Ugni Blanc

Ugni Blanc has more names than God and crops up all over the place to be used for all styles of wine. In France it is a major component in the production of both Cognac and industrial alcohol, not that there is any other connection between these two products.

This week it appears as the co-vinified junior partner of Colombard, another grape that contributes to the production of Brandy, in a regional wine from Gascony. Co-vinified simply mean the grapes all ferment together, rather than being blended together after they have become wine.


Week U (2014) is Charte d'Assemblage, Cotes de Gascogne, IGP. 2012. Waitrose £8.49

Zippy appears up front in Waitrose's own tasting notes and I assume this not a reference to the long running children's tv series of the early 1970's - early 1990's, but a subtle warning that this is unlikely to be a soft, buttery white Burgundy style wine.

It is under a screw cap and this is usually an indication that wine is intended to be drunk when it is still young and fresh. I don't anticipate any problems in satisfying that expectation.

Over a game of Cribbage, won by the better team by pegging out just in time (what's that?), I discovered that zippy is a fair description. Not to be confused with sharply acidic, but certainly as bright and lively as the banter about 'two for doing it' and 'one for his knob'. (What?).

Pale lemon yellow, in colour, medium intensity aromas of citrus and stone fruits, with a hint of tropical fruit, or at least ripe peaches on the palate. Good finish and at 11.5% made a very acceptable summer evening drink. We had it after a NZ Sauvignon Blanc and it wasn't too jarring a change but perhaps a little softer.

There are many good wines of a similar style available around this price point, so it will have to compete with equally well made 'everyday wines' to get into the shopping trolley and, sadly, that probably means I am more likely to buy it if Waitrose trick me into thinking it's a bargain. (No foul pay implied, that's just how the world works.)

Tannat

Either way you look at it Tannat is still tannaT. It's the little things like that, that make life enjoyable, for me at least. But wordplay aside, Tannat is not generally known for being whimsical. In fact, it is more famed for being something of a tough customer.

Tannat and tannin are close, both phonetically and physically. The grape has a reputation for producing wines with prominent and sometimes harsh tannins and this has been handled in a number of different ways by winemakers seeking to tame the beast. Blending with other varieties is common and ageing can mellow the juice, but one technique now widely used in Bordeaux and elsewhere was first developed by a vigneron in Madiran, Patrick DuCournau, in 1991, specifically to make Tannat more approachable. That technique, micro-oxygenation, involves pumping controlled amounts of oxygen through the fermenting must, or sometimes maturing wine, in quantities and for durations of the producers choosing. Either over or under done, oxygenation can lead to faulty wine with various off-flavours but the technique is now well understood after a near quarter century of use and producers who know their onions can avoid their wines smelling like them.

Week T (2014) is Reserve Des Tuguets, Madiran. 2010. £11.99 Tesco.

It is at the purple end of ruby and not particularly pronounced in aromas. What is there is dark, brambly, blackberry type fruits with a hint of oak ageing.

On the palate the same fruits come through, with a bit more blackcurrant. There is a fair bit of tannin and it is reasonably smooth, but still quite astringent. The tannins for which Tannat is famous have been tamed by blending with two red Cabernet grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The latter of these is grown extensively in the Loire valley and it gives a light, aromatic style of red wine and so is well matched with the harder edged Tannat.

At 13% abv it is fairly typical of modern wines and the alcohol is well integrated with the primary fruit flavours. The finish is a little bitter and has some earthy, rustic (a popular term when describing Madiran) flavours.

This bottle sports a sticker proclaiming a bronze award at the Decanter Wine Awards and I wouldn't disagree with that, but at £11.99 it is competing with a number of wines that are more immediately enjoyable. This is pleasant, but the earthy tones, for my taste, take the edge off the whole experience. It is good, well made and could not be described accurately as bland, but will not feature on my regular buys list.

Although Madiran is the French home of Tannat it is now considered to be the national variety of Uruguay, following its introduction by settlers from the Basque country. Those of you who have been following the football World Cup may enjoy the idea of a wine known for its bite being held in such high regard in that part of the world. Those who haven't may need to Google 'Suarez'.

Semillon

In this experiment to use the alphabet as our guide in a journey of discovery through the world of wine, we have encountered Botryitis Cinerea previously. Week H (2013) featured Harslevelu, one of the great Hungarian grapes used in the production of Tokaji. In that case, the process of making the sweet version of the wine is quite complicated and involves taking the grapes affected by 'Noble Rot' (the welcome results of the work of the fungus Botrytis Cinerea which is not to be confused with 'Grey Rot', its unwelcome stable mate) and grinding them into a paste to be added to wine fermented to dry. This week we have a more straightforward dessert wine.

Week S (2014) is De Bortoli, Hermits Hill, Botrytis Semillon, Riverina, NSW. 2009
Marks & Spencer £8.49 37.5cl.

This wine is made for M&S by the De Bortoli winery with nobly rotted Semillon grapes grown in Riverina. This is an area of New South Wales, towards the border with Victoria, where the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers provide the irrigation to enable diverse forms of agriculture to flourish, including viticulture.

The climate in Riverina is one of long warm days with heavy morning dews and occasional showers and this is exactly what our friendly fungus enjoys. De Bortoli also produce 'Noble One', in Riverina, another dessert wine made from botryitis affected Semillon grapes that has regularly won awards at competitions all over the world and, whilst this week's wine is not this, there are some strong similarities.

The wine is a golden lemony colour and is lusciously sweet, without being too sticky. The flavours have the typical complexity of a botryitised wine, with peaches, pineapples, warm citrus and ripe melon leading the fruits, developing into caramel and barley sugar notes. It is only 11% abv, so not too heavy at the end of a meal.


We drank it chilled with a zesty orange sponge pudding and this worked well.

Semillon is something of a signature grape for Australia, especially the Hunter Valley, also in New South Wales, where the combination of heat and humidity suits the development of Noble Rot. But it is also one of the classic Bordeaux grapes being, with Sauvignon Blanc, a major contributor to the region's white wines of Graves and Entre-duex-Mers. And it is a major component of another of the world's greatest sweet wines from that part of France: Sauternes, which itself has cousins in Barsac, Monbazillac (in the nearby Dordogne) and elsewhere.

Would I add this week's wine to the regular list? Yup. De Bortoli's Noble One is about two and half times the price and this is a very acceptable, enjoyable and economical alternative.

Rondo

In the pleasant Chilterns countryside to the North East of Berkhamsted, home to Radio 4's Ed Reardon and claimant to being the place where William the Bastard, or Conqueror as it is believed he preferred to be known, accepted the surrender of the English, lies a small hamlet called Frithsden. It has a pub, the Alford Arms, lots of trees, some beautiful but hideously expensive houses, more trees and a vineyard.

The five acre vineyard was originally planted in 1971, grubbed up in 2001 and then replanted by the current owners in 2006. There are around 6,000 vines of three varieties, one of which begins with an 'R' and so was a shoe-in as this week's wine.

Week R (2014) is Frithsden Vines Rose, 2013. £11.50 from the cellar door at Frithsden Vineyard.


It is made from 100% Rondo and grown, vinified, bottled, sold and sometimes drunk on the premises.

Most, almost all, 'quality' wine made in the EU comes from the vine species 'Vitis Vinifera'. But although Rondo is a variety registered as a vinifera variety it has, in fact, been bred (engineered?) using some genes from Vitis Amurensis that help it to cope with cold winters such as we have in England.

It is a hardy little grape, previously known as GM6494 before being christened Rondo, with good disease resistance but can, however, suffer from powdery mildew if the conditions are unfortunate.

It produces small berries whose unusually red flesh helps in producing a vivid pink wine. Most grapes have clear flesh and the juice they contain has no real colour. The colour of red and rose wines generally comes from the pigments (anthocyanins, don't you know) contained in their skins. This is also true of Rondo, but the pink flesh is an added benefit.


