My dear dear friend Silvia had the most adorable little boy last week and everyone is in the mood to celebrate the arrival of little Julian Carlos Shishkin – congratulations Sils and Philip! Now the question is, which bottles should be sent to acknowledge the celebration and break the vino fasting?
The best thing to do, I think, when sending a bottle of wine, is to get a tip off of a good local shop, and order from them (saves £/$shipping, etc.) Thankfully, the folks at The Second Glass have already put together an impressive list of such shops in Boston. However, buying a bottle of wine when you can read everything on the label is challenging enough sometimes, so doing it over the phone can be intimidating at best. I say, trust the merchant first and foremost. But if you’re like some of my lager drinking friends in London who want to send a bottle for a special occasion or who are looking for a some basic info to suss out what’s an appropriate bottle to have in hand for the host of a dinner party, I’ve put together a little cheat sheet together that will hopefully lend some direction to getting through the label lingo of the three biggest Old World producers: France, Italy, and Spain.
France:
They produce more wine, if counting fortified wines – yum, than any other country in the world. What’s important to remember about France is that the planting of certain grape varieties is heavily controlled (and the restriction on varietal planting has been adopted throughout Europe.) So if you are going to a friend’s house and he loves Sauvignon Blanc, don’t bring a Chablis (though he’d be an odd one if he didn’t like it anyhow.)
Bordeaux: Reds: Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot (Bordeaux blend means a blend of Merlot and Cab Sauv – Right bank is known for more or Merlot in the blend, whereas the Left bank is known for an emphasis on Cab Sauv). Whites: Semillon, Sauv Blanc, Muscadelle.
For fun, know the Premier Crus because if you’re ever offered some you are going to want to know to remember the experience: Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux.
On the dinner party scale – Bordeaux’s are a safe bet. The Bordeaux blend is replicated all over the world and is one with which most people are familiar with and can enjoy on it’s own or with some tasty food. Prices will vary depending on the AOC (see wine law chart.)
Burgundy: Reds: Pinot Noir and Gamay (only in the Southern region of Beaujolais). White: Chardonnay.
You’ve got Chablis to the north (crisp Chards that will teach your ‘I don’t like Chard’ friends that the Chardonnay grape can do much more than the inexpensively oaked bulk stuff from Cali and Oz.) Then you have the Cote d’Or in Burgunday. This is dived into two: Cote de Nuits (Pinot Noir) and Cote de Beaune (Chardonnay).
Celebration scale: Find a good Burgundy and your friends should realize how lucky they are to have you join in their festivities.
Further South is Beaujolais, which will always be made with Gamay. The Beaujolais Crus are Fleurie, Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon, and Brouilly. I would recommend looking out for these names on the labels. There are some outstanding Beaujolais and a glass on it’s own is a great way to start an evening but the light body and red fruit flavour isn’t to everyone’s liking, especially if they are more accustomed to a fuller bodied Bordeaux style.
The Loire Valley: For the purposes of a cheat sheet, think fine Sauvignon Blancs are found in Sancerre and Pouilly Fume and Chenin Blanc thoughout. Reds are rare but you can find a treat in some Loire Pinot Noirs. If you’re going for a crisp, recognizable old world, Sauv Blanc, grab a moderate priced Sancerre or Pouilly Fume and you’re good to go.
The Rhone Valley: Think North vs South here. In the North you’re got Syrah dominating the reds and Viognier, Rousanne, and Marsanne for the whites. AC areas are Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Chateau Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitge (most prestigious), Cornas. In the South you’ve got more Grenache in the blends with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault adding depth and color. Châteaunuf-Du-Pape is the big name here but check out Vacqueyas, Gigondas, and Beaunes de Venise if the credit crunch is curbing your generosity. (Gigondas is my mother’s version of the second glass to Châteaunuf-Du-Pape.
Vin de Pays: Some truly great wines are coming out of Vin de Pays regions but because the regulations of these wines is minimal, I would recommend having a tester bottle with a friend or your partner before popping in with one on a special occasion.
Spain:
I’m not going to go through the regions of Spain because I’m afraid you’re getting bored and more importantly, Kirsten is doing a great Spanish tutorial on her blog of ‘Tour-o-toro.’
A quick cheat sheet on ageing (knowing these definitions will make it much easier to read labels and might convince you to spend a few more dollars if that’s all it’s going to take to get that Gran Reserva over a Crianza):
Crianza: 2 years min aging, of which 6 months must be in cask (Rioja – 12 months in cask)
Reserva: Red: 3 years min aging, of which 12 months must be in cask
Rose and White: 2 years min aging, of which 6 months
Gran Reserva: Red: 5 years min aging, of which 18 months must be in cask (Rioja – 24 months in cask)
Rose and White: 4 years min ageing, of which 6 months must be in cask
Italy
Fun fact: if you don’t include fortified wines, Italy produces more wine than any other country in the world.
Italy has 14 wine producing regions to note:
Piemonte, Trentino, Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Sicilia
1000+ grape varieties are grown throughout this region and many are indigenous to Italy and only grown on Italian soils. (Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Aglianico are regarded for their ability to produce world-class wines.)
Red grapes:
Local: Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Barbara, Dolcetto, Corvina, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Primitivo
International: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir
White grapes:
Local: Trebbiano, Malvasia, Verdicchio, Garganega, Cortese
International: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (same as Pinot Gris)
Remember that these laws are supposed to make things easier on the consumer… and I promise that once you’re familiar with them you’ll be sending and bringing along great wines and your knowledge will impress.
