cut on top with scissors to form small decorative points (is pizzicorrus) that become crisp and golden when baked; su pani carasau or carta musica (literally, sheet music) a round, wafer thin, crisp sheet of flour and semolina. Excellent served with salt and olive oil, it is then called su pani guttiau. Pani carasau is used to make a homely but delicious first course, su pani frattau, in which the thin sheets are first dipped in broth or boiling salted water, layered with tomato sauce, minced meat and grated cheese, and topped with a poached egg. Another flat bread is the soft, round spianadas.

First courses include: sa fregula, an irregularly shaped, grain sized pasta served in fish broth; malloreddus a small grooved pasta flavoured with saffron and served with tomato sauce and cheese; culingionis, ravioli made with semolina (often with a potato puree and mint filling); and panadas, a round cylindrical pie filled with vegetables, meat or eels. Panadas are such a popular specialty that there is a yearly festival dedicated to it in Assemini in July.

The traditional Sardinian meats are spit-roasted suckling pig (porceddu), baby lamb, and kid. The more adventurous might want to try sa cordula, cleaned lamb intestines sautéed with peas, or knotted into an intricate braid with variety meats and oven or spit roasted. Another speciality is sanguinaccio, a pork-blood sausage sweetened with raisins and sugar, served boiled or roasted. The big powerful Cannonau is the ideal partner for this hearty peasant cooking.

Sardinia is Italy’s leading producer of organic produce, accounting for nearly a third of the nation’s land cultivated by biological methods. Tomatoes are used generously in sauces, as are artichokes, fava beans, peas, eggplant and zucchini. Foods here are redolent of herbs, including wild fennel, juniper and myrtle, used with hare, boar and game birds.

The varieties of fish that Sardinians prefer roasted over coals are: orate (gilthead bream), mormore (striped bream), spigole (sea bass), triglie (red mullet), muggini (grey mullet), and anguille (eel). Aragosta (lobster), gamberi (shrimp), vongole (clams), and seppiette (tiny squid) are used in all sorts of pasta and rice dishes. The Vermentino, with its delicate aromas of fruit and hint of almonds in the finish, is a wine to be drunk with the smell of the sea and the heat of the sun. In addition to being the perfect complement to all kinds of seafood recipes, from shrimp salads to elaborate seafood platters with vegetables and smoked cernia or swordfish, this wine is delicious as an exciting aperitif for all occasions. The Vermentino di Gallura DOCG’s finesse comes from the combination of ongoing quality control, the richness of the granite decomposition of soil and the microclimate where the original grapes are grown.

The shepherd’s ancient tradition has led to the production of many different types of cheese now produced in modern factories. Among the most well known is the popular fiore sardo or pecorino sardo, a firm cheese made from fresh, whole sheep’s milk and lamb or kid rennet. Pecorino romano is a drier, sharp cheese made with boiled steep’s milk and lamb rennet. Dolce sardo is a softer, cow’s milk cheese. A singular cheese, unlikely to appeal to the tourist, is casu marzu (literally, “rotten cheese"). It is produced when tiny white larva form in the cheese, gradually reducing it to a creamy consistency. The taste is said to be both delicate and piquant. Casu marzu is not sold commercially but is still made privately for home use. The idiosyncratic sherry-style Vernaccia di Oristano is a marvellous wine for all occasions to go with cheeses for all occasions.

“Another market with its own very characteristic flavour is that of Cagliari, in the island of Sardinia. Spread out in large baskets large as cartwheels are all the varieties of fish which go into ziminu, the Sardinian version of fish soup; fat, scaly little silver fish streaked with lime green; enormous octopus, blue, sepia, mauve, turquoise, curled and coiled and petalled like some heavily embroidered marine flower; the pescatrice again, that ugly hooked angler fish; cold stony little clams here called arselle; tartufe di mare; silvery slippery sardines; rose-red mullets in every possible size, some small as sprats like a doll’s-house fish; the fine lobster for which Sardinia is famous.”

Elizabeth David – Italian Fish Markets

Wine region: Italy, Sicilia

The recent introduction of Azienda Benanti, one of the leading Etna estates, has swelled our Sicilian portfolio to no fewer than nine producers.

A large island with huge production, much of it mediocre to say the least, Sicily’s wine culture is patchy. Ten to fifteen years ago you would have been hard pressed to name a great producer. Now there are several, but their achievements are self-driven; these are men and women who have individually either rediscovered tradition or injected a dose of modernity into their methods, rather than a concerted movement.

Benanti has vineyards with differing micro-climates dotted around various expositions of the Etna slopes. This estate is somewhat of a specialist of the Carricante grape, the vines grown as alberello. Bianco Pietramarina is a superb high altitude cru Carricante made from lower yields with densely planted 80 year old vines. The colour of the wine is pale yellowish with greenish tints, the scent: intense, rich and fruity suggestive of orange and lemon flowers, and ripe apple. It is dry, with pleasant acidity, great aromatic persistence and an aftertaste of anise and almond and a definite mineral undertow. We will also be listing two Benanti reds both made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, namely Rosso di Verzella and Rosso Rovittello.

A relative newcomer to the Etna region Frank Cornelissen is responsible for the some of the most edgy, volatile wines you are ever likely to taste.  Magma has it roots, in every sense of the word, in the thin acidic soil of the terrain. It is both highly cerebral and utterly natural, the realisation of a passionate endeavour to “make” a wine which is entirely unmediated and unmasked. It is a nice argument to ponder whether a wine can be so natural that it is effectively unnatural and every person would have to assess whether they desire the expression of absolute truth or the function of absolute drinkability. By recognising its fragility and serving the wine sympathetically one’s palate can align itself to Magma’s individual foibles and quirks. Frank also makes Munjebel white and red, the former a blend of Carricante, Grecanico and Coda di Volpe, the latter being pure Nerello Mascalese. All the wines are made without sulphur and aged in amphorae; they are also unfiltered – if you hold the Munjebel white up to the light it looks like a lava lamp – very appropriate.

