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Five Wines To Try In The New Year
Step out of your comfort zone | By Kevin Pelley
Ever find yourself in a wine rut and drinking the same few wine styles over and over again? Well, it is time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new in 2012! With so many exciting and under appreciated wines from around the world worth checking out, make it your New Year's Resolution to try something new. Here are five off-the-beaten path wines not to miss.
Soave: Soave has a poor reputation. Soave literally translates as "soft" and for years has been known as a 'jug wine' and found on bottom shelves in grocery stores across America. However in the last ten years or so, a handful of producers such as Pra, Inama, Pieropan, Bolla and others have helped resurrect the category by producing interesting, complex and affordable wines. One of the best examples is the affordable 2010 Bolla Soave that is ripe, luscious and refreshing. The wine is medium-bodied and finishes with a pleasant bitter almond character. At $10.95 per bottle, it is a steal!
South African Chenin Blanc: South Africa is a country that suffers from an identity crisis when it comes to wine. However, the Chenin Blancs being grown here are extraordinary and hold a bright future. Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape varietal in South Africa with approximately 20 percent of vineyard land dedicated to this unique grape. Chenin Blanc exhibits flavors of baked apple, pear, melon, honey and wet wool. One of the most reliable producers is Mulderbosch, from the Western Cape. Their 2009 Chenin Blanc ($15.95) mimics Burgundy with its pear and apple fruit flavors, crisp minerality and lightly toasted oak.
Pinot Noir from Central Otago: Central Otago is the new 'hot spot' for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Located on the southern tip of the south island in New Zealand, Central Otago is the warmest part of a very cold climate zone. This unique microclimate is ideal for producing bold, fruity and structured Pinots at fair prices. Wild Rock ($14.95) is a second label of New Zealand's finest producer – Craggy Range, and offers everything Pinot lovers want including bright fruit flavors of raspberry, Bing cherry, red plum, lavender and savory herbs.
Nebbiolo: Nebbiolo might be the world's most delicious grape. When it is produced properly, the flavors and aromatics and textures are second to no other grape variety. Grown in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, Nebbiolo is rarely affordable. Nebbiolo is the grape varietal that is used in Barolo and Barbarecso production and prices usually start around $50 and go into the hundreds of dollars per bottle. Like Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo is fickle, difficult to grow, prone to disease, pest and rot (all contributing to its high price). Imagine my surprise when the highly respected Tavaglini winery released this affordable Nebbiolo ($19.95) from the Gattinara appellation. Delicious red fruit flavors are accented by Nebbiolo's trademark notes of truffle, mushroom and dried flowers. Delicious!
Indigenous obscurity from Spain: My hat is off to the Dominio DosTares winery in Spain's high plateau of Leon. It is here where they have helped resurrect several indigenous grape varieties from the brink of extinction. The 2005 Dominio DosTares "Cumal" ($45.95) is made from a rare indigenous grape variety called Prieto Picudo, from 90-year-old vines. Ten years ago there were less than 100 hectares of Prieto Picudo in existence. Producers in the relatively poor region of Leon were uprooting the low-yielding Prieto Picudo in favor of more vigorous varietals. Prieto Picudo is a grape that is extremely dark colored, high in sugar and high in natural acid. In terms of style, think Petite Sirah meets Pinot Noir with the ability to age a long time. With wines like "Cumal" critics and consumers have created a demand and hopefully Prieto Picudo will continue to find wider audiences.
—Kevin Pelley, Certified Sommelier
Wine Merchant: Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits
Wine Director: SideBern’s Restaurant
www.bernsfinewines.com
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(c) Copyright 2012 Tampa Bay Metro Magazine
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