Here are some unusual varietals that I have only sampled in the past year:
1. A Roter Veltliner from Austria
2. Sagrantino from Umbria in Italy which produces Sagrantino di Montefalco. Sagrantino produces the biggest wines that I have ever tried.
3. Torrontes from Argentina.
Finally and this is a bit off topic but it can still be classified as unusual, I tried "Les Clos" from Champagne Laherte Freres. This Champagne has all seven permitted varieties. It is a blend of 10% Fromenteau (a.k.a. Pinot Gris), 8% Arbanne, 14% Pinot Noir, 18% Chardonnay, 17% Pinot Blanc, 18% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Petit Meslier.
What other unusual and/or rare wines have people tried?
jakuda
Aug 21, 09, 2:44 pm
I've had various Tokaji dessert wines due to a very generous coworker. I've tried a true Tokaji Essencia (sp) which was $500 for 500mL; it came with a crystal serving spoon.
Not sure if I prefer the Essencia over a top notch BA or TBA, but it sure was delicious.
UCBeau
Aug 21, 09, 3:04 pm
Tannat..very interesting stuff, i've found it to pair well with really big meaty dishes, like ribs, steak, etc.
Uruguay and Paraguay seem to be producing some good varieties right now, along with a couple of places here in the USA, in Virginia.
Paraguay...?!! :eek:
Yup, I recall tasting a couple of Tannats from there maybe 3 years ago, they were quite interesting. It helped that the girl pouring was pretty hot though ;)
Gaucho100K
Aug 21, 09, 5:49 pm
Yup, I recall tasting a couple of Tannats from there maybe 3 years ago, they were quite interesting. It helped that the girl pouring was pretty hot though ;)
Aha... yes.... nothing like a tarty sales bimbo to push spoof juice... :D :p
UCBeau
Aug 21, 09, 7:12 pm
Aha... yes.... nothing like a tarty sales bimbo to push spoof juice... :D :p
Haha well she was the owner's daughter and had an advanced sommelier certification..She was just doing her job I suppose. And looking mighty fine while doing it. It was my first time tasting Tannat and I came away thinking it was a wine you have to age for a long time, I recall it being as tannic as a young Barolo, but with enough beyond that to suggest it could be delicious after a stay in the cellar.
slawecki
Aug 21, 09, 7:25 pm
well, i think bordeau allows 13 varieties. can you name them????? i just googled and they said 14. can you name even 10 without a google?
how many have you tasted?
Calcifer
Aug 21, 09, 7:30 pm
Glad to see my flashback was not entirely alcohol-induced.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/diningbuzz/786928-unusual-wine-varietals.html
jakuda
Aug 21, 09, 8:08 pm
well, i think bordeau allows 13 varieties. can you name them????? i just googled and they said 14. can you name even 10 without a google?
how many have you tasted?
hm, let me try without google:
1. cabernet sauvignon
2. merlot
3. mourvedre
4. petit verdot
5. cabernet franc
6. sauvignon blanc
And that's all I can think of right now.
Okay I suck. I wrote Mourvedre but I was thinking Malbec. I forgot all the allowed white varietals too.
Aha... yes.... nothing like a tarty sales bimbo to push spoof juice... :D :p
Haha well she was the owner's daughter and had an advanced sommelier certification..She was just doing her job I suppose. And looking mighty fine while doing it. It was my first time tasting Tannat and I came away thinking it was a wine you have to age for a long time, I recall it being as tannic as a young Barolo, but with enough beyond that to suggest it could be delicious after a stay in the cellar.
A favorite of mine. Most people haven't tasted this, but when they do, it always gets a ^.
Surprised I haven't seen Meritage (rhymes with heritage).
This is a blend of at least 3 different red grapes (I've seen more - Cain Five). A good one will set you back $30 +. The Cain Five is around $100 or so, depending on the vintage (year).
BiziBB
Aug 21, 09, 10:44 pm
I was going to add:
Semillion
Muscadelle
Carmenere
I think you mean semillon; refer to my last-weekend semillon tasting tour ans the wise words of shillard and others on the Australia forum (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/australia-new-zealand-south-pacific-461/), on the Hunter Valley's unique gift to the world. :)
Let me just grab some from the fridge for another taste. Lovedale 2003 semillon.
