The post What is a qvevri and how is it made? appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>Georgian wine is well known for the ancient heritage of making wine in qvevri pots. Simply put, qvevri are Georgian amphoras — made from local clay and used to vinify and store wine before consumption or bottling.
The Georgians have been making wine in qvevri for 8,000 years, so it is nothing new. But there has been a recent revival in qvevri winemaking, not only in Georgia but also beyond. The qvevri-makers of Georgia are now sold out with pre-orders years in advance and shipping qvevri to other orange wine hotspots including Italy and Slovenia.
One of the key attributes of qvevri winemaking compared to other wine amphoras is that qvevri are buried, or planted, in the soil. This gives them a very stable temperature, which is ideal for winemaking. In southern Georgia, where temperatures are warmer, the qvevri were always planted in the winery, looking for those cooler temperatures provided by the shelter of the winery. Whereas in eastern Georgia, where it is more humid and cooler, the qvevri were planted outside under trees. Climate change does mean that the practice is changing, now with almost all new qvevris being planted inside the winery.
The process of making the qvevri is intense and a skilled. After sourcing the clay (always locally — but each qvevri-maker has their own favourite spot) and shaping the qvevri, the qvevris are then cooked in a kiln for a week at 1300°C! During the cooking, someone has to be by the fire, restocking the wood to fuel the fire for a constant heat 24 hours a day, for over a week. The qvevris will change colour several times during the cooking process in the kiln. The colour in combination with a special sound (apparently it sounds like singing!) is how they know the qvevris are ready.
Once the qvevri is fully cooled, the inside will be coated with beeswax on the inside, which acts as an antiseptic and to make the qvevri water-tight to avoid wine leaking or humidity coming in. On the outside it will be coated in limestone to protect it from earthquakes and act as a further layer of strength and barrier from the humidity of the earth it is planted in.
The process of making qvevri is a UNESCO heritage, and there are less than a dozen qvevri-makers left in Georgia today.
A qvevri costs around USD $2,000 for a 2,000 litre vessel, which is actually rather good business when you consider that a well-made qvevri can be used for centuries. It does, however, require rather laborious care, including cleaning it out by literally going inside the qvevri after every vintage.
You also have to bear in mind that for every 2,000 litres of wine, you will actually need two 2,000-litre qvevris. The wine is aged on the skins for several months, but once you remove the skins it is only half full — hence two full qvevris with skins are later combined into one full qvevri of wine (without skins).
Read our full article about Georgian wine
See how a qvevri is sealed on our Instagram video:
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]]>These pips prove that people were intentionally selecting wild grape varieties for their winemaking potential and cultivating them for that purpose. Add the winemaking artefacts from the IV century and the puzzle pieces come together to paint the fascinating, and impressively long history of winemaking in Georgia.
During that period, Georgia made a prolific selection of grape varieties, which resulted in some 525 native grape varieties. Considering there are around 10,000 wine grape varieties in the world, that’s a rather impressive legacy.
The other legacy that emerged from this period was fascinating history of qvevri. Qvevri is the Georgian equivalent of an amphora, a large clay vessel in which wine is fermented and matured. Clay pots were prolific around the early ancient world of wine, but what gives it the Georgian twist is that these qvevri were buried — or planted — in the earth. This is a smart move for temperature control, as the wines have a much more stable and cooler temperature than above ground.
The tradition within Georgian wine was also for skin contact wines, leaving both white and red grapes in contact with the skins for the winter months — resulting in amber and red wines with strong structure and a very stable nature. (Interestingly the six months of skin contact over winter is still the standard today). Fragments of qvevri also date back to around 6000 BCE, found in the same site as the grape pips.
The stinger in the story though is that Georgia lost touch with that heritage during the Soviet era, in which the wine industry was rapidly and brutally industrialised. Genetic diversity was wiped out of the vineyards, and they were replanted with a more homogenous spread of just a few varieties — mostly Rkatsiteli and Saperavi.
Winemaking too was homogenised. At its peak Georgia had over 150,000 hectares of vineyards planted, but most of it — in fact, almost all of it — was bulk wine made in a semi sweet style, a recipe prescribed and managed by the state.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the industry has been in a period of transformation. For some years that followed, it continued to appease the sweet, simple tastes demanded by the Russian market, but in 2006 a Russian ban on wine imports from Georgia catalysed a change — Georgia started making wine for Georgia again.
Since then, the country’s winemakers have been grafting hard to get Georgia back on its feet in terms of premium production and reconnecting with its past diversity and heritage. Since around 2008, many small wineries have been seeking to revive the plethora of indigenous varieties. This has spurred new vineyard plantations — growing from 45,000 hectares planted in 2004 to some 55,000 hectares today.
Of the 525 indigenous grape varieties of Georgia, around 30 of them are in production today. However, 437 of them are kept in conservation in collections, which potentially hints at a far greater future for Georgia’s diversity to come.
It was exploring these different grape varieties that most excited me on my recent trip to Georgia. Some of my favourite wines came from the rarer grape varieties. Mtsvani Kakhuri, for example, was lost for 80 years but the rediscovery since 2006 has been rather exciting. The wines show excellent potential in amber wines in particular, often with a combination of notes of sage, dried mango and other tropical fruits. It’s a really distinctive and unique variety in its expression, quite unlike anything I have ever tasted.
I also really enjoyed amber wines made from Khikhvi, Kisi and Tsolikouri, each offering a different nuance and character. Rkatsiteli is by far the most-planted white grape in Georgia (accounting for 35% of plantings in the country), and so perhaps it is no surprise that it was also the most varied in terms of quality and styles. I have found the risk with amber wines is over-extraction and bitterness of tannins, which some Rkatsiteli wines fell victim to, while the best walked that fine line of notable tannins wrapped in flesh and freshness.
Meanwhile, in the red Georgian wines, Saperavi is the most-planted (31% of plantings). Saperavi can pack quite a punch when it comes to ripe fruit notes, and my favourite interpretations were those wines that avoided overripeness and were made with no oak influence. Although there are plenty of jammy, oaked styles of Saperavi, I believe that Georgians themselves hit the nail on the head with ageing Saperavi in qvevri. The qvevri (or concrete) highlights the more interesting savoury character that the wine can have, lending it a little more grip too.
Of the other native red varieties, there is definitely some exciting things happening — most especially as they can offer a lighter counterpart to Saperavi. I found Grubela very interesting, with an almost etherial quality and inviting earthy undertones, as well as Alaksandrolui, with its supple texture and freshness.
It’s clear that Georgia is still very much writing its new chapter in its wine history, but the buzz around this re-emerging wine country is well founded. Most of all, it was motivating to see so much pride in their own native varieties and traditional winemaking practices.
Interestingly enough, many locals still distinguish between what they call ‘factory wine’ and ‘local wine’. Anything made in qvevri is considered local wine, while larger production in modern stainless steel is considered factory wine. It’s an important distinction (although both exist in large quantities) that really shows the Georgian pride of reviving their own heritage and ancient wine culture. So much so, that in fact Georgia’s qvevri-makers are booked up years in advance with pre-orders. The demand is that high. I have no doubt too that these are the wines that will enable Georgia to increasingly stand out on the international stage.