In the splendid Villa Geraci seat of the new Palari Winery, proprietor Salvatore Geraci has devoted himself to the production of his ancient and noble wine with the objective of reviving (assisted by the help of modern technology) that quality that has made “Il Faro” famous throughout the world. The vineyard lies in the “Palari” wine district of S. Stefano, Messina, and is planted with native grapevines of names as old as the fascination they evoke: Nerello, Nocera, Cappuccino, Tignolino, Cor’e Palumba, Acitana, Galatena and others.... All of which are embraced by the regulations for the production of the Faro DOC.

The terrain is blessed with a unique microclimate – due to its dramatic rise of altitude of 420 metres above sea level within just five kilometres. It is set up with “alberello” head-pruned trellis and has a medium slope of 78 degrees requiring the grapes to be gathered and placed into 20 kg baskets by hand. Because of this labour-intensive requirement and the rigid selection which the grapes must undergo, the total yield of grapes for each plant is only 1 kg. The soft-pressing of the grapes, the temperature-controlled fermentation, the aging in French ok barrels, and the refinement in air-conditioned rooms – all carefully monitored under the watchful eye of the winemaker Donato Lanati – make possible the creation of this important wine of such noble and old tradition.

The primary wine to be featured from Palari is Faro. Here the wine includes a finer selection of the same grapes to make this a perennial Tre Bicchieri winner. Faro (which means lighthouse) is a little DOC, almost the smallest in Italy. With just above 6 hectares (15 acres) in the DOC area, the production is clearly tiny. Sicily’s increasing focus on modern production techniques and international varieties has had some great success, as at the Planeta estate; but Palari provides a refreshing respite from this trend with their great indigenous wines. Faro has a ruby colour with a hint of purple. The nose is beautifully knit, black cherry to the fore and lightly smoky nuances shimmering in the background. It is remarkably elegant with a complete lack of over-ripeness that characterises many southern Italian reds.

The natural wines of COS perfectly exemplify the quality of the region of Vittoria in southern Italy. The speciality of the region is Cerasuolo (“cherry”), a characteristic floral blend of Frappato (40%) and Nero d’Avola (60%). COS have moved over the years to biodynamic methods in the vineyard and away from oak to the use of terracotta amphorae and the wines have consequently changed radically in style. We admire their Pithos (a Cerasuolo fermented in amphora), the Cerasuolo Classica and the Nero di Lupo (a youthful meaty Nero d’Avola) as well as the pure Frappato with its aromas of violets, cherryblossom and carob.

The rest of our wineries are situated on the west of the island around Alcamo and Marsala. Ceuso has acquired a reputation for their red wines made from Nero d’Avola. The Scurati is an unoaked version of this grape and exhibits lovely, velvety fruit. The Ceuso itself, a blend of Nero d’Avola, Cabernet and Merlot, is lush and plummy, balanced by ferrous tannins. An example of modern Sicily and a far cry from the cooked red wines of yore.  Fazio is located in the Marsala countryside. The winery makes a variety of wines from local and international varieties including a particularly good Grillo. Perhaps the most unusual intruder is the Muller-Thurgau grown at altitude which has the acidic credentials of a wine from Alto-Adige! Caruso & Minini make a range of single varietals including a floral Grecanico and citric Inzolia, but their most interesting wine is a red called Sachia di Perricone from the traditional Perricone grape (otherwise known as Pignatello). It tastes likes a rich Barbera.

Marco De Bartoli is considered one of Sicily’s winemaking pioneers for his long-standing commitment to the native Sicilian white grape varieties, Grillo and Zibibbo. He produces them on two separate estates: the first in Marsala, in Sicily’s south-west corner, the other on the small island of Pantelleria, south-east of Sicily. His belief in the value of traditional methods of production of these grapes and their wines is complemented by his equally strong belief in the future of Sicily as one of Europe’s most vital viticultural areas. Grillo, which historically forms the basis of Marsala’s classic wines, has been grown on the island since Phoenician times. From his Samperi winery, in the Contrada Samperi just west of Marsala, Marco De Bartoli produces several wines from this grape. “Vecchio Samperi” was first made in 1980. Named for the territory that houses De Bartoli’s country estate, it is a prestigious “Vergine” wine made using the traditional solera method, in which small quantities of young wine are added to wines of older vintages as they pass through a sequence of wooden barrels. The complex, harmonious result celebrates the fruit of many harvests.

As well as the magnificent dry and just off-dry Marsalas and the brilliant passito “Bukkuram” from Pantelleria, de Bartoli has been trying to work with indigenous white grape varieties and realise their full potential by capturing the natural flavour of wine using native yeast, extended skin contact and minimal sulphur during the vinification. Out of this ambition was born the Integrale range of white wines (a Zibibbo, a Grillo and a Grecanico). One’s initial impression is of the uncompromising purity of the wine in the mouth – no corners have been cut, no corners of the palate will remain unchallenged by the wine.