Still good! :)
2003 Semillon (http://www.allandalewinery.com.au/tasting_notes.html)
TOP 40WINES - NSW WINE AWARDS 2007
GOLD MEDAL WINNER - COWRA WINE SHOW 2004
SILVER MEDAL WINNER - MELBOURNE 2005
SILVER MEDAL WINNER - HUNTER VALLEY 2004
This classic Hunter style Semillon was made from grapes hand-picked from our Creek Flat Vineyard on Lovedale Rd and the Trevena Vineyard on Hermitage Rd.
Carefully aged for 5 years this wine has retained limey/citrus flavours from its youth, which dominates the palate.
Toast/honey characters are starting to show on the nose and the palate has become richer with age. This wine is ideally suited to seafood and white meats. Will keep aging beautifully for the next 5 years.
number_6
Aug 21, 09, 11:53 pm
I find wine making style and terroir far more interesting than the grape variety. Thus for me knowing that it is a Banyul, for example, is much more interesting than knowing that it is made from grenache, carignan, malvoisie, macabeau or muscat grapes. Bonus points for pre-phylloxera rootstock.
D1andonlyDman
Aug 21, 09, 11:55 pm
My favorite white varietal is Roussanne. The core varietal in most white Rhones. Much more character and structure than Viognier, and more inherent complexity than chardonnay.
slawecki
Aug 22, 09, 6:28 am
the white clone of pinot noir in burgundy. it is a legal grape for all white burgundy.
italy claims to have over 1000 grape varieties. i have probably had some 20-50 of them by drinking "local" wines.
that meritage grape you're talking about. did they finally clone all 5(or 6) variety into a single vine?
the french seem to distinguish cab franc in medoc from cab franc (called Bouchet) in st emilion
A favorite of mine. Most people haven't tasted this, but when they do, it always gets a ^.
Surprised I haven't seen Meritage (rhymes with heritage).
This is a blend of at least 3 different red grapes (I've seen more - Cain Five). A good one will set you back $30 +. The Cain Five is around $100 or so, depending on the vintage (year).
For an amazing Meritage blend, check out the Benegas Lynch Meritage from the Upper Mendoza Riverbank.
dhammer53
Aug 22, 09, 7:56 am
Mi Amigo,
You may appreciate these notes from Cellar Tracker on the 2002 vintage.
Tasted by jcash on 4/22/2008 & rated 95 points: We bought a bottle of this in Buenos Aires at a wine shop called "Terroir". We asked for something that was ready for immediate consumption. It was excellent! Could have benefitted from a little breathing ortime in bottle, but my wife and I both thought it was amazing -- complex, full-bodied, firm structure lingering luxururiously and almost endlessly on the palate -- uniquely Argentine in character to boot. (461 views)
Tasted by fredmartens on 3/8/2008 & rated 92 points: Very well made wine; Michel Rolland consulting. 30% CS, 50% CF, 15%M, 5% PV, all from Finca Libertad vineyard. After being somewhat disappointed by their "old vine" cab franc bottling, this was a nice surprise. Decanted 3 hours; dark purple in color, with complex fruit flavors to match and an appreciatively restrained use of oak...letting the grapes do the talking. Medium finish, unique mineral, earthy nose I couldn't deconstruct into specific scents; not reminiscent of other Mendoza wines to say the least. (513 views)
FYI, Fred is one of us. :cool:
BamaVol
Aug 22, 09, 9:16 am
I was going to add:
Semillion
Muscadelle
Carmenere
I had never heard of this one until I came across a line of Chilean (sorry Alex) wines labeled "OOPS" which blends the grape with other reds. Pretty good, but at around $10 a bottle you can't expect to be overwhelmed.
monitor
Aug 22, 09, 3:08 pm
We have been enjoying the Austrian Reds, fruity and pleasant ones such as the Zweigelts and the Blaufraenkisch. The Austrian wine country is mainly south of Vienna and we will try to visit it next year before the VIE Do in September.
monitor
Aug 22, 09, 3:11 pm
Also, an Italian restaurant in our neighborhood in Florida introduced us to the Aglianico which comes from Campania and makes a hearty red wine with a bit of tannin.