It seems that Georgia’s star is, indeed, on the rise. Georgia’s journey back to the future must be one of the most exciting in wine today.
Gogi is a third generation winemaker whose family continued to make their own wine throughout the Soviet era, making him one of the rare winemakers with a continuous lineage. He was one of the first winemakers in Georgia to take qvevri wines to the trade, with his 2002 vintage, kickstarting the revived interest in the ancient traditions of qvevri wines, in particular on the restaurant scene. His wines today are very precise and quite elegant expressions, with the qvevri wines being a particular highlight but he also has some fabulously fresh pet nat wines too.
Open for visits
The Gamtkitsulashvili family were another family which never stopped making their own wines, and in 1997 twins Gia and Gela decided to found their own modern winery to concentrated on making qvevri wines. Today they have an impressive 135 qvevris of their own! The focus has always been on looking back at the historical books and decoding what was done historically, which is how they came to create an excellent qvevri wine museum in 2013. The wines are qvevri-focused and the amber wines, in particular, offer excellent value for balanced, elegant wines yet with plenty of personality. Well worth hunting down. They also have a small hotel on the winery.
Open for visits
Natural wine producer Ivane Nareklishvili has a long history making wine for other wineries in Georgia and Italy, but in 2015 he started his own label — Qvevri Wine Cellar. This is a real gem to discover in Georgia and definitely some of the best wines I tasted there. His niche portfolio is all of low intervention wines, all made in qvevri, which show such finesse and elegance while also great character with fine, chalky tannins. Each of the amber wines is well worth trying, but so too is the juicy and vibrant pink Rkatsiteli (a mutation of white Rkatsiteli) and the floral, fragranced red Saperavi.
Not (yet!) open for visits
https://www.qvevriwinecellar.com/
If you’ve heard of Georgian wine, you’ll likely have heard of Pheasants Tears. Now with a cult wine status, Pheasants Tears and founder John Wurdeman is one of Georgia’s best known producers of amber and qvevri wines, as well as some vibrant, juicy and bright red wines, too. A visit here is a delight, in the stunning town of Sighnahghi, where the family’s beautiful house (adorned with John’s artwork) is open for wine tastings and one of the best lunches I’ve had in Georgia. Delicious, unmissable.
Open for visits and lunch
https://www.pheasantstears.com/
Passionate biodynamic winemaker Georgi is the consultant for a handful of biodynamic wineries around Georgia but also has his own small rather delicious qvevri wine portfolio. With rare grapes like Grubela and Khikhvi, as well as more classic native grapes such as Rkatsiteli, the wines are sometimes rather wild but always very characterful and fresh.
Open for visits
If you want to get a flavour of what Soviet-era production looks like, head to Koncho & Co. This mammoth Georgian wine producer, which kept its presses rolling as a Soviet wine production centre in the interim, churns out a lot of wine and a walk around shows you just how big production was in this period. But they also produce a smaller line of premium wines worth tasting, including an enjoyable amber wine from 75-year-old vines of Rkatsiteli and a delightful red wine of qvevri-aged Alaksandrolui.
Open for visits
Teliani Valley is a brand worth looking for, for its bright, easy-drinking wines made in an approachable way which act as a great introduction to qvevri and contemporary Georgian wines. It is a larger winery and offers a good spread of different regions and grape varieties.
Not open for visits
https://www.instagram.com/telianivalley/
This beautiful family winery right in the heart of the Manavi PDO specialises in Mtsavani, making it in a range of styles from young or oak-aged, to skin contact wines in qvevri, sparkling pet nat or even brandy! The Mtsavani qvevri wine is particularly exciting with age, developing notes of dried mango and lemon curd, as is the classic Manavi — especially if you get the chance to buy an older vintage. They also make a smashing Tsolikouri from Tvishi with good tension and grip from just 5% skin contact. All of these wines are well worth trying, and you can book a room in the boutique hotel, right there in the vineyards, and chill out by the pool with your glass of Mtsavani.
https://www.instagram.com/giuaaniwinery/
This is quite an impressive enterprise, with the young generation of the Maisuradze family now leading in running the stunning 200-room winery hotel resort and spa, five restaurants and a state-of-the-art winery. They make a combination of traditional qvevri wines and contemporary wines too.
This stunning wine estate is home to the fantastic Radisson hotel and spa resort, but also makes a smart set of biodynamic wines from the very first PDO of Georgia — Tsinandali. I particularly enjoyed their white blends, as well as the qvevri amber wines, and there’s a very good restaurant within the hotel.
This relatively large producer in the windy and warm region of Khasmi is known for its top Saperavi, which can be rich and velvety. The winery also has a boutique hotel with nice views across the valley.
https://www.instagram.com/winerymtevino/
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]]>The post Tools of the trade… picking the perfect glass for the MW exam appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>Combined with the nerves and adrenaline of exam pressure, it is a rather exhausting two hours. And then you have to do it all over again the next day. And again the following. There isn’t any room for having an ‘off’ day or performance if you want to pass, you need to get top marks each day to make it through.
The first time I sat the practical exam, that experience was chased with a three hour written theory exam each afternoon. And then to top off the week, a final day of six more hours of theory exams. It totals almost 22 hours of exams in four days, and is not for the faint hearted.
I passed theory on my first attempt, but had to take a second go at the practical. My results the first time around for the practical were rather disillusioning… I have pretty much always been a ‘straight A’ student, and when you see C, D, and (shock, horror!) an E, it is heartbreaking. Especially as I felt I worked as hard as I could to prepare for the exam. I knew for the second attempt I had to somehow up my game.
Living in Argentina is a major disadvantage for the practical exam. As a country without any wine imports, there is no chance you can taste everything you need to in order to be prepared. Out of the 414 Masters of Wine in the world, not one of them has passed the exam being based in South America. So I knew I had to work even harder to make this work for me.
While in Argentina, I spent several months preparing for the exam with the same intense study as I had for the theory part of the exam the year before. I filled several folders with notes and revision of all the wine regions, grape varieties and winemaking techniques of the world. So that when I touched down in England, I could hit the ground running. I planned to focus intensively on tasting for that two months running up to the exam.
The only weapon you have in the practical exam are your wine glasses. On my first attempt, I went for practicality. Stemless. It seemed smart at the time, but as a friend pointed out a couple of months after the exam, the flat bottom is a handicap. It simply doesn’t elevate the aromas like a rounded bottom does. He also recoiled at the thought that stemless glasses made it far more likely that I would be smelling my hands than the wine.
I certainly didn’t notice smelling my hands at any point with the stemless glasses, but I did know that different glass shapes give you a different tasting experience. Many years ago my mind was blown with a wine glass tasting experience hosted by Riedel which really did show how different shapes and sizes give you a totally different appreciation of the wine. I don’t really know why I hadn’t put much more thought into the glasses I would use before sitting my exams the first time around. But I knew this time that I didn’t want to miss out on any nuances hiding in the glass, I needed all the help I could get.