Sicily’s history of colonization can be viewed by examining not only its architecture and language, but also its cuisine. The Greeks were the first to impose a culinary influence, and in a sense, Sicilian cooking is a microcosm of Italian cooking in general in that it absorbed and subsequently embellished such influences and developed a cuisine based on simple yet high quality local ingredients such as fish and vegetables. During the Arab colonization, nearly a thousand years later, new foods and new methods of cooking were introduced: the Saracens brought aubergines, spinach, bitter oranges, almonds, rice, apricots, sugar and sultanas as well as the techniques for making sorbet (sherbet). Next came the Normans with their methods of cooking, and of preserving fish and meat

Pasta is extremely popular. It is dressed in a rich sauce and showered with grated pecorino or with salted ricotta (a local speciality). Pesto alla Trapanese is plum and sun-dried tomatoes pureed with garlic, almonds, basil, oregano and pecorino and served with pasta twists called casareccia. The wonderfully named Zogghiu is a refreshing amalgam of parsley, mint, balsamic vinegar and capers – delicious with lamb or skate. Fish and pasta is particular Sicilian marriage, the best-known example being pasta with sardines and fennel. Again there are innumerable local variants of this dish. The other favourite way to serve pasta is with vegetables, especially aubergines. As cookery writers never tire of telling us we can’t get the wonderful small round purple Sicilian aubergines in this country. Were we able to we would undoubtedly try to replicate Bellini’s masterpiece, pasta alla Norma, with aubergine, tomato and salted ricotta or caponata, an eggplant stew, which like rose from a Mediterranean country, always tastes infinitely better in situ.

Fish is plentiful and the markets teem with the fruit (di mare) of the Sicilian seas. Swordfish deserving of the barbecue lie down with octopus; mullet, striped mackerel, sardines and anchovies are plentiful. Fish may be steamed, grilled or baked, but simplicity is always observed in the preparation because the ingredient is king, a tenet laid down by the Syracusan Archestratus, whose 4th century culinary notes predate those of Delia Smith as the earliest known to western civilization.

Sicilian sorbets and ice creams and other dolce (such as cassata and pasta reale) are brilliant. Wonderful quality of fruit combined with proud tradition ensures their reputation. Pleasures to be enjoyed with the great sweet wines of Pantelleria. 

The wondrous Marsalas of Marco de Bartoli are not for the snappers up of unconsidered trifles. In fact, avoid the word trifle at all costs. These are glorious delicate nutty wines with needle-thread acidity and mellow warmth designed to sip and toast a Sicilian sunset. Or a Sydenham sunset.

Wine region: Italy, Umbria

Italy • Umbria

Wine region: Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige

The regions of Trentino-Alto-Adige produce a consistently high standard of wine, centred in two large DOC zones: Trentino in the south and Alto Adige or Südtirol, the province’s blanket appellation. The Alto Adige DOC takes in wines from distinct zones noted for class: Colli di Bolzano/Bozner Leiten, Meranese di Collina/Meraner, Santa Maddalena/St Magdalener, Terlano/Terlan, Valle d’Isarco/Eisacktal, and Val Venosta/Vinschgau.

Although experts agree that the Alpine climate favours grapes for perfumed white wines, the historical emphasis has been on reds, which account for nearly two-thirds of the region’s production. The dominant vine variety of Alto Adige is Schiava or Vernatsch, source of light, bright reds. The most highly regarded of these is St Magdalener or Santa Maddalena, grown on the picturesque slopes overlooking Bolzano. The best known wine is Caldaro or Kalterersee, produced from vines around the pretty lake of that name.

The ranks of roseate ruby wines from Schiava extend through the South Tyrol along the Adige river into Trentino and Veneto under the Valdadige or Etschtaler appellation. That applies to red and white wines of popular commercial standards. Other reds show greater class. Alto Adige’s native Lagrein and Trentino’s Teroldego stand with northern Italy’s most distinguished vines, making wines of singular personality.

Lagrein thrives on the gravelly plains along the Adige at Gries, a quarter of Bolzano where the wine achieves full, round, plus qualities with a bit of age. Santa Maddalena has a long-standing reputation as a refined light red. Teroldego, grown on the Rotaliano plain north of Trento, is an unusually attractive red when young, with capacity to age splendidly from good vintages. Elisabetta Foradori through a selection massale has rediscovered the potential of this grape variety and her Teroldegos combine power with finesse. Trentino’s Marzemino makes a fresh, lively red for casual sipping.

In both provinces, increasing space has been devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can reach impressive heights whether alone or in blends. The region also produces some of Italy’s finest rosés, the most impressive being Lagrein Kretzer. The sweet Moscato Rosa, with its gracefully flowery aroma, is a rare and prized dessert wine.

The growing demand for white wines has influenced growers to plant more of the international premium varieties. The altitudes of the vineyards are favourable to aromatic whites: Sylvaner, Kerner, Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Müller Thurgau and white Moscato. Oddly, it is the less fashionable varieties that receive the best and highest expositions in these region. But the quality of Chardonnay, Pinots Bianco and Grigio and Sauvignon from certain estates can also stand with Italy’s finest. Trentino’s native Nosiola makes a tasty dry white and is also the base of Vino Santo, an opulent dessert wine from the Valle dei Laghi north of Lake Garda.

Although the region’s white wines are sometimes considered light by international standards, the best of them have an unexpected propensity to age. Pinot Bianco, Riesling, Sylvaner and Müller Thurgau have been known to remain fresh and vital for a decade or more. But the emphasis remains on the popular Pinot Grigio and, increasingly, on Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.

Trentino, which boasts Italy’s largest production of Chardonnay, is a leader with sparkling wines by the classical method, many of which qualify under the prestigious Trento DOC. Alto Adige has also stepped up sparkling wine production. Ultimately, producers in both provinces have been making whites of greater weight and complexity, in particular from Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and Gewürztraminer, whose name derives from the South Tyrolean village of Tramin.