And an interesting Campanese white which was introduced to us by a waiter in a restaurant near our office in New Jersey was the Fiano di Avellino. He loved it because that is where he grew up. We like it because it has the typical softness of an Italian white with dryness and lots of flavor.
UCBeau
Aug 22, 09, 4:42 pm
has anyone ever had a straight bourboulenc? very interesting stuff but kind of hard to find :(
FMH1964
Aug 22, 09, 6:01 pm
Whoops, my bad on semillon! (That is what happens when you don't google.) I'll add another Austrian oddity that I have tried in the past year, St. Laurent. From Jura, there is Savagnin which is used in Vin Jaune. I have only had Vin Jaune once. Pricey to put it mildly but the world of wine would be a poorer place without it. I have also tried Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia from Madeira. I'm not sure if I have had a Terrantez from Madeira or not. I also had some indigenous varieties from Corsica in the past year whose names escape me.
I don't really consider Gewurztraminer all that unusual, probably because I sell Gewurztraminers from Alsace and Ontario.
We have been enjoying the Austrian Reds, fruity and pleasant ones such as the Zweigelts and the Blaufraenkisch. The Austrian wine country is mainly south of Vienna and we will try to visit it next year before the VIE Do in September.
Amazing wines....
PDXOutbound
Aug 24, 09, 2:48 pm
I have to say, this summer my biggest surprise was Txakoli. It's a Basque wine I believe and awesome.
This was a nice white varietal priced around US$9.00. Around 9% alcohol and a slight pale green (but I did have one rose too). It was great every day drinking and low alcohol made it awesome for that weekday wine. Citrussy and really crisp. It's around at alot of the PDX wine shops, although not at larger grocery stores with wine sections.
ECOTONE
Aug 24, 09, 2:52 pm
Outside of DC is the Horton Vineyard. They produce a large selection of wines, and outside of their HIGHLY underrated Viognier, their Norton is quite interesting and unique. The history behind this varietal is also pretty cool - it was the original grape grown by colonists way back when. Thomas Jefferson raised their grapes for wine production on his Virginian estate even.
The wine itself is more interesting than good, IMHO. The color resembles some of the darkest northern rhone/central coast syrah's I've seen. It's basically like squid ink in color. The taste characteristics as I remember them are very terroir driven, with lots of pine needles, wet mud, and manure. If you're into "old world" style wine (cote rotie/bordeaux/cornas/etc) you might find this bottle interesting too.
UCBeau
Aug 24, 09, 4:00 pm
I have to say, this summer my biggest surprise was Txakoli. It's a Basque wine I believe and awesome.
This was a nice white varietal priced around US$9.00. Around 9% alcohol and a slight pale green (but I did have one rose too). It was great every day drinking and low alcohol made it awesome for that weekday wine. Citrussy and really crisp. It's around at alot of the PDX wine shops, although not at larger grocery stores with wine sections.
sounds like a vinho verde from portugal but without the light effervesence (sp?) ^
Gaucho100K
Aug 24, 09, 4:48 pm
Mi Amigo,
You may appreciate these notes from Cellar Tracker on the 2002 vintage.
Tasted by jcash on 4/22/2008 & rated 95 points: We bought a bottle of this in Buenos Aires at a wine shop called "Terroir". We asked for something that was ready for immediate consumption. It was excellent! Could have benefitted from a little breathing ortime in bottle, but my wife and I both thought it was amazing -- complex, full-bodied, firm structure lingering luxururiously and almost endlessly on the palate -- uniquely Argentine in character to boot. (461 views)
Tasted by fredmartens on 3/8/2008 & rated 92 points: Very well made wine; Michel Rolland consulting. 30% CS, 50% CF, 15%M, 5% PV, all from Finca Libertad vineyard. After being somewhat disappointed by their "old vine" cab franc bottling, this was a nice surprise. Decanted 3 hours; dark purple in color, with complex fruit flavors to match and an appreciatively restrained use of oak...letting the grapes do the talking. Medium finish, unique mineral, earthy nose I couldn't deconstruct into specific scents; not reminiscent of other Mendoza wines to say the least. (513 views)
FYI, Fred is one of us. :cool:
Dan... thanks for posting this.... yes, Fred is a fan of Benegas... ^ :D
PDXOutbound
Aug 24, 09, 5:37 pm
sounds like a vinho verde from portugal but without the light effervesence (sp?) ^
UCBeau it's very similar but no light sparkling and from the spanish/french mountain border. Also the character is a little different with more citrus since apparently the grape is not the same. At our local wine shop they did a tasting and also had a Basque individual who showed how you pour the wines. You carve the cork a certain way so that you allow air to let the wine pour out of the bottle after you recorked it. (IE a small hole for both air and pouring) Then you lift the bottle way high from the glass and pour it in. Of course when they let us little people try it, it just fell all over the place. :o
I remember a video out there in internet land showing the process. I am at work and can't get the videos (firewall, grr) so I'll see if I can find it. It's a great varietal IMHO.