It is a deep pink, has a light fruity aroma of strawberry and raspberry, tastes much the same and a little hubba bubba hint. At only 10% abv it is not heavy, but it does have enough acidity to make it quite mouth-watering, and enough sweetness to prevent it from feeling thin. There are not really noticeable tannins and the pleasure comes from the fresh fruitiness, which stays on the palate for a reasonable time. If you don't like rose then this is not the wine that will make you change your mind, but if you already enjoy the pinks of Southern France then you would be unlikely to send this back.

The label on the bottle identifies the contents as 'Wine of England' and this is a meaningful term. It is possible to find wines labelled 'British Wine' and it may be tempting to think of these terms as synonymous, but they aren't. By way of explanation let's consider Andy Murray, the plucky British tennis player who this week has dispatched three week one opponents at Wimbledon without dropping a set. He is British, but not English. It is true that he achieved maturity in England by winning both the Olympics in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and that all of England's tennis fans share in the joy of his success as he is British and so are they. But he was born and raised in Scotland and so he cannot, and I understand does not want to, be called English. So it is with wine. British wine can be produced in England, but it can be done using grapes born and raised anywhere in the world. English Wine, or Wine of England, can only be called such if the grapes used in its production were grown in England.

People select and buy wines for all kinds of reasons. In England it tends to be heavily influenced by price, branding and supermarket offers, although there are signs that this is may be slowly changing towards increased interest and understanding, and I suspect small producers like Frithsden Vineyard have to rely on both a great deal of effort and, possibly, a romantic notion that the contents of the bottle somehow embody the spirit of the place from which they came. I want them to do well and I want the wine to be good in its own right, so good luck to them. Seriously.

Quinta de Azevedo

If it's a Q we must be back in Portugal.

I had tried to find a Sauvignon Blanc from Quincy, an AOC in the central vineyards of the Loire, where wines similar in style to Sancerre and Pouilly Fume are made, but failed. I also failed to find a Quarts de Chaume, a sweet dessert wine from further East along the same river made in small quantities from Chenin Blanc.

Week Q (2013) was a red week, and that was difficult to deal with until I resorted to Portugal. That week I went to the Lisbon area and found a Quinta (estate) making wines with some of the many Port grapes. This week we are further North in the Vinho Verde region, right up by the Spanish border.

The estate in question for this week is Quinta de Azevedo, owned by Sogrape, Portugal's biggest producer who are responsible for that 1970's classic; Mateus Rose (must find out how to add accents), amongst many others and the wine is:

Week Q (2014) Quinta de Azevedo, Vinho Verde, DOC 2013. £8.29 Waitrose.

Vinho Verde is famous for producing light, fresh white wines, and some reds, with a slight spritz. This is a very typical example. It is 11% abv, has a light, appley nose and a lively, refreshing, dry citrus taste. The fruity flavours linger reasonably well, but this is an ideal warm summer's afternoon or early evening drink and nothing more serious.

The bubbles that form on pouring don't last very long, but there is still a prickly sensation that hits the tongue with each return to the glass.

It is a blend of Loureiro, which featured in week L (2013) in another Vinho Verde, and Arinto, a high acid wine responsible for the lemon notes.

The quinta was bought by Sogrape in 1980 and apart from this wine they also produce 5 million litres of their brand 'Gazela' (Gazelle) Vinho Verde, which is sweeter and more sparkling and definitely aimed at the everyday wine market.

Our wine gets good reviews and is supplied not only by Waitrose, but also The Wine Society, Majestic, what's left of Oddbins and various other outlets. I guess this means there is a sufficient number of wine buyers who believe this is will sell well that it hits its target market on the button.

It is perfectly pleasant and, just as with the earlier Loureiro, I think a few bottles put by for a summer barbeque would not be a bad investment.

Pinot Noir

As I am a bit of a Pinot Noir fan this week is something I have been looking forward to, but as I have said before choice is something that I can find overwhelming, if there is too much of it. I have talked a little about book shops (week J (2013)), but this week you get another insight into the alleged workings of my mind which concerns restaurants. Give me a menu and I will parse the options to remove anything that sounds unnecessarily healthy, most things that come out of the sea and items which after having the superfluous descriptive words removed sound like nothing more exciting than meat and two veg. Hopefully that leaves me with a choice of two or more attractive options. The One will want to know what I will have so that she can order something else, with the intent of stealing at least a forkful of my dinner, but that's not going to happen. Oh, no. Not purely for selfish reasons, but mostly because I can't choose until the waiter is hovering over me with a sharp pencil.

Pinot Noir has its home in Burgundy, in the West of France, where countless producers make red wines from a single grape variety grown countless vineyards, in countless villages. It's all Burgundy, but it's not all the same. Quality and price vary widely and so choosing well requires a balance of knowledge, budget, courage and luck.

I want to keep on track with my 52 wines in 52 weeks plan, so I decided to find my Pinot Noir somewhere else less complicated.

Week P (2014) is Hahn  Winery, Pinot Noir , California. 2012. Waitrose £13.99.

The Hahn family founded their winery in 1980 and it is still managed as a family business today. The grapes used in this wine come mostly from the American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Arroyo Seco, with 8% coming from their holding in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Hahn explain that this blend is intended to produce a rounded fruit forward wine with well balanced acidity and elegance.  This sounds great and we will see if we agree shortly.

Pinot Noir is not an easy grape to cultivate and this explains, in part, why the range of qualities, styles and flavours available from Burgundy alone is so diverse. It has a thin skin, the part of the grape responsible for a wines colour and much of its flavour and so Pinot Noir is not often deeply coloured, and this together with it producing flower buds early in the season leaves it prone to all kinds of viticultural risks from both weather and disease.

In very hot regions it can produce very jammy (as in jam, not luck) wines and it is best grown in cooler climate areas, like Burgundy. California has a broad spectrum of climatic conditions but the Arroyo Seco AVA is in Monterey County, to the South East of a bay of the same name, where cool air from the Pacific Ocean moderates the more extreme temperatures found further South or inland. The soil is gravelly and absorbs heat during the day, and releases it through the night and protects these sensitive grapes from one of the many perils that can cause problems; frost.

The wine is a medium intensity ruby colour and it has tears that point to the 14.5% abv that lurk in the bottle. This is on the high side for a Pinot Noir, but on tasting it is well integrated with the fruits, mostly black cherries, and the subtle oak-influenced results of having spent some time in 40% new French oak.

I am very impressed with this wine, it is smooth, well-balanced, complex and has a lasting finish. At the price it isn't from the 'everyday wine' category (if there really is such a thing), but it is good enough value to not get stuck in the Sunday lunch only bucket. And that's a phrase I'll never use again.

Final factette: The family name, Hahn, translates into German as 'Rooster' and that explains the logo.

Orange Muscat

O is another of those challenging letters. Only two weeks ago (Week M (2014)), we explored a Muscat and so I wasn't sure that Orange Muscat would be sufficiently distinct. However, having done my research and having also failed to find any of the other few candidates I decided to give it a go. There are no rules about this game, other than my rules, and nobody reading any of this stuff, other than me, so If I am happy so is all my readership.

I had been to an event to celebrate the launch of a book written by my very learned brother-in-law-in-law, (he is actually The One's brother-in-law, or my sister-in-law's husband and, unlike cousins, I'm not too certain of the protocol governing these titles) about how babies are nice, but grown-ups aren't and why the babies are not to blame, when I passed a large Waitrose store at the start of my journey home, therefore:

Week O (2014) is Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora, 2012. Waitrose £7.49 for 37.5cl.

Muscat is a large family of varieties and Orange is a little known and grown member, mostly found in limited parts of the Australian state of Victoria,but having started its life on South East France.

In this wine it is blended with another variety, Flora, which is not a Muscat but a crossing of Semillon and Gewurztraminer developed in 1958 at the Californian Agricultural Department Station. Orange Muscat is 80% of the blend with Flora making up the remaining 20%.