As I started to look into what stemware would give me my best shot at passing, I received a rather serendipitous email. The PR for Kurt Zalto’s new wine glasses was offering me a chance to test run the new Josephinenhütte range. “Perfect timing!” I responded enthusiastically. While waiting for the glasses to arrive, it gave me a welcome opportunity to procrastinate a little while reading the fascinating story of Mr Zalto.
Kurt Zalto is a sixth generation glass designer. He was born with a fascination for glass, it seems to run through his veins. “My passion for glass was practically laid in my cradle,” he wrote to me in a later email. “As a little boy I was already fascinated by the skill of the glassblowers in my father’s glass-studio, their hard work by the glowing furnace. At home, I always sketched and tinkered, and the vision of wanting to create something special out of glass matured in me early on.”
He did make something special out of glass, and Kurt Zalto’s name certainly precedes him in the wine world today… At his eponymous glass company he made one of the world’s most famous and sought-after wine glasses, simply known in the trade as ‘the Zalto’. But in a twist of fate, Kurt was pushed out of the company by investors and so now has started over with his new company and the Josephinenhütte, or Josephine, collection. These were the wine glasses I was invited to try out.
Four perfectly packaged boxes, wrapped in ribbons, arrived in the post and I indulged in tasting different wines from each of them to see how each performed. The first thing that struck me was the beautiful kink in the middle of each glass. Like a cinched in waistline. The theory behind the kink is that it allows the aromas to evolve within the glass faster and express more intensity. This all sounded like exactly what I wanted for my exams and speed tasting. More aromas and intensity please!
I did a comparative tasting with some Riedel’s I had to hand, and the Josephine’s definitely held their own. Certain wines tasted better in certain glasses, as you expect. The Champagne glass was by the far the biggest I have ever seen, and it elevated the tasting experience of Champagne by three fold. The red wine glass was a joy to swirl and taste from, and it equalled some of my large Riedel glasses for the experience of enjoying bold wines. While the white wine glass kept the wines precise and focused.
But what I needed was one glass that would work for all wines. In an ideal world, you would have one wine glass shape for every wine, but you have no such luxury in the MW exam. You have no idea what you are going to be served, and your glass must be just as capable of showing you a 25-year-old Maury vin doux natural, as a glass of cheap Mateus (both of which were in my exam this year). I needed the ideal exam scenario glass.
This is the philosophy behind Jancis Robinson’s glass (which I admit, I haven’t had the chance to try yet). And Kurt Zalto made his ‘Universal’ glass for this purpose too. It is big enough to be able to convincingly open up a dense, brooding Bordeaux, but not big enough to lose the delicacy of a Kabinett Riesling (also both in my exams). The Universal Josephinenhütte ticked all the right boxes for me in my wine glass road test, and so I enquired about how to get hold of 12 for the exams. As they hadn’t yet launched in the UK, they generously offered to loan me a set for the exams and my preparation tastings. (A side note here, you definitely want to be tasting in the preparation with the glasses you want for the exams — colour depth and density is a crucial key to some wines and changes dramatically in different glass shapes. And the glasses are now available in the UK.) It was a dream come true, and knowing I would have a set of really good glasses for the exam gave me that extra boost of confidence I needed.
What exactly goes into a glass design, I procrastinated further, to make it a ‘good’ wine glass? “At its core, the essence of a wine glass lies in its functionality,” Kurt embellished when I asked. “For me, the balance and lightness of a wine glass hold paramount importance. Ideally, it does not feel like a barrier between the wine and its beholder. It should feel like you’re holding the wine in your hand.”
It did feel like I was holding the wine in my hand. Now this is the bit that has always scared me about fancy wine glasses… how light they are. Wine glasses, even the chunky cheaper ones, don’t last long in my household. And I live alone, so I can’t really blame anyone other than my cat.
I was more than nervous having a set of delicate loaners to take them through their paces of tasting for two months. The paper-thin feel and delicacy can be quite intimidating. But the Josephine glasses are actually impressively robust. I hauled them around in a cardboard carry case on the train, tube, bus, car, and by foot for two months. I washed them in kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks. And when one glass fell from my desk on the very first day of the exam, to my heart-palpitating relief, it bounced!
“I am glad you’re mentioning this,” Kurt told me after my exam. “Many of those who hold the glass in their hand for the first time are cautious about using it. As you grow more accustomed to the glass you realize that they are quite sturdy despite their thinness. The secret lies in a combination of using high-quality crystal glass material, the mouth-blowing process, the shape, and the annealing of the glass – meaning slowly cooling it down over several hours in order to remove tension in the glass. I find great pleasure in the fact that traditional mouth-blowing techniques are still superior to machines.”
The Josephines did feel superior to me, and I found great pleasure in them. I am not saying that I passed my exam this time purely based on my wine glasses. Believe me, I worked my arse off and left everything on the table. But I also worked those glasses. And they passed my rigorous test.
There are plenty of MWs who have passed using the simple technical ISO glass. So you can certainly pick your weapon of choice. But I am grateful that my weapon for the exams was this beautiful, kinky wine glass that sparked just enough joy to keep me smiling in the world’s toughest wine exam. And that is no mean feat.
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]]>The post Rebuilding La Pousse d’Or in Volnay appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>The property had fallen into disrepair and was splintered through being passed down through generations of families. It was only in 1964 that it began to have energy poured back into it by Gérard Potel, a highly regarded French vigneron. But when Gérard suddenly passed away, a new buyer sent a shockwave through the local community.
“When the current owner Patrick Landanger bought the property in 1997, the local community lost faith,” she continued. Patrick was a successful businessman and engineer in healthcare — not the traditional trade for a vigneron, especially in Burgundy. With this radical new owner, Marleen explained that they practically lost all of their buyers overnight. Faced with the cold feet and stiff upper lip of the local wine community, Patrick decided to go back to the drawing board. Which, in his mind, meant going back to school.
After studying to become a winemaker himself, Patrick made his own first vintage as winemaker in 1999. As fortune would have it, 1999 was a stellar vintage in Burgundy. But Patrick was not winging it by himself either. As part of his own learning curve, he brought in advisors from all over the world to consult him in the cellar each vintage. And learning from that expertise, Patrick was able to hone his vision for the domaine and La Pousse d’Or started to rebuild its reputation.
Today the winery in Volnay is a new success story, which has rebuilt a solid reputation and is now working with a growing number of crus. Not only has Patrick focused on moving to organic and biodynamic viticulture, but there’s certainly innovation in the cellar too.
You can tell walking through the cellar that Patrick is an engineer as there are several smart hacks dotted around the old stone chambers. The most notable of which is the automatic topping-up system that Patrick fashioned. There are a sea of small glass beakers sitting on top of each barrel in the cellar. The glass beaker is attached to the barrel bung, constantly keeping the barrel fully topped up while allowing the CO2 to escape. It’s a smart way to reduce the risk of oxidation and labour too. His system only needs to be topped up every five or six weeks.