Trentino, in the Alto Adige region, thrives on polenta, usually made from corn but also from potatoes or buckwheat, which is used in a sort of cake called smacafam, baked with sausage, salt pork and sometimes cheese. Beyond conventional ravioli and tagliatelle, first courses include bigoi (similar to the Veneto’s bigoli) and strangolapreti ("priest strangler” gnocchi of spinach, flour, eggs and cheese).
Soups contain tripe, pork, various vegetables, potatoes and turnips. Cornmeal and wheat flour with milk and butter make an ancient gruel called trisa, or Mus in Alto Adige. Along with recipes for dried cod stoccafisso, omelets and frittate, comes a selection of meats: poultry, rabbit. pork, blood sausages called biroldi and salt-cured beef called carne salata.

Alto Adige’s gastronomic pride is Speck, boned pork flank smoked and aged by artisans, mainly in the Venosta valley. Speck dell’Alto Adige, which rates an IGP, is eaten as an opener or snack sliced or cubed with wedges of dark Bauernbrot or with crisp rye flatbread.

Knödeln, which often contain bits of liver or Speck, also come in a dark version with rye bread, buckwheat flour, leeks and bacon. Both may be served in broth or dry to accompany meats and vegetables. Popular soups contain barley and tripe. Sausage called Hauswurst is served with sauerkraut, pickles and horseradish. Noodles called Spätzli often go with beef dishes, such as peppery Rindsgulasch and Sauerbraten, pot roast with onions, wine and vinegar. From the lofty wilds come brook trout, venison and rare chamois and mountain goat.

Trento’s prominent cheese is Grana Trentino, though Grana Padano DOP and Asiago DOP may also be made in the province. Every Alpine village makes its own version called nostrano (ours). Alto Adige’s many local cheeses include the grainy, sharp Graukäse, soft, mild Pusteria and Pustertaler and goat’s milk Ziegenkäse.

The region is Italy’s leading producer of apples, which appear in strudel and the fritters called Apfelküchel. Krapfen are baked or fried pastries with jam. Zelten is a rye flour Christmas cake with candied fruit, nuts, honey, cinnamon and liqueur, though recipes vary between provinces. Trentino’s sweet version of buckwheat smacafam contains raisins, nuts and aniseed.

Wine region: Italy, Toscana

Italy • Toscana

Wine region: Italy, Veneto

Italy • Veneto

Wine region: Italy, Valle d’Aosta

The vine has been cultivated in the Aosta Valley since the Roman period or perhaps even earlier, if various legends can be believed. According to those stories, the Salassi, who lived in the region before the Romans conquered it because of its strategic value, were already making wines from grapes grown in their own vineyards.

It is known with certainty that in 23 BC the Roman legions crushed a rebellion by the valley’s inhabitants and celebrated their victory by looting all the cellars of their wine.

It was during the Middle Ages, however, that the wines of the Aosta Valley established a widespread reputation. And they acquired something of a “sacral” character as well because, according to numerous reports, they were used in the rite of exorcism. The physical layout of the valley favours the cultivation of vines because the mountains tend to block or turn aside the coldest winds, thereby creating suitable microclimates in which grapes have flourished since the remotest times. In the second half of the 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic devastated the Aosta Valley vineyards over a period of many years. Fortunately, although the devastation was enormous, destruction was not total. The vineyards slowly revived and flourished anew. The only lasting setback was the disappearance of several vine varieties.

Donnaz was the valley’s first DOC wine, receiving that recognition in 1971. The following year, it was the turn of Enfer d’Arvier.

The regionwide DOC known as Valle d’Aosta or Vallée d’Aoste covers 23 categories of wine whose names are given in Italian and French, the official second language. These include the longstanding DOCs of Donnas and Enfer d’Arvier, as well as the white wines of Morgex and La Salle, whose vineyards in the shadow of Mont Blanc are reputed to be the highest in continental Europe. Valle d’Aosta has no IGT. But whether Valle d’Aosta’s wines are classified or not, they could never be more than curios that are most compelling when drunk on the spot.

Valle d’Aosta grape varieties range from Piedmontese (Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Moscato) to French (Chardonnay, the Pinots, Gamay), to the teutonic Muller Thurgau called in for mountain duty. But the most intriguing wines of Valle d’Aosta stem from varieties it calls its own. These include the Petit Rouge of Enfer d’Arvier and Torrette, the Blanc de Valdigne of Morgex and La Salle, the Petite Arvine of the varietal white of the name, the Vien for the red wine of Nus and the Malvoisie (apparently a mutation of Pinot Gris) for the rare dessert white of Nus.

Six cooperative wineries with 450 growers account for about three-quarters of Valle D’Aosta’s wine and are largely responsible for a steady improvement in quality.

Vin de Morgex, also called Bianco dei ghiacciai (“glacier wine”), is cultivated at an altitude of 1300 metres, at the foot of Monte Bianco (or, as the French call it, Mont Blanc – a mountain named after a fancy biro) in the heart of Valle d’Aosta. This is the highest region from which wine is produced in all of Europe something which I may mention repeatedly in this discourse.

Blanc de Morgex is an extremely old grape species. Legend states that it was imported to Italy by Vallese share croppers who arrived in the Aosta Valley half way through the seventeenth century to repopulate the area after an epidemic.