This is a dessert wine, the sweetness being a consequence of the fermentation having been stopped before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol and so the wine is only 10% abv. The Orange Muscat grapes were harvested late in the season (Late Harvest, hurrah!) so the sugar levels would have reached their peak and the flavours fully developed. The Flora grapes contribute fragrance and acidty.

In the glass, the wine is a rich lemon yellow colour and smells of orange blossom and citrus fruits, such as grapefruit and lime.

On the palate it is, unsurprisingly, sweet with intense and concentrated flavours to match the nose with added honey and spice. It is a rich, mouth-filling and almost oily in texture. The finish is lingering and the sweetness persists as remnants of the slightly syrupy wine seem to cling to the corners of the mouth.

A very enjoyable, light in alcohol pudding wine that could be enjoyed as any other of its type, but Brown Brothers website makes a very intriguing suggestion: make a dessert of apricots marinated in Orange Muscat and Flora. Now, there's a thought.

Nero d'Avola

I knew that Calabrese was a type of broccoli, but it turns out that it is also three grape varieties, a type of sausage and a horse. In fact, so I have discovered, it is a name that can be used for anything from Calabria.

We are back in Italy, so don't expect anything to be straightforward, and the one of the three grapes we are interested in this week is Nero d'Avola, which doesn't come from Calabria, but Sicily. Incidentally, the other two are Sangiovese and Canaiolo, neither of which is particularly Calabrian either. I like Italy.

Week N (2014) is Terra Firma, Nero d'Avola, Terre Siciliane, IGT, 2012. £7.99 Uncorked

The grape has been grown in the Eastern side of Sicily for centuries. It is tempting to think of mandolins at this point with Marlon Brando, his cheeks stuffed with cotton wool, saying 'now you come to me and say "Don Corleone, give me justice".......' or another of those great lines, but this would be mistaken. Not only for the obvious reason that, if people like the Godfather did still exist, it would be unwise to be disrespectful, but because the man responsible for producing this wine is not (as far as I know) connect to the mafia, but a Canadian MW who lives in England with a name that I suspect comes from somewhere else: Michael Palij.

According to the Winetraders the producer's website, care has been taken to produce a good value and good quality Nero d'Avola by blending grapes grown at altitude with those grown at lower levels. This allows the grapes from higher up to contribute levels of acidity that those from the lower levels may lack, but those from below providing the rich, plummy fruit.

Even before we get the screwcap off there is enough of interest in this bottle to illustrate why wine can be such an interesting subject.

However, although I do enjoy the academic aspects of my chosen hobby, what I really enjoy is getting the stuff in the glass and finding out what it looks,smells and tastes like.

Well, this one is a rich ruby colour (it's name means 'black from Avola') and smells of ripe fruits like plums and cherries. It tastes much the same and has enough tannin to make it interesting, medium acids and is very easy drinking, despite being a weighty 13.5% abv. Uncorked call it a delicious mid-week drinker and I wouldn't argue with that. For the price (£7.99) I would happily add this to my regular wine list, if I had such a thing.

Muscat

A couple of years ago The One and I drove from Calais to Antibes to stay with some generous friends who had invited us to stay in their lovely rented holiday home. It is a long journey, so we took our time and had two overnight stops en route (as they say in France).

The first stop was in the heart of Burgundy in the wonderful medieval town of Beaune. The accommodation was straight out of 'Allo, 'Allo. I think we slept 'in the bedroom of my Mother' and definitely in the least comfortable bed imaginable. The local food and wine certainly justified the following day's backache.

The second stop was intended to be at Avignon, but there was a festival in full swing and no room at the inn. So we pushed on and drove up into the hills looking for a suitable resting place. We ended up in another lovely village, famous for it's sweet, fortified wine; Beaumes de Venise.

Week M (2014) is Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. NV. Costco £6.25 37.5cl.

Made from 100% Muscat, specifically the Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains version, it has been made sweet by having its fermentation arrested before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol, through the addition of grape spirit. This is the same technique used in the production of Port, only in the Rhone valley it gives rise to the term 'Vin Doux Naturelle', or naturally sweet wine.

It is 15% abv, and beautifully sweet and golden and has grapey, fruity, floral aromas and flavours with a lemon-honey finish.

This is a very typical example of the type of wine which has been made in this part of the Rhone valley from as long ago as the 14th Century, but recognised as an appellation controllee in 1945.

Not much more to say about this other than it makes a great partner to sweet desserts such as trifles and fruit custard type tarts, or as a chilled evening treat.

The Village of Beaumes de Venise is in a truly beautiful part of the world, in the shadow of a range of hills known as the Dentelles de Montmirail, from where our journey took us up into the Alps and through some beautifully scented lavender fields and up some impressive mountain passes. These passes are irresistible to mamils (the snuggly attired racing cyclists) who, not content with the effects of gravity, will pedal at full tilt down roads that I had to think twice about driving up.

A great trip and a great memory of drinking this wine in the village where it was made. Cheers.

Lambrusco

Ok, so this was a panic buy and not what I really wanted.

I had read and heard about how Lambrusco had made a justified return to our wine shop and supermarket shelves, having disappeared years ago for good reason. Most of us, of a certain age, remember Lambrusco as a light, pink, fizzy teenage party drink, barely qualified to be called a wine.

The 'new' Lambruscos are dry, semi sparkling wines with flavours of violets, strawberries, black cherries and fresh plums. They are higher in alcohol, fuller bodied and even tannic, like grown-up wines.

So I set about finding some to be my red L. There aren't many red L's, and it felt like a good opportunity to try something experimental which is, after all, why I started this game in the first place. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped. M&S have been reliable in their support for my exploration and they had a Lambrusco Rosato.

Week L (2014) is Marks and Spencer Lambrusco Rosato.

It is a light, pink, fizzy teenage party drink, barely qualified to be called wine.

I have since tasted a Lambrusco Grasparossa from Emilia-Romagna. It was dry, semi sparkling with flavours of violets, strawberries, black cherries and fresh plums. It was higher in alcohol, fuller bodied and slightly tannic.

The moral of this story? Never buy wine in a panic. There is good stuff out there waiting to reward the patient.

Koshu

Asked to suggest a list of wine producing countries most people would be unlikely to include Japan. Given the production volume is around 1% of that from France, this is not surprising, but Japan is still more productive than 15 of the top 40 producers (by volume).

There are many varieties, but only one is really considered the signature Japanese grape. That is Koshu, a pink skinned variety that developed its individuality over hundreds of years, having first arrived from the Caucasus along the Silk Road.

Week K (2014) Soryu Koshu, 2010. Amathus £21.35

Most of Japan's prefecture have grape growing regions, but 95% of Koshu is grown in the prefecture of Yamanashi, to the West of Tokyo, itself once known as Koshu and from where the grape takes its name.

The climate in Yamanashi is dominated by the monsoon, which brings both heavy rainfall (no, really) and high humidity, neither of which are particularly conducive to wine production. To address this, vines tend to be grown on high trellises using a technique known here as tanazukuri but in other parts of the world as tendone, to avoid fungal diseases by lifting the grapes that grow beneath the vine canopy into the more freely circulating air.

The excess water together with the tendency of growers to maximise yields can leave the grapes without the character and qualities that are necessary to produce a quality wine. However, careful producers are capable of producing good wines, and this week we have one of those.

It is a pale, almost colourless, with hints of green but bright and inviting. The aroma is more intense than I had expected with attractive floral notes.
These aromas appear again on the palate, but are backed with more stone-fruit, peachy flavours and some lemon-lime citrus touches.

It is 11% abv, light, fresh, dry and clean tasting with well-balanced acidity. I am tasting it as an aperitif and it works well, however, if there was any Sashimi to hand I would be ready to tuck in.

