©2007, The Birmingham Post
If we lived on a daily diet of chicken, life would be dull. Not that I don't like chicken, but any restricted diet can become exceedingly boring. I thrive on mealtime choices, and the same can be said of my wine.
With supermarket shelves groaning under the weight of Cabernets and Chardonnays, more often than not, I want something else. I want variety.
Grapes are the raw material of wine, and ultimately, they define its flavour and personality. At a basic level, they determine whether it's white or red, but more profoundly, they influence the style and structure.
So what's out there, and how do you find them? The modern method of labelling by grape variety makes life simple, but where a genuine place-name is employed, the task can be a little more complex, but don't be put off.
Take, for example, Rias Baixas from Galicia, based on the Albarino variety. Until a decade ago, this was pricey and difficult to source, but such has been its success, it's now widely available.
Usually unwooded, the grape gives lively acidity with typically green-apple and lime flavours, making it ideal with fish or seafood. Across the border in Portugal, it's called Alvarinho, and is often the mainstay of Vinho Verde.
Without hesitation, I would nominate Chenin Blanc as the world's most versatile variety. It generally has characters of quince-pear, cream and sometimes nougat, and within its native homeland of Anjou-Touraine in the Loire Valley, Chenin appears in all manner of guises, from dry, medium or sweet, to sparkling. The most widespread grape of South Africa, it churns out huge volumes of basic table plonk, but is also used for Sherry and Brandy.
Overshadowed by Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, Semillon is the unsung hero. Used to make fabulous Sauternes, it was often the mainstay of deathly-dull white Graves and Bordeaux. With modern wine-making techniques, it has emerged as a real star in Australia, particularly in the Hunter and Barossa Valleys. The tasting profile is lemon and lanolin.
Whilst I am no fan of anodyne Pinot Grigio, the grape is capable of much greater things in Alsace, Oregon and New Zealand. A hybrid of Pinot Noir, it can produce pear-like characters infused with smoke and spice. Gruner Veltliner, Austria's favourite grape, can have similar characters, and is winning a great number of plaudits, particularly within the restaurant trade.
Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate red Bordeaux, there are several minor players worthy of attention. Cabernet Franc, for example, is a lighter, less tannic version which thrives in the Middle-Loire, under such labels as Chinon or Bourgeuil. Here it produces light to medium-bodied, fresh wines with raspberry fruit flavours.
A second is Malbec, the staple of the black wines of Cahors, often criticised for being too hard and lean. Nevertheless, it has reinvented itself as the flagship varietal of Argentina, showing as vibrant damson-fruited spicy reds.
Over in Chile, a third variety, mislabelled as Merlot, Carmenere has become a signature grape, with its big structure and juicy redcurrant characters.
The staple varieties of Chianti and Rioja, namely Sangiovese and Tempranillo, are also gaining an increasing foothold in Argentina, along with the relatively obscure Bonarda from Northern Italy. Sangiovese commonly has sour-cherry flavours, but can be tart and tannic. Tempranillo responds particularly well to oak-ageing. Again a variety with high acidity, the flavours can stretch from delicate strawberry to morello cherry.
Grenache or Garnacha is common across much of Mediterranean France and Spain, together with Mourvedre, known in Spain as Monastrell. Grenache is the mainstay of Southern Rhone reds, in particularly Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvedre is used for Bandol in Provence.
Finally, Gamay is the once-fashionable grape responsible for Beaujolais. Less so today, at its best, it has lively acidity and easy-quaffing raspberry fruit.
So, casting aside the five or six main varieties can be fun and challenging. Open up an undiscovered world of new sensations, and taste a clutch of brilliant, yet less well-known wines. Go for it!