Even today, it is cultivated under the characteristic stone pergolas that are a legacy from Roman viticulture. Low and supported by wooden poles, the pergolas scale the sides of the mountains just a few kilometres from Aosta, between the areas of Morgex and La Salle.  The vine owes its strength and extraordinary qualities to its resistance to cold temperatures and snow. Indeed, it is not unusual for the typically bright green grapes to be covered in snow and ice at harvesting time. Furthermore, this capacity to adapt itself to the harshest of climates has protected it from the phylloxera epidemic.
The tiny town of Morgex is only a few kilometres from the trendy alpine resort area of Courmayeur. Its vineyards produce the self-styled “highest white wine in Europe”. (There – told you I’d mention it again). The Dora Baltea river is the region’s only sliver of non-mountainous terrain and is the life-blood of Valle d’Aosta’s viticulture. Its flow keeps the air moving and the clouds away; the gorge traps summer heat enabling the grapes to ripen. They call it “heroic viticulture,” a justifiable epithet given the vines precariously perched on steep terraces.
This wine has all the unexpected charm of an upturned apple-cheeked Heidi figure being pursued across a fragrant alpine meadow by a malevolent Renault Mégane. 
Straw-yellow in colour, with pale green nuances, its bouquet evokes mountain herbs with notes of fresh hay. Hawthorn, broom, lemon, almond, apple, pear and peach jostle delicately on the nose. The palate tracks the aromas; a crisp attack is, however, nicely balanced with intense and agreeable flavours. The finish is persistent with lingering flavours of apple, pear and citrus. The grape variety is called Blanc de Morgex, although is more technically known as Prié Blanc (and in Switzerland’s Valais region as Bernarde). Chalk another one up to the grape detective!

The sheer beauty of these soaring mountain vineyards is made even more arresting by a time-honoured system called pergola bassa, or low pergola, where the vines are trained near the ground in trellised arbours with stone columns surrounded by stone walls. According to La Cave’s winemaker Gianluca Telloli, “The low pergola has been used for centuries here because it protects the vines from wind and heavy snowfall, while allowing them to benefit from heat accumulated in the ground during the daytime.” Yet the low pergola presents many difficulties, too. Harvesters must pick the grapes on their knees and, in some cases, while laying flat on their backs.

Telloli explains that the stone walls surrounding individual plots and the enormous piles of rocks heaped in a seemingly haphazard manner among the terraces have a function beyond aesthetics. “Centuries ago, the peasants realized how important the heat conducting capabilities of the stones were. We’ve kept the ancient stone walls and rocks because they really help retain heat during the cool nights, which is crucial for the grapes’ maturation.”

Each year, in August, Morgex and La Salle are united in celebration: the venue of the festivities alternates from year to year between first one town, then the other. What better occasion for tasting the “highest wine in Europe” as well as savouring other specialities typical of the valley, among which the most famous is the fontina fonduta…

Try also with raclette and Arnad lard, or drink it with a delicate first course dish, accompanied by white vegetable sauces with radicchio or artichokes.

Pasta and olive oil are novelties in a robust cuisine based on cheese and meat, rye bread, potatoes, polenta, gnocchi, risotto and soups. Cows grazed on Alpine meadows provide fine butter and cheese called toma, Robiola and above all Fontina DOP, which figures in many a dish, including fondua, made with milk as in Piedmont’s fonduta. Also DOP is Valle d’Aosta Fromadzo, a firm cow’s milk cheese (sometimes with a bit of ewe’s milk) that has been made in the valley since the 15th century. Cheese is also used with polenta, risotto and in thick soups, whose ingredients range beyond the usual vegetables, meat, rice and potatoes to include mushrooms, chestnuts and almonds.

Meat specialties of Valle d’Aosta are the beef stew called carbonade and breaded veal cutlets or costolette. Aostans savour the trout that abounds in mountain streams and game: partridge, grouse, hare, venison, as well as chamois and ibex (for which hunting is limited). Noted pork products are prosciutto called Jambon de Bosses, which rates a DOP, as does the Lard (salt pork) from the town of Arnad. Spicy blood sausages called boudins and salame are preserved in pork fat. Mocetta is the rare prosciutto of chamois or ibex. A curiosity is tetouns, cow’s udder salt cured with herbs, cooked, pressed and sliced fine like ham.

The Alpine climate lends flavour to berries and fruit, especially apples and pears called martin sec that are cooked with red wine as dessert. The region is noted for fragrant mountain honey, almond biscuits called tegole and butter crisps known as torcetti.

Wine region: USA, Oregon

USA • Oregon

Wine region: USA

United States of America:

California
Oregon

Wine region: France, Bergerac & Dordogne

Bergerac and its associated appellations are strung out along the Dordogne river valley. Despite having been virtually annihilated by phylloxera a century ago and being viewed simply as an extension of Bordeaux, the wines are now rapidly beginning to acquire their own discrete identities. Of the various inner appellations Montravel is associated with a variety of dry, medium and sweet white wines, Saussignac is sweet Bergerac with a peppermint lick, Monbazillac is renowned for the stunning quality of its unctuous botrytised Sauternes-style wines, the delightfully-named Rosette, named after a tiny village, has a mere six growers making deliciously floral medium-sweet wines, whilst Pécharmant, which lies furthest east on the river, is an AOC for red wines only and has a particular gout-à-terroir derived from a mineral-rich subsoil. 