Jaen

In Portugal they grow many grapes. There are 82 varieties permitted in the production of Port, 30 of which are 'recommended' in the Duoro region decree 413/2011.

This week we have chosen a wine that features three of them and one that doesn't even make the long list.

Week J (2014) Quinta do Correio Tinto. Dao DOC 2011. Vinoteca, Farringdon. £9.25.

Made by Quinta dos Roques and marketed under a brand that translates to 'Postman's Estate', this one comes from the Dao valley a little further south than its arguably more famous neighbour. The valley is based on sandy granite soils, around 500m above sea level.

The grapes concerned are: Jaen 60%, Touriga Nacional 25%, Alfrocheiro 10%, Tinta Roriz 5%, and it is the third of these that shouldn't find its way into the fortified wine for which this country is so rightly renowned.

It tips the scales at 13.5% abv and so is relatively light, compared to what can be produced in this part of the world. It is brightly acidic, demonstrating the benefit of blending as Jaen can be light in both acid and tannin, but it does have a lively red fruit aroma.

It has not seen any oak and does not have great complexity. I can imagine some friends, who favour new world fruit-bomb reds, thinking it a little tart and not just for the colour of her shoes.

Synonyms abound as Jaen is known as Mencia, in Spain where Tinta Roriz is also better known as Tempranillo. Touriga Nacional is staunchly Portuguese and needs no other name and Alfrocheiro can also be found signing in as either Alfrocheiro Preto or Pe de Rato.

The elbow? Thank you for asking. Not too bad, but it makes typing difficult. Apparently I do usually use both hands.

Inzolia

There is a debate in wine circles about the best type of closure to use when sealing the contents into a bottle. Traditionalists tend to favour cork, which allows a minute amount of oxygen to enter the bottle and help with development of complex flavours, but has the disadvantageous risk of the wine being spoiled by 'cork taint' should the cork be faulty or unclean, whereas others prefer the screwcap, or 'Stelvin', closure which is airtight and keeps younger, fruitier wines fresher, but denies the wine its breathing space in which to develop.

I have not received many death threats throughout my life, but did on one occasion when I booked myself and one of my good friends and regular tasting partners into a seminar on wine faults and the role that different closures can play. This was at the London International Wine Fair which we habitually attend to keep abreast of the state of wines from across the world and to taste as many new examples as is a good balance between possible and polite. These are long days, but the seminar (sponsored by a cork producer, so guess which side of the fence the presenter was sitting) felt even longer. Shortly after we were presented with a deliberately undrinkable sample to demonstrate the evils of 'reduction', my friend leaned across and whispered in my ear that he had decided that I should die at his hand.

I am still looking over my shoulder, but not all of the time. One time when perhaps I should have was yesterday morning when 'The One' had asked me to polish an unreachable window in our living room to the same level of clarity and sparkle that I like to achieve when polishing a wine glass. I used a ladder. On the way up there was no problem. On the way down (when I should have looked) gravity acted on me as you would expect when foot and rung fail to make a connection. It passed through my mind before I hit solid wood floor that I may have spared my friend a lengthy prison sentence, however, the damage is limited to a fractured radial head. (This falls into the general category of 'broken arm' and is not to be confused with a split in the great band from Abingdon.)

I cannot resolve the Stelvin vs cork debate, but this I do know; It is easier to remove a screwcap with one hand than to wield my waiter's friend whilst wearing a sling. As luck would have it, what we find sealing this week's bottle is the former.

Week I (2014) Borgo Selene, Bianco. 2013. Terre Siciliane IGP. Vinoteca, Farringdon £7.95.

This is an equal blend of two Sicilian varieties. Inzolia, which qualifies my selection for this week, is grown mostly on the Western side of the island and is used in the production not only of dry white wines, but also the sweet fortified Marsala, and Catarratto the island's most widely planted variety.

Inzolia is also grown in Tuscany and Calabria under the name Ansonica, whilst Catarratto takes its name with it when it travels to Emilia-Romagna.

This is not an expensive wine and so our expectations should be of a fresh, crisp and refreshing drink rather than anything more complex. And once our remaining usable hand has done its job, we are not disappointed.

Some floral aromas, but mostly fruit aromas of apple and pear. Clean and dry to finish it does the job very well. 11.5% abv.

The grapes come from the hilly Trapani province of Western Sicily and were harvested in October before being fermented in stainless steel for ten days and then resting on their lees for two months before bottling, to add a little texture and depth.

Selene is the Greek goddess of the Moon and the use of her name is a reference to the influence the ancient Greeks had on Sicily, including the introduction of viticulture, for which we should be grateful. 

Hermitage

It is a red week and I have been looking for a grape to represent H. There is Heroldrebe, which I have never knowingly tried, but the write-ups are not hugely encouraging and the grape itself is a cross between Blauer Portugieser and Lemberger. The first of these was week B (2014) and was not unpleasant, nor a revelation, so I decided to aim higher.

Hermitage is not a grape, but a hill at the Southern end of the Northern Rhone (if that makes sense) and one of the most famous names in the world of French wine. The hill is the spiritual home of the grape known in Australia as Shiraz, but in France and the rest of the Old World as Syrah.

The hill overlooks the town of Tain L'Hermitage and, across the river, Tournon and is composed almost entirely of granite. The vineyards cover 120 hectares of the steep South-West facing slopes, in terraces, to make the most of the continental summer sunshine that not only ripens the grapes but heats the soil to provide growing conditions ideal for the rich, deep wines for which the area is famous.

Being a small appellation the production volumes are not high at around 750,000 bottles a year, compared to 14,500,000 further to the South in the well known Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and so the name carries a premium.

Week H (2014) is Caves de Tain, Hermitage, 2008. £25.99 from Waitrose.

Is is a medium intensity ruby colour with an interesting nose of blackcurrant, a floral tone or two and some vanilla-liquorice influences, too. The last of these are evidence of the 100% Syrah having spent 18 months in oak before bottling.

Being made from grapes picked in 2008 it has had around four years in the bottle for the components to settle into each other and the fine, silky tannins are well integrated with the plentiful and still fresh fruit flavours. It is 13% abv, but the alcohol is not too prominent.

This wine would probably continue to develop in the bottle over the next few years (if I hadn't opened it!) and could be expected to be enjoyably drinkable for at least a couple of decades.

This is a classic French wine with a long history and it is easy to see how it gained and maintains its status. Reportedly, wine-making in this area dates back to the Romans and Hermitage became popular in the Royal courts of Europe. It was even added to the blends of top Bordeaux wines to improve them, in the 18th century, and that is quite a recommendation.


Wine is a very sociable drink and a good story to accompany a good glass is always welcome. It perhaps should be no surprise that Hermitage, being so prized, has much to offer in this department.

One such tale concerns a period of twenty years up to 1229, when there was an intense conversation underway between two groups of Christians about how best to live up to the ideal of loving one's neighbours. (This is referred to by historians as the Albigensian Crusade.) On one side of the discussion was the Knight Gaspard de Sterimberg who received something other than brotherly understanding from a fellow Knight and had to find a place to let the bruising come out. The Queen allowed him to build a refuge on our hill, where he lived out his days as a hermit. And that is how the hill got its name, O Best Beloved.

Grasevina

I spent two days in the last week at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) where I mingled with some very famous names from the world of wine. I won't drop any names, that would be vulgar, but suffice it to say that had The Oval been swallowed up by a sink hole (these are rather fashionable this year) then the vinous bloggersphere would fall eerily silent and the consumer would have far fewer recommendations to ponder. Wine counterfeiters would sleep more easily in their beds and the en primeur campaigns of Bordeaux would become even more of a lottery.

I was there in the capacity of Associate Judge, the lowest possible tier in the hierarchy, and hope I have learned much through sniffing, sipping and spitting over one hundred wines on each of the two days in the company of genuine experts.

One of the experts I tasted alongside was a visitor from Croatia. Apart from judging in international competitions he also organises the Wines of Croatia festival and is credited by 'the Drinks Business' as being that country's leading wine writer.

