Gretchen’s Buzz for August & September
The landscape of options for the wine consumers in our country is pretty outstanding. We are fortunate to have access to practically everything the world has to offer. Thousands of different grape varietals, innumerous growing regions and producers, and so on. Almost every week a new wine will cross my desk that is made with a grape I’ve never heard of, or from an area I can’t place on a map without the aid of Google.
I love finding these things, obscurity is an intriguing quality for someone like myself. Let me very clear though, obscurity does not make a wine better than something familiar. It will always offer something new to learn, as well as bragging rights like, “of course I’ve had Garnacha Peluda, are you kidding me?” But that doesn’t always equal superiority.
The most important thing to me as a buyer when I come across something wildly unfamiliar is value. The smart producers know their wines have to be priced below what they’d like to charge for them because that’s the only way anyone will take the risk of buying them.
There was a time when no one had ever heard of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Napa Valley was just an agricultural area with a few hippies running around attempting to make wine. That’s why sommeliers like to “geek out” with funky grapes from freaky places. It’s like discovering a new species that could be the next big thing.
For this month’s Buzz, I’ve decided to cherry pick some of my favorite weirdo wines and expose them on one page. If you are the adventurous type, and are not embarrassed to grossly mispronounce foreign words, then this list is for you.
Wines in our Connecticut restaurants
Vinos Rosados
2011 Garnatxa Peluda, Bodegas Edetària, Vinya D’Irto Rosat (Terra Alta, Spain)
2010 Chenançon, Colline de l’Hirondelle, Ventilo (Roussillon, France)
Vinos Blancos
2009 San Clodio (Ribeiro, Spain) [ Treixadura/Godello/Torrontés/Loureira/Albariño ]
2011 Hondarribi Zuri, Ulacia, Getariako (Txakolina, Spain)
2010 Folle Blanche, Dom. Le Fay d’Homme, Gros Plant Nantais (Loire, France)
2009 Romorantin, François Cazin, Cour-Cheverny (Loire, France)
2010 Domaine Sigalas (Santorini, Greece) [ Asirtiko / Athiri ]
Vinos Tintos
2010 Prieto Picudo, Cañasecas (Castilla y Leon, Spain)
2010 Trepat, Josep Foraster (Terra Alta, Spain)
2009 Garnacha Tintorera, Bodegas Rafael Cambra, Soplo (Valencia, Spain)
2010 Bobal, Vega Tolosa, 11 Pinos (Manchuela, Spain)
2006 Viñedo d. l. Vientos, Eolo Gran Reserva (Atlantida, Uruguay) [Tannat / Ruby Cabernet]
2007 Ronchi di Cialla, Cialla Rosso (Friuli, Italy) [ Schippettino / Refosco ]
2009 Negramaro, Tenute Mater Domini, Marangi, Salice Salentino (Puglia, Italy)
Vinos Dulces
NV Malvasia de Sitges ‘Espumoso,’ Vega de Ribes, Ancestral (Penedes, Spain)
NV Tannat, Viñedo d. l. Vientos, Alcyone (Atlantida, Uruguay)
Wines in our Inman Park restaurant
Vinos Rosados
2011 Garnatxa Peluda, Bodegas Edetària, Vinya D’Irto Rosat (Terra Alta, Spain)
2010 Hondarribi Beltza, Ameztoi, Rubentis, Getariako (Txakolina, Spain)
Vinos Blancos
2010 Viña Mein (Ribeiro, Spain) [ Treixadura/Godello/Loureirra/Albariño ]
2007 Incrozzio Manzonni, Can Rafols dels Caus, El Rocallís (Penedes, Spain)
2010 Acústic Celler, Acústic Blanc, (Montsant, Spain) [Garnacha Blanca/Macabeo/Garnacha Gris]
2010 Sylvaner, André Ostertag, Vielles Vignes (Alsace, France)
2010 Domaine Sigalas (Santorini, Greece) [ Asirtiko / Athiri ]
2010 Sanguinhal, Sottal (Lisboa, Portugal) [ Arinto / Muscat ]
Vinos Tintos
2007 Mencía, Dominio de Bibei, Lalama (Ribeira Sacra, Spain)
2010 Trepat, Josep Foraster (Terra Alta, Spain)
2009 Garnacha Tintorera, Bodegas Rafael Cambra, Soplo (Valencia, Spain)
2010 Bobal, Vega Tolosa, 11 Pinos (Manchuela, Spain)
2005 Vidigal, Dão (Dão, Portugal) [ Jaen/Touriga Nacional/Alfrocheiro ]
2006 Viñedo d. l. Vientos, Eolo Gran Reserva (Atlantida, Uruguay) [Tannat/Ruby Cabernet]
Vinos Dulces
NV Malvasia de Sitges ‘Espumoso,’ Vega de Ribes, Ancestral (Penedes, Spain)
NV Tannat, Viñedo d. l. Vientos, Alcyone (Atlantida, Uruguay)
Enjoy!