on the subject of strange winee.... how about a sparkler made from CabSav...?
FMH1964
Aug 26, 09, 10:39 pm
In Ontario, two producers, Inniskillin and Magnotta produce sparkling icewine from Vidal.
dhammer53
Aug 26, 09, 10:58 pm
on the subject of strange winee.... how about a sparkler made from CabSav...?
Mi amigo, cordelli brought a sparkling shiraz to Wine Do 2. ^
Gaucho100K
Aug 27, 09, 3:02 pm
Yes... some great Ozzie Shiraz bubbly is made.... the closest thing here in Argentina is a sparkling Bonarda !!! :D ^
I find the texture of fine bubbles with the tannic structure of a red wine is a very interesting combination that allows for some very creative food pairings.... ;)
UCBeau
Aug 27, 09, 3:05 pm
Yes... some great Ozzie Shiraz bubbly is made.... the closest thing here in Argentina is a sparkling Bonarda !!! :D ^
I find the texture of fine bubbles with the tannic structure of a red wine is a very interesting combination that allows for some very creative food pairings.... ;)
I think most of us at the Wine Do just went "oh SNAP this is good stuff!!" ;)
beckoa
Aug 28, 09, 6:37 am
From OGG...
Pineapple Wine :D
Very sweet :p
Gaucho100K
Aug 28, 09, 5:03 pm
From OGG...
Pineapple Wine :D
Very sweet :p
....????? pineapple wine...??? :p
D1andonlyDman
Aug 28, 09, 5:32 pm
....????? pineapple wine...??? :p
It's lousy. However, there are a couple of operations in New England that specialize in blueberry wine, that can be quite decent.
Gaucho100K
Aug 28, 09, 5:43 pm
It's lousy. However, there are a couple of operations in New England that specialize in blueberry wine, that can be quite decent.
blueberry wine....... :eek:
website..????
Cheapskate Travels
Aug 28, 09, 8:52 pm
blueberry wine....... :eek:
website..????
Yep. Here in Wisconsin there are a number of wineries opening that do fruit wines. Blueberry wine, raspberry wine, strawberry wine, apricot wine, peach wine, blackberry wine, boysenberry wine. Along with Meads and some pretty darn good apple ciders.
It seems that a number of these people got into the fruit wines after they planted grape vines and realized they needed to make something till they had a producing vineyard...hence they utilized local fruit. A bit of trial and error and now they are making some pretty good fruit wines and some of them aren't even bothering with grapes anymore. Guess they found their niche!
Don't know about any websites, we just buy them locally.
As far as an unusual varietal, I'd have to say brachetto. Don't know how it flew under our radar for so long (had it for the first time this year) as we love Italian wines and have drunk our fair share of prosecco.
mjcewl1284
Aug 28, 09, 9:20 pm
I picked up a Torrontes from the same region. Have not given it a try yet but will report when done.
BiziBB
Aug 28, 09, 9:43 pm
Dan... thanks for posting this.... yes, Fred is a fan of Benegas... ^ :D
I hope that fans of Terroir don't call themselves Terroirists. :p
Sparkling shiraz has a famous home at the beginning of the main Hunter Valley (NSW, Australia, near Sydney) wine trail:
Peterson's Champagne House (http://www.petersonshouse.com.au/shop/home.php?cat=1)
A different house from the House of Miles and obviously not a house of Petersen, but it's a landmark and a must-see for anyone going to the Hunter Valley and interested in sparkling - especially sparkling shiraz. :)
(don't ask about the French terroir-ists wanting Petersons to drop the C word! :D)
There are a ton of discussions in the Australia forum if anyone has questions or want to read about wine in Australia. In terms of drinking it, there are plenty of options for visitors and many Oz FTers are happy to help!
number_6
Aug 28, 09, 9:57 pm
blueberry wine....... :eek:
website..????There are hundreds of non-grape wines made around the world -- and most are legally entitled to be labeled as wine (well, maybe not in France ...).