So in gratitude for a great experience and with respect to Sasa:


Week G (2014) is Golden Valley, Grasevina 2012. M&S £8.99.

Grasevina is the local name for a grape known elsewhere as Welschriesling and Laski Rizling, but according my reliable source, Croatia is where is reaches the peak of its potential. In fact, he goes further and says that Kutjevo, the appellation in the Slavonia region where this wine has been made, is 'the best place on earth' for this variety. (credit: Drinks Business)

Under its other name(s) it is known for producing thin and uninteresting wines, largely due the variety's ability to produce high volume crops if not controlled carefully and grown on suitable sites.

Such sites, as in Kutjevo, are warm and humid with sunny, South-facing slopes which help the grapes to ripen fully and produce aromatic, fresh and rich textured wines.That's exactly what I found in this bottle. 12.5% abv.

It has been made by Vlado Krauthaker at his vineyard in Kutjevo where he grows not only Croatia's most widely-grown grape, Grasevina, but a total of 39 varieties. Which I find mind-boggling.

Despite Grasevina's pseudonyms giving the impression that it is related to, or even the same as, the mighty Riesling this is not the case. 'Welsch' is, apparently, German for 'romance-speaking' or 'Southern European' which suggests perhaps that it was known to be a grape from somewhere other than the Fatherland. The Croatian name is also said to imply that it originates to the East of the Balkans.

Once again my supplier was M&S and I am increasingly impressed with the breadth and depth of choice the shop famous for underwear supports. (tee hee.)

Fer Servadou

The South West of France is a region packed with small appellations and lesser know grape varieties. Many of these varieties appear together in blends, where their differing characters support and enhance each other to jointly produce a sum which is greater than the parts.

This is good, but it would be a mistake to conclude that a grape excellent as a minor blending partner is incapable of stepping in to the limelight and playing a lead role. Think of Pete Postlethwiate.

In Mardiran, Tannat (the only palindrome in the varietal cast list) is the major player but can be powerfully tannic, which is to say almost undrinkable, without a little help from his friends. One such friend is Fer Servadou who this week we call forward to take a bow.

Week F (2014) is Domaine Du Mioula, Marcillac AC, 2010. £12.15 The Sampler.

Fer Servadou, also known as Mansois in these parts, is named not for the iron-rich limestone in which it grows, but for the nature of the vine's wood said to be as hard as Iron. (Fer means Iron in both Latin and French.) It is a dark skinned grape, but with soft tannins and a peppery-redcurrant character.

The AOC of Marcillac comprises eleven communes around the village of Marcillac-Vallon, a steep-sided area on the western edges of the Massif Central. The vineyards are terraced into the valley sides between 350-500m above sea level where they avoid the frost risk lower in the valleys and benefit from great sun-ripening and South-facing slopes.

The Domaine Du Mioula has existed in one form or another as a grape growing location since the 12th century and was fortunate to escape the infestation of the root destroying louse Phylloxera Vastatrix which caused so much devastation across the majority of Europe's vineyards from the mid-19th century onwards. As a result, the Fer Servadou vines from which this wine is made are ungrafted, that is they remain on their original rootstocks; a claim that many winemakers would like to be able to make. The current vines are between 5 and 30 years old.

It is a medium intensity purple in colour and very light on the nose. The flavours that appear first are red fruits, mostly raspberry and redcurrant, followed by some gentle peppery spice. It has moderate acidity, smooth tannins and medium alcohol (12%).

All of this combines into a well balanced and pleasurably easy to drink wine. It has a medium body and unusually for a medium priced wine, had a significant deposit that made the last glass unexpectedly crunchy!

Encruzado

Our search for interesting wines, based on a never-ending circular walk through the alphabet of grape varieties (or similar) has this week lead us to Portugal. We've been to the country before, in weeks L (2013) and Q (2013), but not to the Dao region.

The region has to emerged from a long, over-regulated environment where regulations gave the co-ops a monopoly by insisting all grapes were processed by them. Since this has been relaxed, over the last thirty or so years, methods have modernised and wines improved. I only know this through book-learning as I have not been a student of the vine in any part of the world long enough to claim having spotted this through personal experience. Nonetheless, it is within this context that wineries such as the producer of this week's wine have emerged.

Week E (2104) is Quinta do Perdigao, Branco 2012. £12.15 The Sampler.

'Quinta' is is the Portuguese equivalent of the French Domaine or Estate and this one is a small, family run business that was established in 1999. They produce organically grown grapes on seven hectares, including one white variety: Encruzado.

 The grape is not widely found outside the Dao region and is often used there as a blending partner to other varieties such as Malvasia and Verdelho, but is becoming more frequently seen as a single varietal, such as this wine.

Perdigao devote one of their seven hectares to Encruzado from which they produce around 5,000 bottles a year with the whole process from vine to bottle taking place on-site.

The personal care taken in production is well rewarded as the result is a medium intensity lemon yellow/gold wine, with aromas of citrus fruits, peaches and pears. I found the pear most noticeable in the finish, along with evidence of the French oak in which it had matured and from which the wine gained a rounded and smooth feel. The producer's website explains, rather charmingly, that their wines are 'educated' in French oak although I don't know if this is as a consequence of website translation.

I like the wine and I like the presentation. The front label is taken up with a painting entitled 'Jardim Efemero' (Ephemeral Garden)  by Vanessa Chrystie, who is both the vienyard's 'artist in residence' and the producer's wife. The previous vintage had 'Cheeky Chickadee' (a bird resembling a Great Tit) by the same artist this would appear to support the philosophy that can be found on the home page of the website:

'Wine is an art form! Going hand-in-hand with painting, music, poetry, architecture...Where we search to find the perfect balance'.

The back label, on the other hand, stretches the idea of balance to breaking point by suggesting the wine be drunk 'as an aperitif or with 'cheese, salads, seafood, sushi and sashimi, Italian cuisine, curry, meat and fish dishes, desserts, fruit pies, and creme brulee'. 

Dolcetto

I spent the weekend in South Wales, a region not known for its wine, on some form of retreat. I didn't know why we were having to retreat, from whom or what, but as we were never caught I assume we did a good job.

A high point of the trip was the walk over the Mynnydd Preseli, a range of hills that in prehistoric times was a source of Bluestone, used in the construction of Stonehenge. The trip North and towards the pub (The Golden Lion, Newport), where the Irish waitress managed to sell burgers to five of the eight in the group, was much easier than the steeper walk South and away from it. Probably something to do with the Yorkshire brewed beer.Very cosmopolitan in retrospect.

The high point was, in fact, a little over 500m above sea level and I am surprised to discover that is around twice as high as the vineyard that produced the grapes for this week's wine.

Week D (2014) is Roagna, Dolcetto d'Alba, DOC, 2012. £15.95 from Uncorked.

The hills where the vineyard can be found are in Piemonte (translates as 'foot of the mountain', so perhaps I should not have been surprised) and known as the Langhe. These hills are the home to three great red varieties: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.

The first of these is responsible for both Barolo and Barbaresco, ripens late in the season and produces wine that usually benefit from ageing. The second is Italy's third most planted red grape variety which ripens a couple of weeks earlier and is increasing in reputation as growers move to lower yields (less but better fruit) and the last, Dolcetto, ripens earliest of all.

This early ripening ability gives the grower the option to use less favoured, North-facing sites to produce wines earlier in the year than the more highly prized Nebbiolo which can be allowed to bask in the sun that shines on the prestigious South-facing side of the hills, until it is ready to refill the fermentation vats that will have been recently vacated by the Dolcetto, made to be drunk young. (I was a bit like that.)

This particular wine is made in a very traditional domain, Roagna, who have a keen interest in biodiversity in the vineyard. They are based in Barbaresco and produce a range covering all of the Piemontese varities.

