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Hitting the Vineyard Trail
New Shining Stars in 2003

Past trends don’t always predict the future. Last year was eye opening because I had the opportunity to tour a number of exciting wine regions. As a result, I have uncovered some things, which don’t even qualify as “best kept secrets” because they’re still so obscure.

Austria , for instance, will never threaten Australia in terms of visibility. And yet, from this forlorn homeland of the Gruner Veltliner grape comes some of the world’s most fabulous Sauvignon Blanc. The best from 2001 are well structured with gorgeous gooseberry, ripe peach and/or tangy Anjou pear fruit flavours (depending on the clone, date of picking and/or yield).

I visited the tiny, gently mountainous region of Syria or Steier (actually called Südsteiermark) last June and was amazed by the number of world-class producers whose wineries dot the southern Slovenian border. Look for Walter Skoff, Alois Gross, Paul Achs, Eduard Tscheppe, Neumeister, Gamlitz and Polz - all outstanding houses. They are not inexpensive, usually $20 to $35, but are usually worth every penny.

The highly sought-after Manfred Tement whites, for instance, are produced in a tiny, exquisite, ultra modern, gravity flow winery that compares to the best anywhere in the world. His single vineyard estate Tement Sauvignon Blanc Zieregg 2001 at 14% alcohol has stunning sweet pear puree fruit overlaid with gooseberry and vanilla notes. 

Manfred Tement, one of Austria’s top ten producers,
at his estate in southern Styria

If you want to really dig into these wines, make sure you mark you calendar for the next VieVinum, an enormous Austrian wine fair with five thousand plus wines on display. It takes place in Vienna in June 5-7, 2004 . In the meantime, you might want to track down a copy of the attractively illustrated, informative and easy to read hardcover by Giles MacDonogh The Wine & Food of Austria (Mitchell Beazley, 1992)

Spain on the March

Spain is another source of amazement. I recently managed to make two very short vineyard forays. My first trip focused on traditional regions like Rioja, which has seen the bottom fall out of world demand. This decline was simple, rapid rising prices and too much focus on traditional methodology. There were too many “same-old, same-old” wines, which are popular for Spanish palates, but not for those who enjoy more New World style of fruitiness and accessibility.

The revelation that things were about to change came with last year’s March 9^th Vintages release of the delicious barrel fermented Bodegas Beronia 1999 Tempranillo, a steal at $16.60. This was the first barrel fermented red I had ever tasted and I went wild. For here was a red that defied tradition by putting the cleaned, just fermenting red grape juice into brand new oak for 6-8 months. An expensive procedure yes, but what it did for the wine was a wonder. The fruit exploded, the tannins softened and oakiness was held in check. Intellectually, it is comparable to barrel fermenting Chardonnay (as opposed to putting the completely fermented wine into new wood). The 2000 will be appearing in Vintages this spring.

Guess what? My intuition that this would be one of the winemaking miracles of 21^st century has already started to come true. It is now being done quietly at some of the best chateau in Bordeaux . In fact, the most impressive Australian Shiraz tasted last year was the Perth Hills Western Range 2001 Accord Shiraz was based on the identical barrel fermentation principal. Agents Prevedello-Matthews (416-979-9153) will be bringing in 56 cases of the 2002 for the fall Classics.

South African Shiraz

And talking about Shiraz , there is a revolution afoot in South Africa . While Chardonnay is the most improved grape variety, dozens of well-made, high end Shiraz are starting to emerge. My 2002 eye opener was when a group of inexpensive South African reds swept the red wine awards at the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show. If you are looking for value, it will be hard to beat the best of show Bellingham 2001 Shiraz (falling from $12.95 to $12.65 on the LCBO general lust next Monday).

Hot wines from Priorat & Somontano

Getting back to Spain , last month I visited four regions, including the super hot Priorat. How many have visited a winery (in this case the esteemed Alvaro Palacios) to taste a $400 still unreleased red, only to be told that nary a bottle is available?

Fortunately, some regions are still undiscovered. From the spanking new Somontano vineyards northeast of Barcelona , for instance, we have the well-priced Vinas del Vero 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is on the LCBO general list at only $11.95. To prove it can be done, this group launched a super-Somontano. Having recently tasted their seamless, estate bottled 1998 Blecua I can testify that there is a terrific future here as well. For information on these wines call Celebrated Cellars at 416-239-9463.

Argentina also has an extremely exciting future, although the recent economic collapse has been a huge setback for the industry. Getting material, such as new French barrels, or even personnel (“flying winemakers” from Chile working in Mendoza have had their Argentine bank accounts frozen) is presenting major hurdles for all the serious progress that has been made.

B.C. on a roll

Dozens of dynamic wine regions remain. British Columbia ’s Okanagan Valley wines, for instance, are now posing a serious challenge to our local Ontario efforts. For reasons beyond my comprehension the LCBO has been overly complacent about sourcing these wines for our shelves. Sure we saw some delicious Blue Mountain appearances last year, but we need more of the better, smaller winery efforts. Could this absence have something to do with local political peer pressure?

Italian gems

As a columnist for the Italian magazine Civilta del bere, I spent many happy hours discovering the joys of Italian wine. So even if I haven’t visited the Maurizio Zanella Ca’ del Bosco estate, thanks to the Small Winemakers Collection I was able to discover his incredibly flavourful, beautifully textured Franciacorta Brut NV (detailed in my National Post column of November 23) right here in Toronto. It is testimonial that things are still happening in Italy.

From Vintages, my Italian highlight of the year was the incredible Ceretto 1997 Barolo Bricco Rocche Brunate, which quickly disappeared off the shelves at $84.90 last month. Let’s hope that Ontario agent Halpern Enterprises (416-593-2662) is able to source some additional stock for local fans.

Check out the
January 2003 InStore Discovery


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