Patrick’s son Benoit is now actively involved in the winemaking too, and it was due to Benoit’s explorations that you’ll see a couple amphorae in the cellar too (with their own bung beakers too). “Benoit is also very innovative, and really wanted to try making Pinot Noir wines without oak,” Marleen explained. “The move is also because we know that people like to drink their Burgundy a lot younger today, so less new oak is more approachable at a younger age.” Although by no means replacing the oak barrels, the amphorae-aged wines are beginning to find their way into some of their top cuvées.
And top cuvées La Pousse d’Or has by the bucketload. With five grand crus, 11 premier crus and three monopoles, there’s a lot to taste through in the portfolio of La Pousse d’Or. Sadly, or fortunately, it is all sold far in advance on allocation. However, the domaine has been holding back some library vintages which it regularly releases to restaurants in the region to give visitors a chance to taste these wines at their prime — with some age, and without the eye-watering collectors prices.
It’s clear the Landanger family have invested significantly in resurrecting and building on La Pousse d’Or’s historical reputation. Not only have the investments been financial, but intellectual too. And on a taste of some of their vintages en primeur, it’s clear that La Pousse d’Or will continue to build its new legacy into the future.
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]]>The post Château de Ruth: embracing the past and future of Sainte Cécile appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>“This is one of the oldest sites in the region — it was founded over 2,000 years ago as a Roman settlement and has been a registered estate since 1561,” explained Vincent, as we looked over some of the ancient maps hanging in his winery office. “There are records of vineyards being cultivated here since 1680.”
The property might have a lot of history, but it was in a state of disrepair when Vincent bought it in 2010. “Out of the 110 hectares, I’ve replanted 90 hectares already — of course by small amounts each time,” explains Vincent, who also added Syrah and Marselan to the Grenache-dominant estate. “I’ve maintained some of the old goblet vines for our top cuvee though.”
Another significant investment in the chateau was bringing the winemaking technology up to date with temperature controls in each tank, although Vincent is keen to keep the winemaking traditional. He says his focus is on making highly drinkable wines. Highly drinkable is what Chateau de Ruth’s wines certainly achieve: rich but supple red wines with a juicy balance of fruit, spice and freshness.
In the Sainte Cécile cuvée, you really get a taste of what is making this appellation now come to the fore. “We have a terroir which has a lot of pebbles and it is part of the plateau,” explains Vincent. “So the terroir is a bit dry which gives quite powerful wines but they always have this nice black fruit with supple tannins and deep colour — and they are ultimately drinkable.”
Although the Sainte Cécile cuvée is the most powerful of them all, the black fruit and supple vein carries through to the other Cote des Rhone village wines — including a fantastically affordable blend made for The Co-Op in the UK, retailing at just £10.
As Vincent explains in this video from the vineyard below, Sainte Cécile has clearly been at the heart of Southern Rhone wines for centuries and it’s exciting to see this appellation now gain some recognition not only for its great value and great history, but making ultimately drinkable and succulent Rhône wines.
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]]>The post Battle of the celebrity rosés appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>Over the last year it’s been pretty impossible not to read about a new rosé wine being launched by a celebrity every month. It was probably Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who started the trend, when they bought Chateau Miraval in Provence in 2008. And now celebrities all over the world are getting into the ‘winemaking’ trend — some more involved than others. Snoop Dogg has one, Jon Bon Jovi has one, Drew Barrymore has one, Kylie has three…
Celebrities have been cashing in on drinks deals and partnerships for the past decade or so but normally in the spirits arena. You only have to let your eye water at the $1 billion figure sum that George Cloony’s brand of tequila, Casamigos, sold for in 2017 (which made him the highest-paid actor of 2018 despite not appearing in a single film) to see that drinks offer a lucrative business to those with star power.
So why rosé now?
Rosé has seen an enormous market growth in the past decade. Rosé sales in the US alone have grown in volume by 1433% from 2010 to 2020 and in the UK, even during a year of lockdown, premium rosé sales have boomed in the supermarkets. It’s hot, it’s pink and everyone wants one. But how do they measure up?
As part of a very serious technical tasting of the celebrity rosés by my poolside with a professional panel of friends sunbathing, US wine blogger Holly Shaw and I took the celeb rosés to battle over an Instagram Live tasting…
Mirror, mirror on the wall… who has the fairest rosé of them all?
View this post on Instagram
It was a close call with cricketer Ian Botham’s sparkling rosé, but Kylie had us all spinning around with this delightful rosé. The top, and easily best, of her line up, this was a very pretty Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah blend with lovely acidity, good length and juicy notes of watermelon, cherry blossom and grapefruit. A perfect celebrity rosé with longevity, just like Kylie herself.
£22, available at Harvey Nichols
PS. This is a much pricier pour than her entry level rosé (£9 at Tesco) or pink prosecco (£12 at Tesco) but it is much more interesting. The entry level rosé is fresh and enjoyable (probably the better entry-level celeb rosé), although the pink prosecco is really only for those with a sweet tooth — a birthday cake kind of wine.
Sir Ian Botham, as I was told in confidence by one of my poolside panellists, was not only known for his excellence on the pitch but also his ability to party afterwards. And this would be a perfect rosé for a smashing summer celebration. It’s serious enough to please your wine friends but easy enough to appeal to everyone. An English rosé from the trio of Champagne grapes with a year on the lees, it has some toasty complexity with attractive notes of raspberries and apple strudel. A very sophisticated celebrity rosé.
£25, available directly
PS. The still rose (£15) is also well worth trying: delicate, zesty and pure. It lacks the charm of Provence rosé (which is name dropped as its inspiration online) but has an enjoyable English identity: tart and tangy acidity with subtle, delicate aromas.
Who wouldn’t want a taste of Brad Pitt in their life? I imagine most of Miraval’s clientele are happy to pay a premium for the gorgeous celebrity association here, but to be honest the wine is rather enjoyable too. It is a little on the restrained side compared to Kylie’s but has good elegance and delicate floral and citrus notes.
£20, available at Majestic
You only had to take one whiff of this to release it wasn’t really rosé… If it smells and tastes like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it probably is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. And shame on me for not doing my research properly beforehand, but I felt rather proud at blind spotting that one. A touch of Merlot gives it the pink colour, but this is a rose designed for Marlborough SB lovers! Fresh, fun and flamboyantly aromatic. Very cheeky rosé indeed Graham…
£9, online.
Sarah Jessica Parker’s rosé was really well dressed, as you expect, with a lovely lipstick-style X across the label, but sadly I wasn’t quite as excited about the contents. It was fresh and pink, but lacked some substance — simple, a bit short and not much personality to be honest. Disappointing for £15. Interestingly enough though, this is made by the same team behind Graham’s rosé – Invivo, which had bags of flavour for almost half the price.
£15, online.
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]]>What Artemis Karamolegos has achieved in just 17 years is impressive! Opening in 2004, this passion project has developed into not only an excellent quality wine production but also a popular wine tasting bar, restaurant and cooking school. In fact, Artemis is going to be opening a new tasting room later this year due to the high demand.