Dolcetto is a naturally low acid grape and known for producing soft, fruity and darkly coloured wine. It's name means 'little sweet one', but this is believed to refer to the berry rather than the resulting wine. This particular bottle is a little puzzling as the colour is as expected, but the 12.5% abv wine has noticeable traces of volatile acidity. Sadly, 'VA', as it is known, is the type of acidity that is reminiscent of the Down Town Fish Bar. It is not so noticeable to make the wine unpleasant, but it is disappointing. I had expectations of 'soft, round, fruity, fragrant licorice and almonds', but for the price it is too far off the mark for me to buy again.

Chenin Blanc

Although I have crossed the Loire on a number of holidays, I have never stopped and explored. This is a serious omission and one that I hope to address in the not too distant future. Apart from the great chateaux, stunning countryside and traffic-free roads (compared to the South-East of England) there are a number of very interesting wines from all parts of France's longest river.

From the central vineyards in the East, where Sancerre and it's neighbours produce great wines from Sauvignon Blanc right through to the Pays Nantais, famed for it's high acid and shellfish-friendly Muscadets, the range is extensive. Reds, whites, dry and sweet, sparkling and still, they can all be found.

Around the town of Anjou is a region that produces a wide variety of styles. Key amongst them are wines made from one of the world's most versatile grapes: Chenin Blanc.

Week C (2014) is Loupart, Vouvray AOC, 2011. £13.99 Naked Wines. It is a dry wine.

The One, who has great taste in all things (she married me), places off-dry Vouvray on her list of favourite wines and although I doubt we have yet shared a bottle of Coteaux du Layon, I am sure that would be well received too. That one is a sweet wine, by varying degrees.

This wine is 13% abv, but doesn't fee like it. It is fruity, with a mix of citrus, apple and stone fruits. There is enough acidity to make it crisp but not enough to make the drinker wince. The maker stresses that it will develop with age, but there is no reference on his current website that refers to Vouvray. Curious.

The grapes are grown on a plateau of limestone, locally known as Tuffeau, a rock mined to provide building materials for the great houses I mentioned earlier. The mining has created a large number of caves that have been used for all manner of uses from living in to, more interestingly to us, maturing wines as the temperature inside remains very stable throughout the year.

Chenin Blanc also goes by a number of pseudonyms. In France it can be called Pineau de la Loire and South Africa, Steen. It is also grown in California and it's international appeal is probably due to its naturally high acidity that makes it possible to grow in warm climates, where it will ripen fully but retain good balance.

This dry version is good, but there are so many similar wines with which it has to compete that I think I will agree with The One and favour the off-dry style as it provides a more distinctive character.

Blauer Portugieser

If you have looked at the 'We got both kinds...' page you will know that as well as enjoying wine I am also fond of cheese.

My most recent purchase was some Manchego from a market stall in Barcelona at the end of a very enjoyable long weekend spent celebrating the forthcoming special birthday of good friend, with some other good friends.

Today I was back at the day job and I had the opportunity to nip out at lunch time to one of my regular suppliers to pick up a mature cheddar and salad torpedo. £3.70, which is at the top end of the local competitor's price range, but the cheese is very good. They also had some Old Amsterdam, being a mature Gouda and a personal favourite.

My supplier is The International Cheese Centre on the concourse at Liverpool Street Station. It would be tempting to suggest that delusions of grandeur are at work here, as the centre is an open-fronted shop with room enough for two and a half people behind the counter, but that would be missing the point. That is, they sell great cheeses from international sources and that, for me, more than justifies the name. I suspect they may be a somewhat larger behind-the-scenes operation, using their three station-based shop fronts as, well, shop fronts.

They supply not only cheese but also a small selection of related items (including a cheese curler which is something I had no idea I needed until I read about it) such as wine.

Therefore, week B (2014) is Wollsteiner Rheingrafenstein Rotwein QbA, 2011. Produced by Weingut Hermann J. & Jutta Muller. £9.95.

It is, as far as I can tell, 100% Blauer Portugeiser, a grape found mostly in Austria, but also in Rheinhessen, the German 'Anbaugebiete' (wine producing region) from which this example comes.

The back label is wonderful, saying 'serve this nice red wine between 15-18 degrees C, e.g. to meat, duck or pheasant, lentil dish, veal fricassee, or Bleu de Bresse, Gorgonzola and Taleggio cheese. Enjoy flavours of cherry, berries, elder, common juniper and orange, etc.'. I particularly enjoyed the 'etc.'!

As I write this I have yet to pull the cork and have to admit to having fairly low expectations. It is a QbA rated wine, which is the level below Germany's QmP. Think of this as the equivalent to the French Vin de Pays, but make it more complicated. It also comes in a bottle with a very flat bottom. This is sometimes a clue that the bottle itself did not cost the winemaker very much and possibly hints that s/he does not consider the wine worthy of the extra expense that accompanies a nice dimpled bottom.

I can also see that there is a ring of bubbles on the top of the wine inside the unopened bottle. Curious. Ok, I'm going in.

First thoughts are that it is an interesting colour. Pale to medium ruby/garnet which could be a concern for a mid-priced wine of only 2.5 years old. Mild aromas of red fruits. On the palate it is dry, but fruity and fairly simple. The 13% alcohol doesn't show itself too conspicuously and the finish is longer than I expected.

It is light and very easy to drink. It does not have great depth or complexity and would probably disappoint if served with a hearty meal, however, lightly chilled on a warm summer's afternoon I think this could be quite enjoyable. At a touch under £10 it is expensive compared to other wines that might be chosen on similar occasions, but this game is all about exploration and the name alone makes it more exotic than most supermarket plonk.

Albarino

A few weeks ago I lead a tasting of the wines of North West Spain for a group of 25 or so students at the University of the Third Age (U3A). These students are not the young and ready to drink anything as long as it costs less than a fiver type, but those of a certain age who are no longer bound by the responsibilities of full-time education or babysitting duties. Consequently, they are a little more discerning. A little.

I started with four white wines, followed with seven reds and finished with a sweet Mencia from Bierzo. The preference was clearly for the reds, but of the whites the first was the favourite. This was an Albarino from Martin Codax. I also showed a Godello which the manager at Majestic told me he had, in a blind tasting, mistaken for a white Burgundy. My new friends decided they were more likely to mistake it for the juice that collects at the bottom of a recycling bin, which was a little harsh, but they knew what they liked.

Week A (2014) is Pazo Torrequintans, Albarino, Rias Baixas DO 2012. £7.95 at Tesco. This one also is produced by Bodegas Martin Codax, but is not their first wine.

It falls very neatly into the easy drinking category, being aromatic and clean, but mostly fruity with some floral tones. It is last year's wine so it would be unreasonable to expect more complexity. I like it and think at £7.49 it represents good value. It is 12.5%, which is a refreshing change form the 14% reds that are so common, and the flowery-fruity aromas linger for a pleasing amount of time.

Albarino is the star white grape of the region, Galicia, and Rias Baixas is the DO that tends to take the limelight. It produces wines with typical flavours of apricots and honeysuckle and the better examples compete with Viognier and Gewurztraminer for the attention of those who enjoy aromatic whites. It is also very fashionable.

The region has high rainfall and the climate is moderated by the Atlantic ocean, so there are not many red wines produced until you get further into the mainland where there are many great options available.

Martin Codax may sound like he is the man responsible for the production of this wine and the one I showed to the U3A but he isn't really. He was a thirteenth century minstrel who was responsible for something akin to Now That's What I Call Music 1258. How this qualifies him to represent a group of small winemakers with a passion to promote a local grape variety I am not sure, but he, and they, do a good job.

Zenit

There are a few Z's to aim at in the world of white grapes, none of them particularly easy to find in the UK, but I didn't know that Zenit was one of them until I went looking for Zibibbo. As it turns out, Zibibbo is just a local name, in Sicily, for Muscat of Alexandria so it was good to find a less well known variety.

