Chardonnay

Pronounced as “Shar-dun-nay” this amazing grape varietal is a cross between Pinot Noir and Govais Blanc and is today one of the world’s most popular grapes.

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine.

The variety originated in and near the town of Chardonnay in the Burgundy Wine Region of France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced.

Old World vs. New World

Old World – in France, Chardonnay can make wines as crisp, minerally and (mostly) unoaked as Chablis at one end of the scale, and full-bodied, buttery Meursault at the other, both from its spiritual homeland of Burgundy.

New World – in warm climates, Chardonnay takes on tropical fruit flavours and aromas.

As winemakers seek out cooler sites for the grape, in Chile and New Zealand in particular, wines with a more linear structure and subtle nuances of flavour are emerging.

The Chardonnay grape itself is neutral, with many of the flavours commonly associated with the wine being derived from such influences as terror and oak (in the cellar).

Chardonnay is vinified in many different styles (some estates can easily produce 3 very different wines), from the lean, crisp mineral wines of Chablis, to the New World wines with oak and tropical fruit flavours.

In cool climates (such as Chablis and the Carneros AVA of California), Chardonnay wine tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavours of green plum, apple and pear.

In warmer locations (such as the Adelaide Hills, Mornington Peninsula in Australia and Franschhoek in South Africa), the flavours become more citrus, peach and melon, while in very warm locations (such as the Central Coast AVA of California), more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out

Chardonnay wines that have gone through malolactic fermentation tend to have softer acidity and fruit flavours with a buttery mouthfeel and hazelnut notes.

Bubbles for Everyone Darling

Chardonnay is an important component of many sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne in France and Franciacorta in Italy.

Chardonnay is often blended with Pinot Noir and /or Pinot Meunier to make some of the world’s finest Champagnes and Sparkling Wines.

However, if the label reads “Blanc de Blancs” you are almost certainly drinking a 100% Chardonnay Bubbles.

There is something about the elusive flavours of Chardonnay that marries well with the traditional champagne-making process, involving extended ageing with the residues of a second fermentation in the bottle, making a much deeper, denser sparkling wine that one based on, say Chenin Blanc (Loire) or Riesling.

Chardonnay and Food

Due to the wide range of styles, Chardonnay has the potential to be paired with a diverse spectrum of food types.

It is most commonly paired with roast chicken and other white meats such as turkey and pork.

The ever-quirky Wine Folly describes Chardonnay and food pairings as follows:

Bolder, oaked Chardonnay wines call for crab cakes, linguini vongole (clams), halibut, or even pork tenderloin with apples.

For vegetarians, lean towards rich or starchy vegetables like corn, pumpkin or squash.

Also, mushrooms are a must.

The lean, no oak style of Chardonnay is great with raw seafood like oysters, sushi, sautéed fish, pâté, Chicken Piccata, vegetable risotto or moules-frites.

The crispness, minerality and delicate flavours crave crisp, delicate foods.

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide.

It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire’s Chinon and many other countries around the world.

This is the ultimate complementary grape variety.

It is characterized by early maturity and elegant tannins.

It is medium-coloured, adding freshness and aromatic complexity with raspberry and violet notes.

Its secret: its small berries that produce wines high in polyphenols, with esteemed ageing capacity and finesse.

Cabernet Franc is a gift from Spain.

The oldest of our Bordeaux varietals, from the Spanish Basque country, took over southwest France during the global warming following the last Ice Age.

It is known as Bouchet in Saint-Émilion, Bouchy in Pyrenées Atlantique, and Breton in the Loire Valley.

Cabernet Franc, the distant relative of Cabernet Sauvignon, can produce deliciously perfumed, supple, raspberry and blackcurrant-infused red wines in Bordeaux, while further north in the cooler regions of the Loire Valley and in north-eastern Italy, it produces a wine which tends to become more herbaceous in style.

It is often described as having the aroma of pencil shavings.

Cabernet Franc is believed to have been established in the Libournais region of southwest France sometime in the 17th century, when Cardinal Richelieu transported cuttings of the vine to the Loire Valley.

They were planted at the Abbey of Bourgueil under the care of an abbot named Breton, whose name became associated with the grape.

By the 18th century, plantings of Cabernet Franc (known as Bouchet) were found throughout Fronsac, Pomerol and St-Emilion, making quality wines.

As Cabernet Sauvignon grew more popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, the close similarity of the two grapes was observed and theories emerged as to the extent of their relationship.

In 1997, DNA evidence emerged to show that Cabernet Franc had crossed with Sauvignon Blanc to produce Cabernet Sauvignon.

Barbera Grape

Pronounced “Bar-beh-rah”, this red Italian grape variety has, since the year 2000, been the third most planted red grape varietal in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano).

It produces good yields and is known for deep colour, full body, low tannins and high levels of acidity.

Barbera grapes are found in several Italian wine regions, including its native Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Campania, Sicily and Sardinia.

Barbera vines have grown in the Piedmont Wine Region of Monferrato for centuries.

Barbera does not appear to be genetically related to the other main red grape varietals of Northern Italy, such as dolcetto and Nebbiolo, so it may have originally come to the region from somewhere else.

According to Masterclass.com Barbera is a very vigorous, adaptable vine which can grow in various soils from calcareous clay to limestone to sand, and can withstand hot climates.

The Barbera grape’s naturally high acidity means that it can achieve full ripeness without tasting flabby or unbalanced by alcohol.

The majority of Barbera is planted in Piedmont.

A few acres in other areas of Italy like Emilia-Romagna, Puglia and Sardinia are also devoted to growing this grape.

Barbera is usually made into dry, still red wines.