The wines are renowned for offering great quality across the board and a modern and innovative approach, including Santorini’s first contemporary orange wine made from Assyrtiko and developing their own custom-made cement tanks. Visiting Artemis Karamolegos winery and restaurant is definitely a highlight on Santorini’s wine route, but I also urge you to go to taste the excellent wines and delve into the remarkable single vineyard range.
In this video interview, Natalia Dimitriadi explains the incredible terroir of Santorini from one of the highest-altitude vineyards on the island:
Aidani 2019
Several years ago Artemis Karamolegos started making Aidani as a single variety during some experimentations in the winery and it has now become a staple in the portfolio. Sending six months on the lees, the wine offers attractive notes of jasmine and citrus flowers. It has a nice juicy mouthfeel with a slightly tangy note on the finish. Attractive and appetising, and so very easy to drink.
Santorini PDO 2019
This field blend has 10% of Athiri and Aidani with Assyrtiko, coming from old vines with an average age of 80 years old from select parcels around the island. With seven months on the lees, this is quite an austere style of wine with delicate mineral and blossom notes and really refreshing acidity, tangy salinity and good length. They try to keep this back a year or so before release which gives it a bit more mineral complexity.
34 Santorini 2019
34 reflects the number of centuries of uninterrupted viticulture in Santorini, and this wine comes from five villages, the vineyards for this wine are all over 100 years old. Each plot is vinified separately with at least 10 months on the lees before the final blend is put together. The wine offers a lovely nose with some creaminess, flinty minerality, and great purity. It is a long, textural wine with a full body and really bracing minerality (like wet stones) and mouthwatering acidity. A benchmark Assyrtiko.
Pyritis Mega Cuvée 2018
Showing a bit of age, this already has attractive petrol notes and plenty of flinty minerality too with some discreet lemon zest. The Mega Cuvée comes from three vineyards in two villages, which are all over 120 years old, and the wine spends 10 months on the lees and is made with low intervention vinification. There’s a piercing acidity to this wine but with finesse on the finish. Delicious and mouthwatering.
Louroi Platia 2018
This single-parcel wine is a subtle and elegant wine with with notes of lemon zest which can instantly make you think of Riesling! There’s incredible finesse and a long, fine finish with aromas of lavender, fine garden herbs and sea salt. Lovely precision here with an elegant, feminine style. The vines are over 150 years old and the yield will only ever give them 2,000 bottles a year maximum.
Ftelos 2017
This single vineyard wine comes from Fira, overlooking the Caldera, where 150 year old vines on the cliff face receive a strong morning breeze and produce incredibly concentrated grapes. This translates into a grippy wine with quite a chalky nose with flinty minerality and a touch of white peach. Following 24 months on the lees this is incredibly textural with a bold, full body and a long finish.
Papas 2017
The most famous of their single-vineyard line up, the grapes from Papas are very small and concentrated, coming from a 150 year old vineyard in Megalochori. The wine itself spends 22 months on lees, with two months in large oak foudre and a couple yeas in bottle. Papas is a remarkable wine with an intense mineral nose, bracing salinity, and a really long, precise finish. Subtle notes of tea leaves and sea urchin make this a complex, engaging wine.
Nykteri 2018
Tupically ‘Nykteri’ was a house wine, but now it really means the oaked wine in the portfolio, and this one spends 10 months in oak, 6 months in stainless steel, and 16 months on lees. Coming from one of the high altitude vineyards, the wine has a nice creaminess showing some spiced and vanilla notes with a rich mouthfeel, and broad finish. Complex but with a bracing acidity.
Mysterio/19 2018
A skin contact Assyrtiko made from grapes from 150 year old vines, which spend 19 days on the skins (hence the name). This orange wine takes on a lovely amber colour, and on the nose it is perhaps one of the most subtle orange wines I have tasted! Delicate aromas of chamomile, coriander leaf and peach, with wild acidity and grippy tannins. A very entertaining wine to drink and a great food wine.
Mavrotragano 2019
Championing Santorini’s native red, this wine has attractive cherry blossom and floral aromas with notes of fresh cherries and sweet cinnamon spice too. It is partially aged in oak and has grippy tannins with a refreshing acidity and earthy finish. A Nebbiolo equivalent of Santorini!
Vinsanto 2009
A blend of 85% Assyrtiko with 15% Aidini, which is sun-dried for about two weeks before being vinified and aged for 8 years in barrel before bottling. This intensely sweet dessert wine has abundant aromas of coffee, raisin, cherry cola, caramel and dried apricots, with incredible acidity. A powerful wine which requires 5kg of grapes per bottle!
Read our guide to the wines of Santorini
Discover more about Artemis Karamolegos
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]]>This beautiful family winery, just a cobblestone walk away from Megalochori village, is now being tended by the fifth generation. With a wine history of over 300 years, Gavalas is one of Santorini’s longest-standing wineries which has been protecting and guarding traditional native varieties and viticultural traditions as well as making premium wines with artisanal traditions.
In this interview, fifth generation vigneron of the family Vagelis Gavalas tells us all about the tradition of kouloura vines, or basket vines, in Santorini and explores the terroir of this island and some of the key grape varieties grown:
Aidani 2019
This is the second most-known white grape of Santorini and the third-most planted after Assyrtiko and Mandilaria, around 5 to 7% of the island’s vines. It used to be use quite a lot in traditional Santorini Assyrtiko wines but now you’ll find it in Vinsanto or some easier-drinking blends, but Gavalas is making a 100% Aidani. It has a really pure and attractive, aromatic nose with jasmine, green melon and a touch of candied lemon, with fresh, supple and quite juicy with a pithy bitterness on the finish. A wine to enjoy now and certainly versatile for a range of foods.
Katsano 2020
This Katsano has a touch of Gaidouria in the blend, both old white varieties grown in Santorini but quite rare to find. It has a delicate nose of blossom and white peach with creamy notes, and with a medium body and a slightly tangy, salty and fresh finish. A lovely wine to enjoy with seafood on the beach!
Santorini 2020
This is their flagship wine: a monovarietal Assyrtiko coming from different growers around the island. Made in a youthful style with a direct press and five months on the lees, the style is more austere with a saline and linear style with vibrant, mouthwatering acidity that lingers. Subtle, delicate notes of white peach and lemon zest, this is classic Santorini — well poised, elegant and refreshing. And the blue bottle isn’t going to look bad on your Instagram post either!
Santorini Natural Ferment 2019
This is their wild fermented Assyrtiko which is left on the lees a bit longer than their classic Assyrtiko (eight months instead of five) and also passes through old barrels. All of this leads to a slightly wilder and more intense nose with of chamomile and flint and the wine itself is much richer in the palate with a full body which is carried off nicely by the taut acidity. A more intellectual wine which will do well with some decanting.
Nyxtepi 2019
This is a ‘Nykteri’ style of Assyrtiko, which was traditionally made in the evening following a day of harvest, but nowadays it is made by day but does take the tradition of oak ageing. It spends four months in oak barrels, which gives it more structure in the palate although doesn’t impede on the salty minerality and vibrancy of Assyrtiko. There’s a nice creaminess to the finish on this wine.