The most unusual that I have personally tasted (and it was good!) is chocolate wine (made on a whey base, to get the alcohol). Website http://www.shallon.com/
BamaVol
Aug 28, 09, 10:36 pm
blueberry wine....... :eek:
website..????
I'm not sure if there's much available on the internet, but my local AAA publication had a nice story on the Alabama wine trail - you heard that right, Alabama wine trail. The most common grape used is muscadine, which usually yields a very sweet product. Additionally, peach is a popular ingredient too. Other fruits mentioned are watermelon, raspberries, blackberries, scuppernong grapes and blueberries. Traditional grapes are also used: chardonnay, merlot, petit syrah, riesling, cabernet franc, norton & lenoir. One of the wineries, White Oak Vineyards, is about 3 miles from my home. I've yet to visit, but will before the week is out. Most of the others are within 2 hours drive for me.
I'd be curious to hear what the BsAs crowd would make of a watermelon wine. :eek:
dhammer53
Aug 28, 09, 11:07 pm
Truth be told, pineapple wine isn't as bad as you think. We visited the winery on Maui. It's a very cute set up in the Maui mountains. The wine doesn't taste like you just cracked open a pineapple. It's tastes 'flavored' in a good way.
It was perfect for sipping at the pool as the sun set into the Pacific. It's also perfect for the college crowd if you know what I mean. ;)
I'm not that wine snobby that I can't appreciate a nice wine when I taste it. For $11 bucks, knock yourself out. :p
wsucougarchick05
Aug 28, 09, 11:18 pm
The fruit wines from Hoodsport Winery (http://www.hoodsport.com/) in Washington are good.
Their Raspberry wine is my personal favorite.
The same winery also makes Madeleine Angevine which is a nice-drinking wine (IMHO). About Madeleine Angevine at Wine Compass (http://winecompass.blogspot.com/2008/04/wine-101-madeleine-angevine.html).
violist
Aug 29, 09, 7:29 am
Truth be told, pineapple wine isn't as bad as you think. We visited the winery on Maui.
Tedeschi, right? Surprisingly drinkable.
Gaucho100K
Aug 29, 09, 9:13 am
pineapple wine = spoof juice !!!!!!!
:p
Alpha
Aug 30, 09, 11:06 pm
Outside of DC is the Horton Vineyard. They produce a large selection of wines, and outside of their HIGHLY underrated Viognier, their Norton is quite interesting and unique. The history behind this varietal is also pretty cool - it was the original grape grown by colonists way back when. Thomas Jefferson raised their grapes for wine production on his Virginian estate even.
The wine itself is more interesting than good, IMHO. The color resembles some of the darkest northern rhone/central coast syrah's I've seen. It's basically like squid ink in color. The taste characteristics as I remember them are very terroir driven, with lots of pine needles, wet mud, and manure. If you're into "old world" style wine (cote rotie/bordeaux/cornas/etc) you might find this bottle interesting too.
Virginia wines are almost invariably terrible in my experience. My experience includes working in a wine shop in virginia for several years. Barboursville makes an almost OK cab franc. King family is INSANE charging the prices they do. Kluge has positively lost it. The other stuff is just downright gross, and i've tried a lot of it. Unfortunately, what many wine makers fail to realize or try in vain to fight against is that most grapes can't handle the humidity in Virginia. Cab franc and viognier can be OK, and the occasional chard done in stainless steel. Other than that, forget it. I will say, though, the best VA wine I've had (and I objectively consider it a good wine) is the Linden chardonnay. It's excellent, though it tastes mostly like Sauv Blanc. Anyway, just my $0.02.
slawecki
Aug 31, 09, 1:15 pm
Outside of DC is the Horton Vineyard. The color resembles some of the darkest northern rhone/central coast syrah's I've seen. It's basically like squid ink in color..
