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Food and Drink

Old World wines that fit New World tastes

For the most part, the wine world is conveniently carved into two parts: the Old World and the New World. Europe is considered Old World while North and South America, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa fall under the New World moniker.

It’s not so much aged-based but more about the philosophy of winemaking and the style of the wine. It doesn’t matter that the Chileans planted grapes as early as the mid-1550s but only that their wines are predominately varietal (named after a single grape variety) and that the country’s prominence as an important world exporter is less than 30 years old.

On the other hand, France, Italy, Spain and Germany, to name but a few Old World producers, have been growing grapes, making wine and exporting it for centuries. In the Old World, much is made of the wine’s origin.

Despite the fact many wines are made with well-known grapes, the European tendency is to associate the wine with its appellation or the place that it comes from rather than any single grape name. Hence, varietal wine like chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot gives way to names such as Bordeaux, Rioja, Burgundy, Barolo and many more.

Both consumers and retailers in the New World have to work a bit harder to understand the wines of Europe, but the rewards are many. Perhaps the single greatest difference is the structure and style of European wine. Normally, higher acids and a leaner structure make it eminently more drinkable with food, as does its lower alcohol rate.

So where do you begin to explore Europe?

White wines can be particularly rewarding when they are food-friendly. Given the mix of seafood and Asian dishes available in British Columbia, riesling (German or Austrian) is a great place to start. And, as we’ve mentioned in previous columns, albariño (Spain), viognier (France) and grüner veltliner (Austria) are also good starting points. Each has spicy Asian food written all over the taste.

Northern Italian white wine or verdelho from Spain’s Rueda region are equally charming and easy to appreciate with light seafood dishes, grilled chicken and pastas. The bonus is few will break your budget.

The red wines of Europe are plentiful and for the bored-out-of-your-mind merlot or cabernet sauvignon drinker, they can be a much-needed tonic.

Portugal’s Douro Valley is a great place to start. Dry Douro reds are often a blend of five or six grapes. In some cases, the wine is made from a field blend of 50 or 60 different grape varieties. Names like Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Vallado, Ramos Pintos Duas Quintas, and Quinta de Chocapalha are easy to find. Each is a rich savoury introduction into dry Douro reds and many are among the best barbecue reds you won’t soon forget.

From Spain the soft easy-sipping monastrell (mourvèdre) is all the rage with young people, and why not? The price is right and the fruit is even better.

The south of France is on a roll. Since the late 1990s the Languedoc has experienced a string of superlative harvests most other regions can only dream of. Couple that with affordable prices, and you have an appellation that is gaining widespread consumer recognition.

Italy is a treasure trove of red wine especially for the adventurous drinker who heads south to the likes of Apulia and Sicily. Each region produces warm generous reds that over the last decade have shown a refinement that makes them reliable, everyday, go-to wines that consumers love.

Now to the best part. Here’s a short list of tasty wines that allow you to tour Europe for less than $25 a bottle. Any of them make an excellent starting point for your own “fam” tour of the Old World that will only expand the more you get to know them.

 

Burgans Albariño Rías Baixas 2005 Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain, $20

A delicious mix of honey, nectarine and melon fruit with a touch of almond that can match just about any food type.

Balthasar Ress Rheingau Riesling QBA 2005, Rheingau, Germany, $16

Sweet entry with mineral, smoky, slate, green apple skin, lime rind flavours with a floral grassy finish. Perfect for take-out Thai.

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Steinhaus Grüner Veltliner 2005 Kamptal, Austria, $18

Love the white peach, mineral, spicy, floral, green apple, lime and passion fruit flavours, and its slick, Vino-loc, glass stopper, closure. Seafood friendly.

Rabl Grüner Veltliner Spiegel 2005 Kamptal, Austria, $18

Groovy grüner that is crisp but elegant with passion fruit, granny smith, butter, chalky, Vaseline flavours. Good intensity and finesse. Fine seafood or cheese wine.

Cuatro Pasos (Four Steps) Bierzo 2004 Bierzo, Spain, $18

Bright cherry, pruny, peppery, cardamom notes mixed with mineral, leather, smoky, coffee flavours. Serve with grilled meats or poultry.

Castaño Hécula 2004, Yecla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain, $16

Love this soft warm ripe smoky, spicy, boysenberry-flavoured red. One hundred per cent older vine monastrell at a fair price.

Scurati Nero d'Avola 2005, Sicily, Italy, $24

Chunky rustic style red with chocolate, peppery, black cherry jam, tobacco, tea and licorice flavours. Try with lamb shanks. Masia M Roussillon Red Wine 2004, Roussillon, South of France, $17

Look for a solid core of fruit in a slightly chunky style; great for winter meals.

Domaine La Garrigue Cuvée Romaine 2004 Côtes du Rhône, France, $19

Big mineral, black cherry, spicy, floral, licorice, chocolate, prune flavours. Good concentration and intensity. Serve with duck confit or lamb roast.

Flor de Crasto Tinto 2004, Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, $14

The tannins are softer, the fruit a bit more forward but it's still a dusty, earthy medium-bodied red wine with refreshing acidity. Enjoy all winter with grilled meats or stews.

 

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com