Mediterranean wines
A selection of Mediterranean wines chosen to show the differences among the areas.
Wine tasting May 2009.
Codorniu Pinot Noir Cava, alcohol 12%
This wine is 100% Pinot Noir.
No better way to begin than with a glass of sparkling wine. Cava is the sparkling wine of Spain produced largely in that part of Spain. People now drink more cava than champagne. Companies have been making sparkling wine from local grape varieties, in the same way as champagne, for over 150 years. Standards have risen in recent years and producers are making increased use of international grape varieties.
Domaine Felines Picpoul de Pinet 2008, alcohol 13%
The wine selected is a white wine from near the town of Sete. The grape is Picpoul and the area is Picpoul de Pinet. Sometimes compared with Muscadet, the grape is naturally high in acidity - Picpoul means lip stinger - and an ideal partner for the mussels that grow in the nearby salt lakes. This wine goes well with light food.
The French Languedoc coast which is home to many characterful wines including unusual dessert wines Maury and Banyul. Better known areas such as Fitou, Corbieres and Roussillon are increasingly producing quality red wines often from neglected varieties like Carignan. Further eastwards is the southern Provence, the home of rosé, and a little further beyond Marseille one can find the delightful red wines of Baudot. Spoilt for choice.
Araldica La Monetta Gavi di Gavi. 2008, alcohol 12%
This wine is from the Araldica company in the centre of the Gavi area...hence Gavi di Gavi. Made from 100% Cortese grape, an
increasingly fashionable wine that goes well with salads and lighter foods as well as seafood.
Italy has more grape varieties than any other country. Many of them are highly localized. Just across the border into Italy is Piedmonte - the foot of the mountains - and home to some of Italy's most expensive red wines including Barolo and Barbaresco. Just inland from the port of Genoa is the small area of Gavi. The grape there is the Cortese which produces a delicate, refreshing wine that traditionally was the wine that accompanied the locally caught seafood. The citrus notes are balanced by hints of pears, a characteristic of good Italian Pinot Grigio. Its popularity has now spread beyond the local restaurants.
Finest Fiano 2007 alcohol. 13.55%
This wine is from the Fiano grape grown near the historic town of Menfi; a lively, fruit packed wine with notes that can include apple, peach and honey. A wine that goes well with sturdier chicken or fish dishes.
Moving down the Italian coast, particularly south of Naples, there are many interesting wine areas. The volcanic soils and the warmer climate give added complexity to the grapes. Many of the grape varieties owe their origins to the early Greeks. Wines to consider include Fallanghina (white), and Aglianico (red). However, our next port of call is Sicily, Italy's biggest wine producing area. Until recent years, wines from Sicily were generally sent northwards in barrels for blending and beefing up some of the more modest northern wines. These days, Sicily is proudly bottling many of its own wines, often through a new wave of cooperatives. The Fiano grape has been grown in Sicily for at least two thousand years. In 1990 it was Italy's second most planted grape variety, after Sangiovese. Another local white grape, Catarratto, is perhaps more expressive/heavier and can also be worth trying. More restrained local grapes, but worth a try, are Insolia and Grillo.
Finest Nero D’Avola 2007 alochol 13.5%
This wine goes well with barbecued steaks and roast lamb.
Still in the Menfi area you can find Sicily's most planted red grape, Nero d'Avola. A powerful, flavor packed grape that until the early 1980s was routinely used to strengthen weaker reds in France and, particularly, Northern Italy. It is sometimes compared with an Australian Shiraz. Lots of blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry notes that build to give a rich, full bodied finish. A grape that many predict will become much better known and appreciated.
Firebird Legend Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 alcohol 13%
The quality control procedures set for this wine are very, very impressive.
The Black Sea countries are beginning to emerge from the former soviet shadow and Moldova seems to be leading the way in wine terms. Once a major supplier to Moscow at very depressed prices, the country is struggling to, and beginning to achieve, international recognition. One of the smallest and poorest countries in Europe it nonetheless has the greatest potential in the region. It is the same latitude as Bordeaux and much of the usable land slopes conveniently face southwards. The poverty has meant that there has been minimal usage of chemicals, hence many of the grapes are grown organically, and the vine stock is generally old , and old vines produce greater concentration of flavors in a wine. There is now major investment in the wine making facilities. The attentions of successive Tsars has meant that most of the grape varieties are international and include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Moldova has the largest wine cellar in the world: a drive through experience through some of the estimated 43 miles of tunnels.
Horchar from Chateau Musar 2001 alcohol. 13.5%
This is a hugely individual wine that has an extraordinary range of flavors.
The Lebanon claims a 6,000 year wine history. The Phoenicians developed winemaking in the Bekaa Valley and were wine traders in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly with Egypt. They were followed by the Romans who further strengthened the importance of Lebanese wine. Canaan is in southern Lebanon and referred to in the Bible. Chateau Musar was established in 1930. The vineyards are at an average height of 3,200 feet (1,000 m). The altitude, old vines and low yields give a particular intensity to the grapes. Musar produce a number of red and white wines but their flagship wine is Chateau Musar. It is aged for 7 years before release. The second wine, Hochar, is aged for 3-4 years. The blend varies from year to year. The 2001 vintage is dominated by Cabernet sauvignon and Carignan with other grapes, including Cinsault, playing minor roles.
Domaine Larroque Merlot-Syrah 2005 alcohol 13.5%
This is an intense, fruit driven wine with a little spiciness, from the Syrah; a wine that would go well with beef, lamb and, of course, with tagines.
The North African coast was once a major producer and exporter of wine. Until as recently as the early 1950s, north Africa represented around two thirds of the internationally traded wines. The wines from the French territories of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco were mainly shipped into France, blended and often sold as Vin de Table. The independence struggles of these countries in the late 1950s (particularly in Algeria, the largest wine producer) resulted in great hostility towards anything French. The strict Muslim code dealt a further blow to any alcoholic products. This was followed by EU regulations which decimated exports. The vineyards and wine making facilities inevitably deteriorated. There has been a revival, particularly in Morocco. The high valleys of Morocco have long been regarded, particularly by the Romans, as excellent for growing grapes. Today, the French influence is slowly returning. The tasting wine is a blend of Merlot and Syrah.
A tour around the Mediterranean, from Spain to Morocco, exploring the wines produced in different countries.