Wine region: France, Cahors

Wine should be drunk neat
In the morning, without
Water at mid-day, and in
The evening just as
The Good Lord gave it to us!
Old Aveyron proverb – quoted in Paul Strang’s Wines of South-West France

Cahors has enjoyed a long and complex history. Vines were originally introduced by the Romans, and when the river Lot was eventually adapted as a trading waterway, the reputation of Cahors became established all over the world. By the 14th century Cahors was being exported throughout Europe including England (where it earned the sobriquet of “The Black Cahors!”) and Russia; it was even considered superior to Bordeaux in France. Paul Strang quotes Monsieur Jullien in his book Wines of South-West France describing this strange black wine: “They make a point of baking a proportion of the grapes in the oven, or bringing to the boil the whole of the vintage before it is put into barrel for its natural fermentation… The first-mentioned process removes from the must quite a lot of the water content of the wines, and encourages a more active fermentation in which the colouring agents dissolve perfectly”. Tastes change… now one can find wines made by carbonic maceration. Pascal Verhaeghe from Chateau du Cèdre has just started using the micro-oxygenation technique (pioneered by Patrick Ducournau in Madiran) to create wines of great suppleness, whilst Jean-Luc Baldes has just created his version of the original black wine. By the way, an anagram of Cahors Auxerrois is “Ou! Six Rare Cahors!” Sometimes, as Voltaire said, the superfluous is very necessary.

Wine region: France, Fronton & Villaudric

To me
He is all fault who hath no fault at all:
For who loves me must have a touch of earth
Tennyson – The Idylls of The King

Fronton and Villaudric are embraced in the Cotes du Frontonnais. We are due north of Toulouse here and just west of Gaillac between the Tarn and the Garonne. The unique Négrette grape grows here. The story is that the Knights Templar brought the vines back from Cyprus almost 900 hundred years ago and called it Négrette because of its dark skin. Fronton is one of the oldest vineyards in France. It was the Romans who planted the first vines on the terraces overlooking the Tarn Valley. But it was only in the 12th century that the Négrette appeared, the variety which was to write Fronton’s history.

At this time, the vines belonged to the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. They were the ones who, on one of their crusades, discovered and brought back a local grape from Cyprus, the Mavro (which means black in Greek), out of which the Cypriots used to make a wine to “ increase their valour.” The Knights introduced this grape to their commanderies in the Occident, including that of Fronton. Over the years, the Mavro became the Négrette and is the origin of the typicity of Fronton wines, the only area in France where this variety has become perfectly and durably acclimatised.

When Calisstus II, 160th Pope after St Peter, came to consecrate the church in Fronton on 19th July 1191, he was so enthusiastic about the wine that he demanded that its praises be sung on parchment.

Much later, the two neighbouring parishes of Fronton and Villaudric quarrelled over the supremacy of their soils. The story goes that in 1621, during the siege of Montauban, Louis XIII and Richelieu, having each taken quarters in one of the two towns, sent each other a gift of the respective wines.

Négrette makes good quick-maturing wines, quite low in acidity, but with a pronounced and particular flavour of almonds, white pepper, cherries, rhubarb and liquorice. The wines are given structure by the addition of Syrah, the Cabernets and Gamay in various quantities. The wines reflect their terroir: the soil is poor, a red stone called rouget with a base of iron and quartz; you can sense their earthy digestibility, and taste the significant concentration of minerals.

Wine region: France, Gascony

Gascony

Wine region: France, Gaillac

Nothing endured at all, nothing but the land… The land was forever, it moved and changed below you, but was forever.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon – Sunset Song

Gaillac is one of the most original wine growing areas in France in every sense. The Romans started planting vines as far back as the 1st century AD, then in the Middle Ages the Church leased out land to farmers who were prepared to plant vines. François I of France used to buy Gaillac wines. When he visited the town in 1533, he was given fifty barrels as a gift. He offered some of them to Henry VIII of England on the occasion of their meeting in the field of gold and the latter was to drink more of these wines regularly in the course of the following years, as is shown in his accounts books. In the 18th century, Catel wrote the following words in his Memoirs (1633): “Gaillac is a town standing on the Tarn river in the region of Albi; this terroir is widely renowned for the excellence of the wines that are grown there, which are sold to both Italy and England…” and he added that “the wine is perfect for the stomach and is not in any way harmful, for it goes to the veins rather than to the head”. The range of grapes and styles is amazing, the limestone slopes being used to grow the white grape varieties, whilst gravel areas are reserved for the red grapes. The Mauzac grape, for example, is especially versatile:  it is resistant to rot and ripens late and may be found in everything from sparkling wines (methode rurale or gaillacoise was being praised by Provençale poet Auger Gaillard long before champagne was a twinkle in Dom Pérignon’s eye) through dry (en vert), to semi sweet and even vin jaune. Mauzac is gently perfumed with a nose of apples and pears and an underlying chalkiness. The other major variety is Len de l’El, which, in Occitan, means “far from the eye” (loin de l’oeil). The reds are made predominantly from two more native varieties, Duras and Braucol, although the temptation to create a Bordeaux style in the interests of commercialism has meant that grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah have found their ways into blends. Robert Plageoles has been dubbed “one of the artists of the appellation”. Mauzac is his particular passion. He produces all styles; the accent is always on wines with purity, delicacy and finesse.

Barthes said that current opinion (which he called Doxa) was like Medusa. If you acknowledged it you become petrified. We feel he would have approved of Robert Plageoles.

Wine region: France, Madiran & Pacherenc

“… Sebastien is a man of hot temper.”
“He is a southerner”, admitted Sir Lulworth; to be geographically exact he hails from the French slopes of the Pyrenees. I took that into consideration when he nearly killed the gardener’s boy the other day for bringing him a spurious substitute for sorrel. One must always make allowances for origin and locality and early environment; ‘Tell me your longitude and I’ll know what latitude to allow you’, is my motto.”

The Blind Spot - Saki

Confidentiel - description of a wine which is known only to connoisseurs and the local growers.

