GOOD CHEAP WINE

GOOD CHEAP  WINE

RIESLING

Enthusiasts of Riesling wines believe the grapes to be among the finest there are. These vines originate from Germany and Alsace but Riesling is now cultivated throughout the world.

GOOD CHEAP  WINE

Most Riesling wines are fresh and fruity, stirring memories of flowers and herbs. Matured Rieslings develop a very characteristic scent best compared with the smell of old-fashioned paraffin heaters. Young Riesling exhibits hints of fresh apples, citrus fruits, and some times of passion fruit. The scent and taste of older wines tend towards honey and full blown blooms. Riesling is often grown on volcanic or mineral soils in Germany which can be detected in well-made wines.

GEWURZTRAMINER

These grapes, renowned in association with Alsace, are known as Traminer in Germany and Italy. Wines from these grapes can be either dry or sweet. There are two types of Gewiirztraminer in Alsace: lighter, fairly dry, to drink young, and a more full bodied, heavier type that usually has sugar residues. There are also honey sweet wines from late harvested grapes, sometimes individually selected by hand. This is dealt with more fully when we describe the wines of Alsace.

Some say that Gewiirztraminer wines are strongly spicy. Personally, I have not found this to be the case, rather a fat, full, enormously concentrated wine with an overemphatic perfume and taste that readily conjures flowers and overripe fruit. Some wines also have an inexplicable hint of the skins of Muscat grapes.

MUSCAT

GOOD CHEAP  WINE

One grape that is surely instantly recognisable is Muscat. A well-made Muscat wine both smells and taste of freshly-picked Muscat grapes, and is slightly exotic with floral notes. Muscat wines can be dry (Alsace, Tunisia, Samos, Navarra), sweet (Italy), to very sweet (Navarra, Samos, Beaumes de Venise, Frontignan, Australia). They are always sensual wines with considerable charm

PINOT BLANC

Well-known from Alsace but also grown in Italy and the Balkans. Pinot Blanc wines from Alsace and Italy are fairly neutral, pleasant, and with little acidity.

Pinot Blanc vines in Slovenia (known as Beli Pino) can produce wines of exceptional style. In the area around Ormoz the grapes are sometimes harvested very late. This imbues the wine with tremendous complexity and the potential to be laid down for some time.

SYLVANER (SILVANER)

These grapes are known as Silvaner in Germany and are best known from vineyards in Germany and Alsace where light and elegant wines are produced with them that have a recognisable but light floral bouquet with a hint of herbs.

VIOGNIER

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Who had heard of the Viognier grape 20 years ago? Only enthusiasts for the older wines made around the town of Condrieu and the French HltOne region knew of Viognier. After some young growers blew new life into this almost lost and legendary wine the world was convinced of the grape's quality and new Viognier vines were planted in other places. Result from these in the Languedoc-Roussillon, Ardeche, Australia, the USA, and even Canada are very good. Well-made Viognier is unbelievably rich in the smell and taste of juicy peach and apricot, coupled with a soft delicate bouquet of wild flowers and honey.

MACCABEO/VIURA

These grapes are known as Viura in Rioja and Navarra but elsewhere in Spain and in Catalan parts of France they are known as Maccabeo. Viura generally produces a very vulnerable, light, fresh and fruit wine that does not age well. Although some wholly Viura wines are of reasonable quality, connoisseurs - especially those in Navarra - prefer a blend of about two-thirds Viura to one third Chardonnay. This provides the wine with more of a backbone and makes it rounder.

This list of grapes grown for wine making is not comprehensive. There are countless other varieties that can be encountered on a tour around the world.

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