Voudomato 2019
The family started making this ancient native variety in order to protect it from facing extinction. This is a really deep coloured grape, and with barely four hours of pressing it gives this rosé a deep cherry colour. In fact the deep colour, which would regularly stain family’s wineries, was one of the reason that it lost favour. However, the Gavalas family were keen to keep this variety on the island and make this characterful rosé from it. With notes of molasses, butterscotch and pomegranate on the nose, it gives you the illusion it might be sweet but the palate is fresh, tangy and bone dry. A food-friendly rosé.
Xenoloo 2019
This blend of Mavrotragano (50%), Mandilaria (45%) and Athiri (5%) is named Xenoloo which means ‘foreigner’ and was used to describe all grapes except Assyrtiko, which symbolises this blend. Somewhere between a deep-coloured rosé and light red, this wine has spicy and herbal notes on the nose with a crunchy finish and fine tannins. An appealing juicy wine which would work nicely with lighter grilled meats.
Mavrotragano 2017
This is a 100% Mavrotragano varietal wine which some wineries have been championing as worth saving before it goes extinct making it today’s favourite red wine of the island. Gavalas’ Mavrotragano is fresh in style with notes of black cherries with interesting layers of paprika, cinnamon and thyme on the nose and a fresh, spicy finish. With piquant acidity and fine tannins, it’s a lively wine that will work nicely with richer Greek lamb dishes.
Vinsanto 2012
This traditional sweet wine is made with Assyrtiko and 10% Aidani and 5% Athiri by sun-drying the grapes for around two weeks (depending on the strength of the sun). After pressing they leave it to spontaneously ferment in 80 year old Russian oak barrels, which can take months, and it usually stops fermentation at 270 gr/l with 12% alcohol. After several years in barrel the result is a deep, mocha-coloured wine with rich and complex aromas of prune, chocolate, soaked raisins and a long, complex finish with a bright acidity balancing out the luscious finish. A wine for baklava.
Read our guide to the wines of Santorini.
Learn more about Gavalas winery.
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]]>The post Sea, sun, survival and sunsets: The sensual terroir wines of Santorini appeared first on Around the World in 80 Harvests.
]]>It is indeed remarkable that any vine can survive, let alone thrive, on this wild, windswept island. But the vines of Santorini are remarkable, and I think that if any wine can be described as a ‘terroir wine’, Santorini’s Assyrtiko is it. It’s just as intense, bracing and tongue-tinglingly saline as the volcanic island that gives birth to it.
I’d long heard about the vineyards of Santorini. They have an almost mythical status in the world of wine, and quite rightly so. Finding vines over 100 years old still in production is rare enough. However, here in Santorini these vines not only survive into old age, but they do so in some incredibly challenging conditions. Between the heat, wind and barren, volcanic soils, even the widespread vine plague of phylloxera hasn’t prospered here. Nonetheless, a handful of native grape varieties have clung on over the centuries – most notably the island’s main variety, Assyritiko – due to their hardy nature and the ancient viticultural techniques developed specifically for the island’s extreme terroir.
Winds here can hurtle over the island at over 80 km/hour (making Aeolus himself proud!), posing an enormous challenge for crops. In order to withstand the winds, Santorini’s vines have been trained in a very specific way, close to the ground to protect the grapes. Known as the kouloura, the trunk and canes of the grapevines are woven into a circular, wreath-like basket. This basket acts like a nest or enclosure to protect the bunches (as flowers, and later grapes) from the fierce winds and the volcanic sands they carry, that would otherwise effectively sandblast them. In fact, even when the vines are in this basket formation, particularly ferocious winds can still decimate a crop. In 2019, for example, winds reached over 100 km/hr, causing yields to plummet by 70%.
The daily winds means that the grapes are rarely troubled by rot or mildew, but the lack of rain on the island (just 400mm a year) means that it is essential to trap some of the coastal humidity so that these unirrigated vines can survive. Fortunately, with air humidity that can sometimes be as high as 100%, the intimate, tight-knit basket formation helps trap and retain some moisture to feed the vines in this arid climate.
The baskets also perform two other important functions. They protect the grapes from the scorching sun above and they raise the canes and grapes off the floor, thereby protecting them from the hot volcanic soils below. Most of the baskets are raised off the ground by a couple centimetres on large volcanic rocks. They are just high enough to ensure that the grapes don’t touch the hot soils, but not so high that they become more vulnerable to the wind or lose the all-important moisture from the air. That said, in very hot years like 2017, sunburn can still affect well over half the crop. All in all, it’s an enormous labour of love to grow and tend these grapevines, and when you bear in mind the incredibly low yields (just 2,500 kilos per hectare), there’s no question that this is a heroic form of viticulture that takes dedication, sacrifice and a lot of back-breaking work.
Most grape varieties would struggle in these poor, rocky soils (almost devoid of any nutrients), combined with the heat and wind. This island is certainly not suitable for every sort of vine. Assyrtiko and a handful of other native varieties have adapted to the island over the centuries and are able to make characterful and good-quality wines each vintage. Santorini’s viticulture and grape varieties do indeed tell a remarkable story of survival and adaptation and are nothing short of a living legend.
This is perhaps the best-known Greek wine, although only accounting for some 750 hectares of vines. Despite the diminutive planting area, Santorini’s Assyrtiko has become well known and sought after around the world because of its incredibly distinctive style. Reflecting the island they come from, the wines are intense, breath-taking and have a lingering sea salt freshness.
Known for their racy acidity, warming alcohol and full body, these are white wines that can age well for decades. In fact, they really start to come into their own after a couple of years in the bottle. I had the chance to taste Artemis Karamolegos’ entry-level Santorini, a 100% Assyrtiko, from 2016, and it showed a level of depth, richness and persistence that is incredibly impressive for a 5-year-old white wine retailing at just over €20. Assyrtiko, in all its guises, is certainly a wine that can be cellared for several years, but this is made difficult by the fact that this wine sells out, and fast.
It isn’t only the tourists that flock to Santorini who drink up the supply – exports of Assyrtiko are on the rise and slick sommeliers around the world are engaging with some of the most exclusive wines being made on the island. “Our single vineyard wines are always sold out,” explained Dimitris Bozonis, Sales Manager of Artemis Karamolegos, which has three incredibly distinctive (and delicious) single vineyard wines made from micro-plots each measuring just a hectare. “We’d love to keep more back to age, but the demand is really high for these wines in our export markets.”
It’s easy to see why. Most Santorini wines are blends from a number of small plots because the average vineyard is barely a hectare. Artemis Karamolegos’ single vineyard wines therefore give a fascinating insight into the different expressions a vineyard can imprint on this nuanced grape variety. From the delicate lemon balm and lavender notes of the Louroi Platia vineyard, through the white peach notes and grippy texture of Ftelos, to the intense flinty nose and laser-sharp acidity of Papas, this trio of single vineyard wines shows that Assyritiko – although aromatically a relatively neutral grape – is able to showcase remarkable nuances.