There have been vineyards in Madiran or Vic-Bilh (to give its original dialect name) since the 3rd century and, in the Middle Ages, pilgrims en route for Santiago de Compostela appreciated the wines. Pacherenc may be made from any one of a variety of grapes: arrufiac (or arrufiat or ruffiac) is traditional, although many growers are turning to gros and petit manseng and even a little sauvignon. Dry, off dry or sweet, these wines are unusual and quite distinct from Jurançon with flavours of spiced bread and mint. In Madiran the traditional grape variety is Tannat, its very name suggestive of rustic astringency, and it constitutes anything between 40 and 60 per cent of the blend with the Cabernets and a little Fer (locally called Pinenc) making up the remainder. The soil in Madiran is endowed with deposits of iron and magnesium and is so compacted that neither rain nor vines can easily penetrate – these are dark, intense, minerally wines. As with Jurançon (q.v.) a group of young wine makers have worked hard to promote the identity of their wines. These growers are known locally as “Les Jeunes Mousquetaires” and foremost amongst them is Alain Brumont whose achievements at Chateau Montus have garnered worldwide recognition. His passion for new wood is unfettered; he experiments constantly with oak from different regions of France and with different periods of ageing. He also believes that true Madiran has as near 100% Tannat as possible. Patrick Ducournau, meanwhile, has harnessed modern technology, in his invention of the microbules machine. This device injects tiny bubbles of oxygen into the wine after the fermentation; the idea being that the normal method of racking off the lees disturbs the wine too much, whereas this gentler method allows slow aeration leading to wines of greater suppleness.

Wine region: Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Wine region: Georgia

Georgia is one of the birthplaces of wine culture and wild vines – Vitis Vinifera Silvestris are still widely distributed across the country. Archaeologists and historians have discovered evidence and material artefacts including seven thousand year old grape seeds and antique vessels (pruning knives, stone presses etc.) as well as written testimony of foreign chroniclers and travellers. According to a poem by Apollonius Rhodius, the Argonauts, having arrived at the capital Colchis, saw twining vines at the entrance to the king’s palace and a fountain of wine in the shade of the trees. That Homer, Strabon and Procopius of Caesaria used to mention it in their works leads wine historians to surmise that it was the Transcaucasus, especially Georgia, which was the native land of the first known cultured grape varieties and that it was also from here that the vine spread to many European countries. Xenophon in the 5th century recalled it thus: “That Caucasian tribe who lived in the Black sea coast (and who) prepared strong wine.”

Wine’s name itself is of Georgian origin “Gvino” and October, harvest month, is named “Gvinobistve” (the month of wine). Mosaics attest to the influence of the Georgian wine god “Aguna”. The cult of grapevine and wine forms part of the Georgian psyche – present from spiritual and religious symbolism to the more earthbound aspects of life. In the first part of the IV century St. Nino arrived in Georgia bringing the word of Christianity with an upheld cross made in the shape of an intertwined grapevine arbour. Georgians venerate the vine and its product, and wherever wine is served, a toast is voiced and big-hearted, misty-eyed oratory issues forth.
Wine as evidenced from the Georgian folklore and history is used for solemn or mournful ritual, in copious quantities and rarely, if ever, diluted. The French traveller, Chardin, wrote in the 17th century, that there was “no other country in the world in which wine was so good and drunk so amply, as in Georgia.”

There was a moment of hush as Stalin’s barber cleared away the topsoil and scraped off the clay. He paused like a priest about to confer the sacraments. Only the lid remained. He stood and, so as to underline the drama of the occasion, trod deliberately around its circumference. I edged closer and willed him to take the final step.

As the lid came away, a raspberry haze rose from the ground and was swept away on the breeze. A crimson mirror reflected the scudding clouds - 400 litres of fresh young wine.

The barber took his ladle and scooped out the first glass and handed it to me. I raised it to my mouth and drank. It was a moment of magical intensity.  “It’s saperavi,” he said, referring to the grape, which in Georgian means pigment. It was densely red and cool and stained my lips like blood.

Georgia and its vineyards had taken over a corner of my mind.

Rob Parsons – BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent

Wine region: France, Middle Garonne

“I am not fond, for everyday at least, of racy, heady wines that diffuse a potent charm and have their own particular flavour. What I like best is a clean, light, modest country vintage of no special name. One can carry plenty of it and it has a good and homely flavour of the land, and of the earth and sky and woods”. (Steppenwolf)

Between the southernmost part of Bergerac and Entre-Deux-Mers lie the Cotes de Duras. The vineyards here are scattered and virtually half the production is in the hands of the cooperatives. The grapes are the same as Bordeaux with Sémillon and Sauvignon dominant in the whites and Merlot and the two Cabernets accounting for the reds. There is also some decent Moelleux made from Muscadelle. Marmandais straddles the Garonne river with two caves co-operatives dominating production. Here you will find the Abouriou grape and red wines with a touch more rusticity, although serious oak-aged cuvées have become fashionable recently. Wine has been made in the Cotes de Buzet, an area between Agen and Marmande on the left bank of the Marmande, since Roman times. The excellent Les Vignerons Réunis des Cotes de Buzet is responsible for 85% of the production of AOC Buzet. Country-style Buzet will be a firm mouthful of black cherries and prunes – many growers are suspicious of new oak while others yearn to create a smooth rich Bordelais style.