Horton grows a lot tannet and Touriga Nacional. i know that the cab franc has a lot of tannet in it. i do not know where the Touriga Nacional goes. but but it would not take much of either of those two would put a dark cast on a pinot blanc.
Gaucho100K
Sep 1, 09, 11:15 am
Virginia wines are almost invariably terrible in my experience. My experience includes working in a wine shop in virginia for several years. Barboursville makes an almost OK cab franc. King family is INSANE charging the prices they do. Kluge has positively lost it. The other stuff is just downright gross, and i've tried a lot of it. Unfortunately, what many wine makers fail to realize or try in vain to fight against is that most grapes can't handle the humidity in Virginia. Cab franc and viognier can be OK, and the occasional chard done in stainless steel. Other than that, forget it. I will say, though, the best VA wine I've had (and I objectively consider it a good wine) is the Linden chardonnay. It's excellent, though it tastes mostly like Sauv Blanc. Anyway, just my $0.02.
Didnt Thomas Jefferson make wine in VA or am I getting my state and President wrong..????!!! :D
violist
Sep 1, 09, 2:01 pm
Horton grows a lot tannet and Touriga Nacional. i know that the cab franc
has a lot of tannet in it. i do not know where the Touriga Nacional goes. but but it would not
take much of either of those two would put a dark cast on a pinot blanc.
Horton is pretty adventuresome ... I particularly like the Norton, a native American grape
that lacks most of that detestable foxiness of native species. Horton Norton - bought it
for the name, bought it again for the taste.
Didnt Thomas Jefferson make wine in VA or am I getting my state and President wrong..????!!! :D
You're right in both cases, but also remember that he also imported a lot of
French wine.
slawecki
Sep 1, 09, 6:19 pm
Didnt Thomas Jefferson make wine in VA or am I getting my state and President wrong..????!!! :D
yea he made it in va. i assume it was as lousy as va cabernet or shard is today. he also smuggled Arborio rice or equivalent out of italy in a diplomatic pouch. taking it out of italy carried a death penalty at that time.
BamaVol
Sep 1, 09, 8:58 pm
I'm not sure if there's much available on the internet, but my local AAA publication had a nice story on the Alabama wine trail - you heard that right, Alabama wine trail. The most common grape used is muscadine, which usually yields a very sweet product. Additionally, peach is a popular ingredient too. Other fruits mentioned are watermelon, raspberries, blackberries, scuppernong grapes and blueberries. Traditional grapes are also used: chardonnay, merlot, petit syrah, riesling, cabernet franc, norton & lenoir. One of the wineries, White Oak Vineyards, is about 3 miles from my home. I've yet to visit, but will before the week is out. Most of the others are within 2 hours drive for me.
White Oak is 3 miles from our house. The owner's studied winemaking at Cal Poly and spent 30 years with the USDA in California. He grew up here and came back after retiring. We tried 4 wines: 1. A Chambourcin was delightful. We liked it enough to bring a bottle to dinner with a French couple Saturday night (one of whom is in the wine business) 2. An unoaked Chardonel was an eye-opener. Unfortunately, not currently available for sale, but can be tasted. I have discovered that aging in oak is what gives Chardonnay its sweaty gym socks taste. 3. A Burgundy made of Norton grapes was passable but unremarkable. 4. The Cabernet has an odd flavor. When the owner asked what I thought of it, I could only admit it wasn't my favorite.
Wills Creek, run by a Swiss family, is about an hour and 15 minutes north. We tried 3 wines. 1. A Muscadot (75% Merlot, 25% Muscadine) was awful. Tasted like a dry grape soda. 2. The Pinot Noir was light and fruity. We bought a bottle for later. 3. A white Muscadine was not overly sweet. Would go nicely with cheesecake.
We are planning to visit Jules Berta, the mad Hungarian (aren't they all?), on Saturday with BV Jr#1 and his wife. We will then head to Guntersville for lunch. We'll skip the fruit wines, but will taste the Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Blaufrankish/Petit Syrah. White wines include Sylvaner, Aurore & Riesling/Chardonnay.
We were given passports at the first stop. After the 7th winery on the trail, we will receive some sort of commemorative glasses. This is going to be fun. We'll probably finish up next weekend with the 3 south of B'ham and the one in Taladega, which better not have a NASCAR themed wine.