Zenit comes from Hungary (yes, we're back in Hungary) not that far from Budapest, where in 1951 it was created as a crossing between a local variety, Ezerjo, and Bouvier which hails from Slovenia. It is an early ripening variety and quite versatile, capable of producing light dry wines and also sweeter late harvest (hurrah!) wines.

Week Z (2014) is Viale Mandorlato, Etyek-Buda, Zenit, 2012. £7.99 from Laithwaites.

This wine is not the late harvest variety but a dry, Citrus and apple flavoured simple white wine.

It is a bright lemon yellow with limited aromas and moderate acidity.

Overall it is pleasant but unspectacular. At the price this is a good wine, simple and clean fruits with some gentle hints of the creamy products of having sat on it's lees (dead yeast cells) for 'a few months', as the back label informs.

The grapes were picked by hand in late August but there is no lack of ripeness in evidence in the finished wine. That would confirm the early ripening nature of the variety and makes me curious to try a late harvest version which I imagine could be very interesting.

Etyek is one of Hungary's oldest wine producing regions, on the Buda side of the river Danube, and also the home to Korda Studios, named for Sir Alexander Korda the British-Hungarian film producer who was in Hollywood during the start of the 'talkies'.

Those of you who have accompanied me on the first walk through the alphabet (actually it's been a lonesome trail to this point, so this probably an extended indication of impending insanity) will be now have joined me in a virtual glass of 13 red and 13 white wines. Next week we start back at A, but this time the colours will be the other way round. I am pleased that we are still on track for 52 new wines this year but am already starting to wonder how the following chapters will be structured. More of the same? I don't mind if I do.

Yering Farm

The One says that I must make good use of the opportunities that life presents, so on finding myself at something of a loose end shortly after arriving in Melbourne I booked myself a day trip on the Wine Bus.

Nine visitors together with our friendly, informative guide and driver, Paul, set off on a very wet Sunday morning to visit four wineries in the Yarra valley. My choice of tour was, of course, influenced by the region providing me with an easy answer to this week's challenge. When I heard the last of the four was to be Yering Farm my choice was made even simpler; I was just left hoping they produced something worth buying.

The four wineries demonstrated very well the variety of approaches that they take towards attracting tourists. The first was Domain Chandon owned as the name suggests by LVMH, the international luxury brands group whose 'M' stands for Moet. The wines they make here include what the French won't let the Australians, or anyone else for that matter, call Champagne. The marketing approach was polished and perhaps a little too well organised. Unlike other wineries the question here was 'which one would you like to try?'. It was possible pay to try other wines, but later in the day that was certainly not the expectation, especially at the second one Oakridge, where it was more a case of 'you need try all of these!', including their new Arneis variety (a white grape from Piedmont) which was not even on the list. Good lunch, too.

The third was Soumah, where they are attempting to make Italian styles of wine in this cool climate region. This was more of a boutique winery with a nice, family feel. The wine was pleasant, but the highlight of the visit was the live music provided by Steve and the Jammers. (I think it was Steve.) There was only one 'Jammer' who played the washboard and approximated harmonies.

Finally to Yering Farm, where I found:

Week Y (2014), Yering Farm, Reserve Series Pinot Noir, 2006. 13%
$40 (~£22) from the cellar door and listed at $50 on the website.

This was a lovely place with an old timber building housing the cellar door and tasting room, where weddings and other functions, are hosted overlooking the vineyards.

They had three ranges of wines, each with three to six wines, called Farm Yard, Premium and Reserve. This one came from the Reserve Series and was called Winemaker's Choice on the list in the shop.

As you can see from the homemade publicity shot to he left, this particular Australian producer does not feel inclined to meet EU labeling requirements, nor should he, so it is not surprising that the information provided is minimal.

If it had a back label it would probably say something about fine rich tannins, silky and rich fruits and subtle oak. I tasted this over the course of a couple of evenings and found it smoothly interesting and pleasing, at first, more so on the return.

Whilst there is no label on the bottle there is an image of one on the website, however, I appreciate this is not a very good picture so to make up for that, here's a much better picture of a possum that I met at the winery:

Xarel.lo

I mentioned in week V (2014) that I had bought not only that week's wine but also a contender for this week's some time in advance at Borough Wines. Well, try as I did, I could not find an alternative whilst in the southern hemisphere. Xanadu Chardonnay was the closest I came, but I decided that wasn't close enough. I have bent the rules a few times recently and wanted to get back on track. The idea is to use the alphabet as a way of exploring and discovering new wines, not simply filling in the blanks.

Week X (2014) Viladellops Xarel.lo, Penedes DO 2012  Borough Wines £12.

This wine comes from the Spanish region of Penedes in Catalunya, the autonomous region whose capital is Barcelona.

It is made as a single varietal wine from the grape called Xarel.lo. I don't understand Spanish grammar at all so cannot explain the significance of the full stop in the middle of the name. It is also written as Xarel-lo, if that makes it easier? No.

The grape is more frequently encountered in the Spanish traditional method sparkling wine (don't say Champagne, the French will sue) Cava, where it is blended with Parellada and Macabeo to add body. It is also said that it is the aroma of Xarel.lo that can be used to help distinguish Cava from other sparkling wines.

But this is the still variety, however, and although it is labelled as a single varietal, it is in fact a blend of 80% Xarel.lo, 10% Viognier, 5% Chardonnay and 5% Macabeo. It comes from a winery that has been in production for 150 years, with a 19 year break from 1980. The grapes are grown 250m above sea level on poor chalky soil, which is ideal for the purpose.

In colour it is a very bright and clear pale lemon yellow. It has a light aroma of melon and some floral notes, but nothing I could name. It is dry and instantly likable to taste, in a bright fruity way with greater intensity on the palate than on the nose. It opens with apples and finishes with more citrus flavours and possible a little pineapple.

It feels reasonably full and has a slight oily texture, and at 12.5% abv it is nicely balanced.

By chance, I shall be in the area at the end of the week after next and will keep a lookout in the local shops, either for this or for anything that might make an interesting comparison.

Woodstock

Even if you have yet to visit Sydney it is likely that you have some mental picture of one part of it. That will be the part with the famous opera house and the harbour bridge. In between those to iconic structures lies the port area known as Circular Quay. It is an area full of attractive things, from excellent restaurants, bars and views, to those catering specifically for tourists, like the didgeridoo players in traditional body paint and accompanied by less traditional drum and bass loops.

This is also where cruise ships are berthed when visiting the city and it is only when you stand next to one that their sheer size becomes apparent. Anyway, just over the road from Circular Quay, towards the city, is Alfred Street where I found the Australian Wine Centre, down a flight of steps and in a basement.

I was looking for this week's selection and had already decided that my chances of finding a bottle of Wildbacher were slim, so was expecting to make my selection on a basis other than grape variety.

I found something relatively local and also something I had never tasted before.

Week W (2014) is Woodstock, McLaren Vale Vintage Fortified Shiraz. 2005. $24.90 (~£13.70) for a half bottle.

As I have said before, I like dessert wines and I like Port, so I was expecting to like this. It is 18% abv, so I was glad this was a small bottle and I wasn't going to have to wrestle with myself about whether it would be worse to waste some or to have a monumental headache.

The colour is deep, dark and intense purple and it leaves tears clinging to the side of the glass reflecting the strength of the wine.

It smells interestingly like blackcurrant Christmas cake, with hints of other things and I could be persuaded that one of them was a dark chocolate mint KitKat.

On first reading you may think 'alcoholic Ribena' may be a damning description, but it isn't intended to be so. It does have powerful blackcurrant flavours and unmistakable alcoholic content, but it also has spicy complexity and a great long finish.

It is mouth-filling and has almost enough body enough to chew so it is possible to enjoy it by itself, but so much better with a creamy blue cheese. It won't replace Port in my affections, but I would certainly buy it again if it ever came within reach.

