Big, distinctive whites with no whiff of oak ... part three of Mary Dowey's wine course offers alternatives to Chardonnay
CHARDONNAY ALTERNATIVES
Tired of Chardonnay - even just a bit? And tired of heavily-oaked white wines of all descriptions, dripping with vanilla and butterscotch flavours? Let's hope this third instalment of our mid-level wine course will bring you solace - and succulence. We're looking at two grapes which are capable of making impressive wines without any help from oak barrels. They have one other thing in common - a stronghold in Alsace, a region which many consumers bypass, even though wine buffs continually rave about it.
First comes our Doppelgänger - the grape that makes lightish wines under the name of Pinot Grigio in Italy and much richer ones under the name of Pinot Gris in Alsace. When I visited New Zealand earlier this year, I was astonished to see what a cult wine Pinot Gris has suddenly become there - as it is in other pockets of the New World. Even more surprising was the fact that most winemakers praised the Alsace model and rubbished the Italian one, when both can be delicious. We probably have more good Pinot Grigios in Ireland than we do Pinot Gris. Buy one of each and see how they compare.
The second grape of the week is more controversial. Heavily perfumed and exotically flavoured, Gewürztraminer tends to polarise tasters into two extreme groups - madly in favour and madly against. (From its extremely rare appearances in this column, you may guess which camp I'm in - but I know, having been frequently accosted by aggrieved fans, that the pro-lobby is formidable.) "Gewürztraminer's faults are only in having too much of everything," Jancis Robinson writes in the Oxford Companion to Wine. Subtle it ain't. But that doesn't matter a whit if you like it - so get hold of a couple of different examples and see where you stand.
ESSENTIAL KIT
Let's recap on what you need to get started:
THIS WEEK'S INSIDER INFO: HIGH IN ALCOHOL
Burn, baby, burn. If you've made a habit of peering at the small print on wine labels, you will know that alcohol levels have been rising steadily over the past few years. Why? With their warm, sunny climates, New World countries tend to harvest grapes that are riper, and therefore higher in sugar content, than is traditional in many parts of Europe. In the fermentation process, in which yeast converts sugar into alcohol, the end result is a more alcoholic wine.
The runaway success of New World wines has made European producers stop and think. What do consumers like about them so much? Their ripe fruit flavours, for a start. Higher alcohol can also make a wine seem smoother - another plus for most drinkers. You can guess what happens next. Many European winemakers decide their grapes should be left to ripen a bit longer. The result: higher alcohol wines in this part of the world as well.
For example, red Bordeaux, which was typically 12 or 12.5 per cent alcohol up to a decade ago, is now often 13 or 13.5 per cent, and many other regions are following the same trend. Mind you, they still tend to lag behind their New World counterparts. Australian Shiraz can often hit 14.5 per cent, and white wines aren't necessarily far behind. I've come across South African examples of Sauvignon Blanc - light and zesty, usually - at 14 per cent. Winemakers point out that new strains of cultured yeast are more efficient than old ones at converting sugar into alcohol - another factor in the creation of headspinners.
Does it matter? Some wines carry off a high alcohol content so effortlessly that you'd never guess the figure correctly. Although weighty in style, they taste perfectly balanced, harmonious and enticing. But many of the big, ripe, alcoholic whoppers that are on the shelves these days lose their appeal after a couple of mouthfuls. They taste too sweet, too heavy and above all, too hot. Watch for the burn of alcohol they leave in your throat. Not pleasant. Nobody wants to drink lean, mean wines made from underripe grapes - but nor do we want to drink alcoholic syrup. Maybe the fixation with ripe fruit has gone too far.
GRAPE 5: PINOT GRIGIO/PINOT GRIS
CLAIM TO FAME Pinot Grigio: popular in north-east Italy and now a huge hit in London wine bars. Pinot Gris: a star in Alsace and currently the white darling of many winemakers in Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia.
PLUS Italian versions are refreshing and drinkable alone, while those from Alsace are super food wines.
MINUS Cheap, low-grade Italians spoil the image of Pinot Grigio. And flabby New World efforts don't do much for the name of Pinot Gris - although good Alsace versions tend to be pricy.
CHEAT LIST OF SMELLS, FLAVOURS, TEXTURE Pinot Grigio: lemons, apples, almonds, usually fairly light. Pinot Gris: pears, oranges, spice, honey, rich, weighty.
WHAT FOOD DOES IT SUIT? Pinot Grigio: light first courses, fish, vegetable dishes, pasta with cream sauce. Pinot Gris: onion tart, roast pork, veal, rabbit in white wine.
TWO TO TRY
Gregoris Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Azienda Fattori 2003. See Bottles of the Week.
Domaine Mittnacht Alsace Pinot Gris Muhlforst 2000. From Berry Bros, Harry St, €19.95. Imagine that you have a wrap that is silk on one side and silk velvet on the other. (This may not come naturally to all male readers, but try.) Here you have the two facets of Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris. The Pinot Grigio is light, but not chiffon-light: alongside the citrussy freshness of Gregoris in this vintage there's lovely depth of flavour with pear and even delicate apricot tones to the fore. The Pinot Gris feels weightier. Rich gold in colour, this fabulous version from organic Alsace producer Domaine Mittnacht offers luscious hints of orange, honey and spice in a smooth, substantial body, along with an endless finish. With strikingly pure flavours, both wines are superb.
GRAPE 6: GEWÜRZTRAMINER
CLAIM TO FAME One of the noble grapes of Alsace - capable of making extremely aromatic, intensely flavoured wines. New World versions pale by comparison.
PLUS So distinctive in aroma and flavour that it's really easy to recognise. And it can make stunning sweet wines.
MINUS A love-it-or-hate-it grape. Some people find its dry wines a tad overpowering.
CHEAT LIST OF SMELLS, FLAVOURS, TEXTURE Lychees, rose petals, Turkish delight, lime marmalade, spice, mouthfilling.
WHAT FOOD DOES IT SUIT? Onion tart, Münster cheese, some smoked fish, Indian or Chinese chicken or pork dishes (but only if you are a major Gewürz fan)
TWO TO TRY
Alsace Gewürztraminer Cuvée Réserve, Cave de Turckheim 2002. From Oddbins, €12.59.
Backert Gewürztraminer, Alsace 2002. See Bottles of the Week.
As a non-supporter of Gewürz in its most flowery form, I've chosen these two not to demonstrate different stylistic extremes, but to show what seem to me pretty tempting examples of a more restrained approach at two different price points. With gentle hints of lime marmalade and lychees, the Cave de Turckheim wine is a thoroughly pleasant drink, if not particularly complex. (I should stress that it improved enormously after it had been open for a while and tasted even better the next day - a rare feat for a white.) The Backert is more intense, more refreshing, more layered. Whoa, I'm almost getting carried away ...