Wine region: France, Marcillac

“As hard-working as an Auvergnat” A saying quoted in Flaubert’s Sentimental Education

La nuit a dans sa robe un trou de clair de lune.
Bois du vin: on n’a pas toujours cette fortune
Sois heureux et jouis: après nous, bien des fois,
La lune eclairera nos tombes une a une

Omar Khayyam

Marcillac lies on the Aveyron river just north west of Rodez, is linked historically to the Abbey of Conques and is the only appellation in the Aveyron region to enjoy AOC status. To the north are the barren plateaux called les causses. This is wild mountainous country gutted with deep river gorges. For nearly a thousand years vineyards were the base of the region’s economy. In 1868 phylloxera destroyed the vineyards by ninety percent. The economy was devastated and many natives of the region moved away. The style or philosophy of the wines is connected to the area and the grape variety. The vineyards are grown on terraces with very steep gradients; the soil is the reddish-purple le rougier with a schist underlay; the grape variety is mansois, otherwise known as fer servadou; only old barrels and traditional methods are used; minimal sulphur is required in the fermentation. The result? Violet-tinted, brilliant fresh reds packed with fresh currant fruits, provocative acidity and a medicinal minerality, the vinous equivalent of Chalybeate water. The medieval citizens of Rodez used to take Marcillac for their health, because it was preferable to drinking the local water. More recently, Pascal Monestier, the son of a pharmacist in Marcillac, in a thesis on the prevention of cholesterol by the consumption of wine, discovered especially high concentrations of cathecine and procyamidol – anti-cholesterol agents. Well, as the bible says, “Take a little wine for thy stomach”!

AVEYRON

Located in the south west of the Massif Central, Aveyron offers spectacular landscapes. Its plateaus, called Les Causses, are filled with flowers; they are circumscribed by the Lot and Tarn rivers which cut deep gorges into the countryside. The Lot rises in the Cévennes Mountains and flows through villages rich in history. Entraygues is situated at the confluence of the Lot and Truyère rivers; its name in Occitan means “between waters”. The town was founded in the middle of the 13th century at the same time as the castle built by Henri II, count of Rodez and fortified in 1357 and still has a strong medieval flavour.

According to Curnonsky “The Rouerge is one of those lands blessed by bounteous nature; giving us a lust for life on this planet which Man is otherwise intent on making totally uninhabitable”.

Specialities of the region include aligot (a rich purée made with Tomme cheese, butter and mashed potato), stuffed cabbage, tripous (sheep’s feet stuffed and folded up in pieces of stomach) and estofinado (salt cod cooked in walnut oil). From the rivers come trout and crayfish, from the woods beautiful ceps, and flocks of lamb (from the Causses), herds of beef from the Aubrac, bevies of game, and lard-loads of cured pork and ham roam blissfully and earthily throughout the local menus. If you’re hunkering down for some wholesome filling refreshment try Potée Auvergnate, a substantial soup of vegetables and meat. And, of course, there is cheese to please and bring you to your knees: on mange Roquefort et Cantal içi.

You’ve had a hard day thrippling in the fields or in front of a blinking computer screen. You are dwanged and snooled, not to say forswunke, and you’re feeling partial to a schooner of some revivifying red. Not an oak-breasted vanilla soft-soaper from the New World, nor something in the chomping tannin vein, but a simple ruby liquid that speaks of stones and earth. The Entraygues is the perfect paregoric, putting iron back into your blood.

Wine region: France, Pyrenees

When I was a young girl, I was introduced to a passionate Prince, domineering and two-timing like all the great seducers: Jurançon.

Colette

The history of Jurançon begins in effect with Henri IV, born in Pau when it was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre. The story is that during his christening his lips were rubbed with Jurançon and cloves of garlic, the prelude to any great reign one would imagine. The area of Jurançon lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The town of Gan marks the eastern limit of the vineyards and La Chapelle-de-Rousse is the village name you will commonly see on growers’ bottles. The slopes here are very steep; the south-west facing vines require a long growing period. In a good vintage the results can be stunning. The wines range from a dry almondy style with aromas of fresh hay and lemon-zest through the mellow marzipan brioche flavours of moelleux, to the spectacular late-harvested nectars made from the Petit Manseng grape with their beautiful bouquet of honey and flowers and opulent flavours of guava, pineapple and nutmeg. To the west and, at a much lower altitude, lies the commune of Monein and therein some of the great white wine makers in southern France. Growers such as Charles Hours, Jean-Bernard Larrieu and Henri Ramonteu are thinkers and innovators engaged in continuous debate with fellow growers about the styles of the wines they are producing particularly with regard to the role of oak. If one had to distinguish between the wines of Chapelle-de-Rousse and Monein it would be that the former have higher acidity and are a touch more elegant whilst the latter are more vinous and richer.

Nomansland, the territory of the Basques, is in a region called Cornucopia, where the vines are tied up with sausages. And in those parts there was a mountain made entirely of grated parmesan cheese on whose slopes there were people who spent their whole time making macaroni and ravioli, which they cooked in chicken broth and then cast it to the four winds, and the faster you could pick it up, the more you got of it.

- Giovanni Boccaccio: The Decameron
(quoted in Mark Kurlansky’s The Basque History of the World)

Irouléguy, an appellation consisting of nine communes, is situated in the French Basque country high up in the Pyrenees on the border with Spain. These wines are grown on the last remnants of a big Basque vineyard founded in the 11th century by the monks of Ronçevaux Abbey. Much of the vineyard work is artisanal; the vines are grown on steep terraces and have to be harvested by hand. Virtually all production is red or rose with Tannat and the two Cabernets being blended according to the taste of the grower. A minuscule amount of white is made at the co-operative from the two Mansengs and Domaine Brana, for example, produces a wine from 70% Petit Courbu. There are only about half a dozen wine makers as well as the co-op, but the overall standard is very high with Domaine Arretxea (see below) being the reference in the region.

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