Different styles of winemaking are used for Santorini’s champion grape variety. Most of the Santorini PDO wines (which have to be minimum of 75% Assyritiko) are vinified in a simple way with cool fermentations and no oak influence, and often sold within the vintage year. However, there’s an increasing tendency towards longer lees ageing. Then again, there are the Nykteri wines. “Traditionally and typically ‘Nykteri’ used to be a house wine made in very artisanal ways by foot-crushing the grapes and leaving the wine in oak for several months,” explains Vagelis Gavalas, a fifth-generation vigneron who works with his father and sister in the 300-year-old family winery that is amongst the longest-running in Santorini. “It was called Nykteri because the wine would be made at night, after the families had spent all day picking the grapes. Today, however, Nykteri typically refers to an oaked Assyritiko wine.” While every winery has their own style of Nykteri, I didn’t taste any that were notably oaky in profile. Instead, they tended to be richer, more mouth-filling and broader wines with a creamy, leesy character, thanks to time over their lees in oak. Although the traditional Nykteri wines would perhaps have been a bit orange in colour because the foot-treading would lead to more skin contact, modern Nykteri wines have no skin contact. That said, Artemis Karamolegos makes a fantastic orange wine from Assyritiko.
Much better known than Nykteri, though, is Vinsanto of Santorini — so named because it is the Vino di Santorini (not related to Tuscany’s Vinsanto). Also made predominantly from Assyritiko, often with some of the other, more aromatic, native varieties blended in, Vinsanto is Santorini’s dessert wine. It is made from grapes that are picked and then left to dry in the sun for 10 to 16 days, in order to concentrate their sweetness and flavour as they shrivel into raisins. The shrivelled grapes are then pressed and left to ferment naturally, a process that can take several months. Then the wine is left in oak barrels for several years until it is transformed into an intensely sweet, complex wine with aromas of figs, prunes, raisins, coffee, caramel and chocolate, all set off by that star-bright acidity that is so typical of Assyrtiko. Baklava is the natural pairing suggestion in Greece, but actually I think it wouldn’t go amiss with some really stinky, salty or mature cheese. Fortunately, there’s plenty characterful cheese available locally. Vinsanto is yet another example of just how much winemaking in Santorini is a true labour of love. Not only does Vinsanto take several years – even a decade – to produce, but it also takes around 5kg of grapes to make just one small half bottle! If you take into account the very low yields of old-vine Assyrtiko, that can mean that five hectares of grapes are needed for each bottle!
Assyrtiko is certainly synonymous with Santorini, but this characterful variety comes in many guises.
Although Assyritiko is rightfully the star of Santorini, it isn’t the only fruit of the island. A number of other native grape varieties have adapted well to its conditions over the centuries and although they haven’t gained the international recognition that Assyritiko has, a number of winemakers and growers are working hard to champion and promote these other vines before they fade into extinction.
George Gavalas is one of them. As a fourth-generation winemaker, he has started focusing on making varietal wines from Aidani, Katsano and Voudomato, and he is also replanting other old vines he has discovered around the island. “My father has been working to keep some of these varieties because they are unique to the island,” says his son, Vagelis, who is acting as Greek-English interpreter for my conversation with George. “There is a lot of pressure on Santorini’s vineyards because of the land prices and also to make more Assyrtiko than other varieties.”
The island’s vineyards don’t just face pressure from the natural climatic conditions but also from the human inhabitants. Santorini is prime real estate for tourism and luxury homes, and the pressure to sell old (often largely unprofitable and demanding) vineyards for housing development is huge. Perhaps it is Greek stoicism that is keeping these vineyards going. Or perhaps it’s the fact that people are reluctant to abandon the island’s long viticultural heritage. Whatever the reason, keeping Santorini’s old vines —both Assyrtiko and the other, lesser-known ones — is definitely more a labour of love than a quest for profit.
Of the ‘other’ varieties that are vinified into wine today, Mavrotragano and Aidani are perhaps the two that have been most championed by Santorini’s wineries. Mavrotragano is known as Santorini’s flagship red variety, although it accounts for less than 2% of the island’s vines. It can make wines with complex aromas of cinnamon spice, red fruit, earth and caramel, along with ripe tannins and refreshing acidity.
Of the white wines, Aidani is the second most-planted after Assyrtiko and although it is usually blended into Santorini PDO wines, some winemakers are vinifying it alone, as it offers a more floral, softer and easier-drinking alternative to Assyrtiko. Athiri is another of Santorini’s whites that is usually blended into Santorini PDO wines to soften the sharp edges of Assyrtiko. The most interesting other white variety I tried in Santorini was Katsano, an aromatic variety with notes of lemon, honey and peach but with lovely bright acidity and minerality.
It’s well worth venturing into these other native varieties in Santorini, but it seems as though they face an uphill battle to become known. There is great pressure to top-graft vines with Assyrtiko or even uproot the vines altogether and, as Joni would have sung, pave over paradise and put up a parking lot. But Santorini’s winemakers and growers have already soldiered valiantly on in the face of all this pressure, and so I hope that the success of Assyrtiko will help them provide a platform for these other native varieties too.
Santorini’s legendary Assyrtiko wines have brought heroic viticulture into the spotlight. I very much hope that the world will continue to pay attention to these noteworthy, sensational and sensual wines. Assyrtiko from Santorini is one of the most inspiring wines I’ve tasted in my 80 harvests around the world. It inspired me, because of its irrepressible terroir identity and because of the fact that it is the result of heroic viticulture and outstanding old vines. And because, at the end of the day, it just tasted utterly delicious in my glass! Especially when accompanied by the famous Santorini sunset…
Made from a minimum of 75% Assyrtiko, but producers are pushing to increase this to 85%. In reality, Assyrtiko accounts for close to 100% in most wines. The 100% Assyrtiko wines are typically rather taut and mineral with delicate aromas of lemon and peach and strong minerality. They tend to show no oak influence and have assertive acidity, full body and long finish. When Assyrtiko is blended with Aidani or Athiri, it can be much broader and softer in expression, with more aromatic floral and fruit notes. Lees ageing is common in both styles and adds more complexity. Santorini PDO be a minimum of 12.5% alcohol (but in practice it is normally 14%).
An oaked style of Assyrtiko, although you’ll rarely notice oak in the aromas. The oak-ageing instead imparts a broader texture and these wines typically have fuller body and a longer finish than Santorini PDO wines but share the same thrilling acidity. Historically these wines were made at night (after a long day spent harvesting) and were often field blends. The grapes were crushed by foot, which meant some skin contact and the wines therefore tended to be a bit more oxidised in style. Today, however, Nikteri refers to the fuller-bodied, oaked styles of Assyrtiko. The minimum time in oak is 3 months and the minimum alcohol content is 13.5% (although they usually have between 14.5% and 15%).
A sweet dessert wine made from grapes dried in the sun to concentrate their sweetness and flavours. The wine must contain a minimum of 51% Assyritiko, which can be blended with Aidani or Athiri. The wines are vinified oxidatively and aged for a minimum of 2 years in oak barrels, although most Vinsanto wines spend over 5 years and up to 10 years in the barrel. The result is a lusciously sweet, rich, amber-coloured wine with aromas of raisins, prunes, coffee, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, spices and apricots. Residual sugar can be up of 300 g/l but the high acidity means it is never cloying.