Vermentino

Quite a big week for me. I have been to the Guildhall to officially graduate from the WSET diploma course and delivered my first two hour tasting to a roomful of strangers, all of whom were friendly. This is in line with my explanation of my site's name, which you can find by following a link somewhere near the top of the page, if you have nothing better to do.

In an act of unusual foresight, I bought this week's wine quite a long time in advance. Part of me thinks this is bending the rules a little, but the the greater part of me thinks that the rules are mine and I am entitled to bend what I like. I find some justification of my bending in the opportunistic nature of the purchase. I had made a special trip to Laithwaites at Vinopolis in order to find something for week L (2013) and one the way back to the tube station wandered in Borough Market where, in a past life, I had bought a great number of lunches. Mostly on Fridays. In the market I found Borough Wines who now operate there between Wednesday and Saturday. They started in order to promote wines from their own family vineyards of Chateau Ponchapt in Bergerac, but have expanded their range into other areas.

The stall solved not only this week's problem, but may also have solved one I will otherwise encounter in a couple of weeks' time. Watch this (that) space.

Week V (2014) is Casamatta Toscana IGT 2011 by Bibi Graetz. Borough Wines £12.

I wanted V to be for Vermentino because I had last year spent a morning at the IWSC tasting and judging wines from Tuscany, most of which were high-acid, high tannin Sangiovese based reds, but towards the end of the session we moved on to the whites (counter-intuitive, but that's how it's done) and the only Vermentino submitted to scrutiny was both a very welcome respite and delicious.

This one is made by a winemaker Bibi Graetz in Fiesole, at his Testamata winery  in a small village in the hills 5 miles North East of Florence.

Made from 60% Vermentino, 30% Trebbiano & 10% Muscat, it is 13.5% abv, but has mouth-watering acidity providing a firm spine form which hangs all manner of citrus and juicy-fleshed fruitiness to keep it all nicely in balance.

Apple, grapefruit, peach and a whole basket more. Could there also be lime and flowery blossom notes, or am I getting a bit too Jilly?

In terms of quality ratings this wine qualifies as an IGT, or Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which is broadly equivalent to Vin de Pays in France. It has been said that in Italy this can be something of a good thing as the higher DOC rating can stifle the creative instincts of the more adventurous winemakers. I am sure this paints a far too monochrome picture, but it was a departure from those rules that lead to the creation of the Super-Tuscans, such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, which now command top-end prices. Perversely, these wines now qualify as DOC status as new rules were introduced to recognise their quality. So I don't know what to think. No change there.

Uva di Troia

This wine of the week is winning, at this point, the award for the least easily decipherable label. It is Italian, which seems fitting, and I get the feeling that if it had been possible to somehow add expressive hand gestures to the label then it would have been done.

I will keep the preamble short this week as I want to see if I can work out exactly what it is I have bought.

Week U (2014) is Ferrau, Cacc'e Mmite Di Lucera, DOC, 2007 by Paolo Petrilli.  from Uncorked.
14% abv, £18.95.

The wine shop website adds to the wine's name the word Daunia, even though that's not anywhere on the bottle. Investigation reveals that Daunia is an ancient name for the region of production and I imagine they chose to use that rather than Cacc'e Mmite Di Lucera, which I have no idea how to pronounce.

Ferrau, the name given by the producer, refers to a fictional Saracen knight from a fourteenth century poem. The basic plot involves two men fighting over a woman, with Ferrau wanting to prove how big and bold he is. That could be a clue for what we find later.

I chose this wine because I was looking for Uva di Troia but, in keeping with the inscrutable label, the name used for the grape on the back label is Nero di Troia. Not to worry, it's the same thing. Perhaps they have alternative names for everything in this party of Italy. By the way, this part of Italy is Puglia, or Apulia. See what I mean?

It is 40% Uva/Nero di Troia and the rest is a cocktail of Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Bombino. The last of these is a local lad, whereas the other pair are tourists from Tuscany.

I had to use a web translator (Google translate, in fact, but other web translators are available) to find out whether there was another mystery grape playing a role, but it turns out 'Invecchiato In Legno' actually means 'aged in wood'.

Having struggled with the label it all sounded quite encouraging so I next struggled with the cork. Once extracted it revealed a lighter wine than I had expected from it's medieval influenced name, with a level of acidity that surprised me. In fact, I left it a lone for a few hours after the first sip thinking it would be more enjoyable with food.

When I went back to it I found it really pleasing. The acidity was less obvious which makes me think it was more to do with me than the wine. It is a deep ruby colour and has smooth tannins, well-balanced black fruits and well integrated oak giving it a gently spiced finish. I am still drinking it as I type and am growing increasingly fond of it.

Torrontes

It feels like it has rained for a month, so it was refreshing to be able to get out into the garden and prune the apple trees. Refreshing, that is, for mind and body with the exception of my hands which developed a bad case of pruning fatigue. I was a bit worried that I would not be able to wield my waiter's friend effectively enough to extract he cork from this week's wine.

I needn't have worried as the artificial cork gave in with only a token fight and released a bright liquid which turned out to be even more refreshing than the gardening.

Week T (2014) is Vinalba Seleccion Torrontes 2012, Lujan de Cuyo. Majestic £9.99 (£7.99 each for two).

It is a pale lemon colour with moderate to intense aromas of aromatic pineapple and peach. On the palate it matches the aromas and feels clean and, well, refreshing.

I would consider this wine in a group that would include Gewurztraminer and Viognier among its members along with other more interesting whites. It is easy to drink, but not dull, bright and mouth-watering, but the acidity is well-balanced with the stone/tropical fruit flavours.

 The winery where this was produced, Vinalba, is quite young having been established in 2008, by Frenchman Herve J. Fabre who has the prior claim to fame that he was the first to make single varietal Malbec, now considered to be Argentina's signature red wine. Torrontes is now its white equivalent, so M.Fabre gets on the good-guys list.

I have never been to the continent of South America and think this is an omission that needs to be addressed. Not just because the wines of both Argentina and Chile rarely disappoint, especially at the prices demanded, but because the countryside that usually appears on the wineries websites looks fabulous. My bonus daughter (Danish term, apparently) spent a few weeks there on a post-graduation trip and tells me that it would be worth the air fare.

This wine will end up on my list of bankers, as I can't imagine anyone who enjoys a good, better-than-basic, white wine objecting being given a glass or two of this over a game of cards.

St Laurent

There was a nice leg of lamb roasting in the oven and I wanted to find a red S to go with it, so I set off to a local independent wine & food shop to see if they had anything interesting from Tuscany. My target was Sangiovese, probably from Chianti, but instead if found an Austrian wine made from St Laurent.

This a grape I have read about, but don't recall ever having tasted it. That made it an obvious candidate for this week's wine so I bought it.

Week S (2014) is Gesellmann St Laurent, Burgenland 2009. £14 No.2 Pound Street.

It is a bright ruby in colour and the leading aroma is red cherries. I found the acidity to be quite high, but not unpleasant, and the overall impression is of a refreshing, light fruity red wine.

I have read that St Laurent can produce results much like Pinot Noir, but I would compare it more to a Gamay (Beaujolais) or even Cabernet Franc.

It is dry (1.2 g/ltr  residual sugar) and 13.5% abv.

Burgenland, where it was made, is in the east of Austria towards the border with Hungary, but the winemaker, Albert Gesellmann, trained and worked in both South Africa and California bringing international experience back to the region where this grape has been vinified since the days of the Austrian empire.

It is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, with the must being pumped over the cap 2 to 4 times daily, until it is ready to start its malolactic fermentation in large oak barrels.

The grapes were picked in September 2009, from vines between 38 and 60 years old, but the wine was not bottled until April 2011 and therefore it has had around 18 months to develop in wood and a further 3 years in glass before I tasted it.

It was pleasant and enjoyable, but something a little fuller may have been a better choice for the lamb.