Barbera d’Asti

Barbera d’Asti, a DOCG wine from the town of Asti, and Barbera d’Alba DOC, from the town of Alba and surrounding area in the Piedmont Hills, are the quintessential Barbera wines of Italy.

Asti is thought to be slightly more delicate and feminine, while Alba Barbera’s should be aged a little longer to mellow their acidity.

The “Superiore” designation (Barbera d’Asti Superiore) indicates at least 12 months of ageing before release.

The Nizza subzone of Asti, centred around the town of Nizza Monferrato, is the newest DOCG of Barbera wines.

Sparkling Barbera

West of Piedmont, the wine region of Emilia-Romagna is home to a unique sparkling version of Barbera that is similar to Lambrusco.

It is produced in very small quantities and is rare to find outside of Italy.

Look for wines labelled as Colli Piacentini DOC.

So how does Barbera Wines taste?

When young, the wines offer a very intense aroma of fresh red cherries and blackberries.

In the lightest versions notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries and with notes of blackberry and black cherries in the wines made of more ripe grapes.

Many producers employ the use of toasted oak barrels, which provides for increased complexity, ageing potential and hints of vanilla notes.

The lightest versions of wine are generally known for flavours and aromas of fresh fruit and dried fruits, and are not recommended for cellaring.

Wines with better balance between acid and fruit, often with the addition of oak and having a high alcohol content are more capable of cellaring.

Barbera and Food

Does Barbera wines even go with food?

Well, the answer would be YES!

In Italy, Barbera is usually drunk quite young.

These wines which have been aged in oak barrels can be safely stored for up to 10 years.

What makes Barbera a great food wine is its acidity.

It pairs well with rich, traditional dishes from Piedmont like pasta with parmesan cheese or risotto with truffles.

Lighter meats like duck and game birds can also work very well together.

As proof of its versatility, Barbera is also a great picnic wine paired with charcuterie and cheese.

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Pinotage Grape

 Source: www.pinotage.co.za

There is so much to talk about when the topic of Pinotage, a uniquely South African grape, comes up. From historic tales of creation – merging Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsaut) grapes by Prof Perold – to today’s legends crafting the latest Pinotage or Pinotage blends.

The Pinotage tale is one worth well telling and should always end where it is enjoyed with friends, food or maybe even somewhere alone with a bottle of Pinotage as your company.

The story of Pinotage starts with its creator, Prof. Abraham Izak Perold (20.10.1880 – 11.12.1941). Perold’s academic achievements paved the way for the creation of Pinotage and included a B.A. degree in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, Ph.D in Chemistry (Germany) and a temporary professorship in Chemistry at the University of Cape Town.

This background equipped him with a very unique skill set and after his professorial stint in 1906 the Cape government, wanting to extend the range of grapes planted in the region, sent Perold on a grape varietal scouting mission.

Upon his return with 177 varietals he became the first professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University and later became Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture.

He joined the KWV in 1927 and made a huge contribution to the wine industry during his time there.

To this day the 177 varietals still form part of a collection at the Welgevallen French prince meets humble peasant

In 1925 Perold successfully crossed Pinot noir and Cinsaut, which was then known as Hermitage.

Hence the name Pino – tage.

Prof. CJ Theron succeeded in rescuing and reproducing the original seedlings, of which there were only four, and undertook the considerable task of evaluation.

Sixteen years later, Charl Theron de Waal (known as CT de Waal), produced the first barrel of Pinotage wine in 1941 in Stellenbosch. The name appeared on a wine label for the first time in 1961, namely the SFW’s 1959 Lanzerac Pinotage.

But some unanswered yet pertinent questions remain: Why did Perold cross Pinot Noir, the prince of French red grape varieties, with Hermitage, a more humble variety which did, however, perform well under local conditions?

Did he, being the intellectual giant that he was, perhaps have a good idea of what the end product could be? He did not leave any notes to explain his choice.

There was general excitement at the results of the early commercial plantings of Pinotage vines.

The grapes ripened early, high sugar levels were achieved easily and the vines stayed healthy and vigorous.

The early wines also showed a deeper, more intense ruby colour than either parent did.

Some tasters liked the vinosity of the newcomer, others were deterred by the acetone-like quality which was to bedevil Pinotage’s development for many decades.

Local is lekker, for everyone

The Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year focuses on a specific varietal or wine category, with the 1987 competition dedicated to Pinotage.

The winning wine was made by Beyers Truter at Kanonkop.

Wine lovers went back to their cellars and opened the old bottles of Pinotage that they had stored right at the back.

They were very pleasantly surprised at how well the wine had aged.

Pleasant berry, banana and chocolate flavours had developed.

This followed on the sensation caused by the Morkels from Bellevue in 1959, when they won the prize for the best wine at the Cape Young Wine Show with this virtually unknown cultivar.

The late senator Paul Sauer from Kanonkop did a great deal to make Pinotage popular.

At one stage Pinotage lost a lot of its popularity in South Africa – it is interesting to note that in 1979 the plantings comprised only 66 639 vines.

From 1990 onwards, with the lifting of sanctions, a renewed interest developed in this cultivar.

A lot was done with regard to plant improvement and clone evaluation over the years.

Plantings have increased considerably in more recent times.

At the 1991 International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, history was made when the Kanonkop Pinotage received the Robert Mondavi Trophy as the Best Red Wine and Beyers Truter, then the winemaker at Kanonkop, was nominated as International Winemaker of the Year.

The judges sang Pinotage praises and used phrases such as “excellent wine and grape variety with tremendous potential”, and the “future of South Africa”, and “Pinotage should be taken seriously”.

Since then a separate category was created for this variety, putting it on the same level as the traditional European varieties.

A truly inspirational “local is lekker” story.

Other countries producing Pinotage Wines include New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Israel and Brazil.