This is the catch-all denomination for wines made from any other variety than Assyrtiko. It also covers multi-region blends from other islands in the Cyclades. Wines that come from Santorini (even if they are 100% from there) that do not include at least 75% Assyrtiko cannot be labelled as Santorini PDO, and so can be labelled PGI Cyclades.
Santorini’s fruitiest white wine variety, this is among the more widely planted ‘alternative’ varieties. It is known for its bright floral aromas with jasmine and lemon blossom coming to the fore, along with notes of apple, pear and lemon. The wines tend to be light-bodied, low in alcohol (12%) and have a refreshing, simple finish.
Gavalas winery is really the champion of this rare white variety, of which only a few hectares remain. Sometimes planted in a field blend with Gaidouria (and made as a field blend), Katsano is a refreshing, medium-bodied wine with some texture and aromas of peach, white blossom and flint.
A rare, red variety that accounts for less than 1% of the island’s vineyards, Voudomato wines typically have red fruit notes, including cherries and pomegranate, as well as distinctive butterscotch aromas. Gavalas is a leading producer of this variety, making it into a light-bodied rosé.
Today Mavrotragano is Santorini’s main red grape variety, although it was at risk of becoming extinct just a few years ago until several wineries decided to champion it as the island’s red wine. It makes a fairly full-bodied wine with soft, velvety tannins and refreshing acidity. Mavrotragano typically has aromas of black forest fruits, herbs and paprika but is made in a range of styles.
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]]>“I’ve seen our vermouth sales in terms of value and volume increase over 130% in the past year!” says Dawn Davies MW, buyer for The Whisky Exchange (an online specialist drinks retailer with over 9,000 spirits on the books). “I do really believe that vermouth is on an upward trajectory. When lockdown happened people started making cocktails, and people started really experimenting and buying and trying different vermouths.”
Put simply vermouth is an aromatised fortified wine that has to have artemisias bitters (commonly wormwood) in it but can be flavoured with many other botanicals too. It is by no means a new drink, it has been made (in various forms) for over 3,500 years as a medicinal drink. The Shang dynasty of China were making similar medicinal drinks since 1250 BC; Pliny the Elder was writing about it during the days of the Roman Empire; but it was really the modern Italians who brought it up to speed in the late 19th century with the appearance of vermouth cocktails.
The golden age for vermouth came during the 1960s and 1970s, helped by Sean Connery’s famous James Bond moment in which he asked for his Martini “shaken not stirred” in Dr No in 1962. Since then Vermouth (and mainly Martini) has been a mainstay of bars around the world. But it is only really in the last few years that a trend for premium quality Vermouth and craft Vermouths has really kicked off.
The leap in quality that we’ve possibly seen is more due to the greater number of winemakers now making vermouth on the side. And so the quality of grapes going into vermouth is far greater than it has been before. “This is where I’m really getting excited about vermouth, is with brands like Regal Rogue and Belsazar,” says Dawn, who led me and some other wine writers from Circle of Wine Writers in a seminar tasting through a selection of six of her favourite vermouths at the moment. “Winemakers that are going out and getting really good quality grapes, and organic grapes. It’s the brave new world of vermouth!”
Greater experimentation with botanicals, and better knowledge of how to incorporate them, has also changed the face of vermouth. Although having one bitter from the artemisias family is obligatory, the other botanicals can range as far as your imagination can. From coriander and chamomile to mace and marjoram!
During my vermouth exploration last month, one of the best tasting experiences came at the hand of Steve Drawbell, the creator and owner of Azaline vermouth — a new ‘super premium’ vermouth just being launched in the UK. After over a decade as a ‘drinks innovator’ working with large drinks companies creating new drinks and innovations, he has branched out on his own to make the sort of vermouth he’s always dreamed of. Recruiting the help of renowned French producer Gabriel Bouidier (best known for their Creme de Cassis de Dijon), the base of Azaline is Pinot Noir from Burgundy. You get a certain note of raspberries and cherries on the final vermouth which clearly comes from this Pinot Noir base, but this is only one of the many layers of this complex drink.
“We travel along the silk route with the eight botanicals we have chosen for Azaline,” explained Steve over a Zoom tasting, in which I was kitted out with all eight individual botanical elements and a map detailing where they are each sourced — from Persia, India, China and around Europe. It was fascinating to break down the elements to actually get an understanding of how this complex crescendo of flavours and aromas is built up in the process of making the vermouth.
From the spicy and exotic Persian coriander; and the fresh and citrus-y notes of pine in the juniper; to the heady warm bitter orange from China; and the dusty, sweet tarragon notes; or the spicy, incense-like aromas of cardamom; bitter, herbal gentian from the Alps; and woody notes of blackcurrant leaves, there was a lot to discover. But the key part of the identity of Azaline, and certainly its most luxurious quality, is the abundance of warming and exotic saffron notes, which is distilled from hand-harvested flowers picked in the legendary saffron fields of Persia. The final product is definitely one of the most memorable vermouths I’ve tasted, and certainly by breaking down its components this way I had a greater appreciation of the work and process that goes into it.
What excited me most about tasting these vermouths with Steve and Dawn last month is the world of aromas it opened up. As a wine taster, I often fall into the trap of describing most wines of tasting of red berries or citrus. You can get into an aroma recognition rut! But tasting the wild and wonderful world of botanicals in vermouth, within a fortified wine setting, is a really delicious and geeky opportunity to challenge your schnoz and tantalise your palate.
Suffice to say, I’ll be staying on the vermouth train as we choo choo out of lockdown!
Azaline vermouth, Burgundy 17% £24.99 (Master of Malt, Gerry’s)
A sensuous red vermouth made from a base of Burgundian Pinot Noir but the real star here is the saffron which draws you into a rather exotic blend of heady spice aromas with cardamon, orange peel, tarragon and juniper rising to the fore. Beautiful alone or with tonic, but I also found it delicious in a Negroni and Boulevardier!
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Extra Dry, France 17% £21.45 (The Whisky Exchange)
This French vermouth was filled with gorgeous notes of lavender, roses, rosemary and citrus peel, which along with 22 other botanicals go into making it. Made from Pineau de Charentes and the juice of Ugni Blanc (which is used for Cognac). I loved this and am eager to try the rest of the range. Another one for Martini or with ice and soda water.
Regal Rogue Wild Rose Vermouth, Australia 16.5% £17.95 (The Whisky Exchange)
Pretty as a peach, this pink vermouth is made with organic Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon along with a selection of organic botanicals which are sourced sustainably and from indigenous communities. A slightly sweeter style with notes of ripe strawberries, rhubarb, candy floss and roses — this is really pretty vermouth and wouldn’t go amiss in a white wine spritzer, sparkling or still.
Vya Whisper Dry Vermouth, Quady, USA, 17% £19.75 (The Whisky Exchange)
This vermouth from the USA was made with a base of orange muscat which gives it a nice grapey and floral aroma, while it packs more of a citrusy-salty punch in the palate. Dry, saline and elegant, this is certainly a style I’d love to try with a dry gin martini.
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