Italy is known as land of vine and wine! They say over 1000 grape varieties can be found growing in diverse micro climates and ancient soils over a landmass where wine growing has existed for thousands of years. Most of us are familiar with Tuscany, famous for Chianti from the Sangiovese grape, but there is so much more just under the radar.  When it comes to Southern Italy there are three cool influences that make it stand out. These influences are unique grape varieties, the wine regions and the active volcanoes.

Monte Cascas Colheita 2019 is a blend of Aragonez *85% & Rufete. It is a full bodied, fruity and smooth red that would make any red wine lover happy.
Tasting Note:
Appearance is deep ruby in the glass. On the nose ripe red fruits with black fruit undertones (red raspberry, red plum, black berry, black currant) with toasted biscuits, warm sweet spice, mineral salts, and dried chives. On the palate the flavours of stewed plums and sweetened black currant compote even cherry pie with pastry complete with sweet vanilla spice and chocolate flakes. There is so much freshness and vibrancy in this wine that I couldn’t resist taking another sip. The finish lingers juicy and fresh to the end. Smooth soft tannins on this wine supports the good balance of fresh acidity moderate alcohol. Available at Marquis Wine Cellars for $29 before tax.

Spain is one of Europe’s (and hence the world’s) three largest wine producing countries and the one which is currently undergoing a very marked stylistic revolution in terms of its vinous output. Spain has a long and rich viticultural history that includes a well-established production and export of some very famous wines (think sherry and Rioja) which has provided Spain with all the necessary tools for success in today’s global wine market. However, it is a rejuvenation of mindset amongst an ever increasing number of the nation’s producers that makes this country one of most exciting to explore for today’s adventurous drinker. Gone are the days of the quantity over quality dynamic that typified the industry for a large part of the 20th century during the Franco dictatorship; likewise what came next - the desire to make wines to purely to satisfy the mass market demands of the high volume importers is thankfully now being reassessed. New Spain is all about the journey to discover authentic wines of place.

Although considered a ‘New World’ wine producing country, Chile has a long history of growing grapes and making wine dating as far back as the 16th century. However, today’s global recognized grapes didn’t make an appearance in the vineyard until the latter half of the 19th century with what we might consider today as quality wines only emerging another 100 or so years after that. In the late 20th century, Chile has been a reliable source for many wine drinkers of cheep and cheerful quaffers but since the start of the 21st century, more and more Chilean producers have been focusing their efforts on crafting wines that faithfully reflect the many uniquely Chilean terroirs.

There may be no set of twins more similar yet different than these two – Syrah and Shiraz. In the 1988 movie “Twins’ it seemed unlikely that Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger were related. Yet the of the ending of the movie revealed they were.  Oh mama!

Same But Different
Twins share the same DNA but can express themselves and appear so differently. This is the case with Syrah and Shiraz. If you love big bold red wines with mouth filling richness and flavour – look no further than Shiraz. Blackberry, black cherry, with licorice or black pepper spice aromas and flavours are classic tasting notes for Shiraz. It can be a friendly sipper because it has supple tannin and less acidity than Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, this style is so appealing that it put Australia on the map in the early 90’s and reigned supreme for a decade. To understand Shiraz, is to understand Syrah. In fact, before the movement to protect European names came into effect in the 80’s, Shiraz was known as Hermitage in Oz. Hermitage is perhaps France’s the most iconic appellation for Syrah from the Northern Rhône Valley.

Merlot has been a much maligned grape in recent times; maybe it’s typical soft, seductive profile simply fails to resonate with a generation of wine drinkers searching for ever more edgier, sharp edged sips; or maybe it’s just a case of preconceived notions of a comforting yet uninspiring taste experience. Whatever the reason, it is high time to revisit this variety and discover exactly what makes wines from Merlot both instantly delicious and objectively great. Looking for those benchmark bottles at affordable prices can be challenging and the tip is here, as it so often is when it comes to wine buying, rewards come to those who chose to look further than the usual well-beaten path. In the case of Merlot, one of the finest of those fields afar can be found on a gently rolling Tuscan hillside where tradition, technique, soil and climate conspire to create that grape’s signature hedonistic quality with a uniquely Italian twist.

It hangs on the wall, just covering up the old thermostat that is no longer in use. It says, “You had me at Merlot.” It’s a play on the famous line from “Jerry McGuire” where Rene Zellweger admits that she’s loved him from the first moment they met. Ah, love! Whether or not you feel that way about Merlot, for many it’s the tag line that sticks. The first love, the first encounter, the first sip, Merlot made it easy to love. No rough edges, round smooth texture and mouth filling richness. If you didn’t know what to sip, Merlot was a good choice.

​The appellation of Saint Bris is surely an oddball in the Burgundian vineyard, albeit a very welcome one; a white wine crafted from the crisply aromatic Sauvignon Blanc grape rather than its more subtlety complex and distinctly more signature variety, Chardonnay. Saint Bris is a tiny northern French wine-growing zone of barely 250 acres planted on slopes surrounding the eponymous village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux (itself located just 15 km south-west of the altogether more famous town of Chablis). The reasons for Sauvignon Blanc being planted here are not entirely clear, with the history of this grape tied to place being relatively recent in Burgundian terms, suggesting perhaps a more market driven impetus behind this current synergy. Even though there are significant similarities in terms of climate and soil between Saint Bris and the Loire Valley’s more globally famous Sancerre, the styles of wine produced show marked differences, the former expressing a touch of varietal exuberance and later being a more classical model of restraint.

What does it mean to be savvy? If you google savvy for a definition, it means to have common sense and good judgement. When it comes to wine, and specifically Sauvignon Blanc, savvy will make the difference between a good and a great one! 

Although for the majority of wine drinkers, French pinot noir is virtually synonymous with red Burgundy, such unilateral thinking can deny us from discovering the increasingly good examples of this grape from some of France’s less likely wine-growing zones. Perhaps the most counterintuitive of these for successful production of a cool climate variety, is tucked away in the Mediterranean influenced region of Languedoc-Roussillon. The rationale becomes less obscure when we learn that these particular vineyards are located high in the cooler foothills of the Pyrenean mountain range near the sleepy town of Limoux - Domaine de l'Aigle itself has vines planted up to 500 meters.

I'm Good Wine Gal. I blog about "good wine" and how to find it! Why is Pinot Noir the heartbreaker? Why do some love and other hate Pinot Noir? Why do grape growers and winemakers curse Pinot Noir? If you want to know more, read on. Better yet, you might want to drop in to this week’s wine session with Mark Shipway.

Chardonnay is New Zealand’s second most planted white grape and perhaps one that wouldn’t immediately think of in connection with the country but here’s an insider tip: sommeliers and wine professionals everywhere love the value to be found here and the typical Kiwi style of chardonnay, which emphasizes restraint over exuberance, is currently very in vogue.