Surprising Wines
  • Wine
  • Wine Chat and Terms
  • Interviews
  • About

Zahel Orange T (2013), A Unique, Not Widely Produced, Grape From Austria Is A Complicated Crowd Pleaser

5/27/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Zahel orangetraube
(or “orange t”) could be described as a pinot gris that went over to a dry riesling’s house in Vienna and had a threesome with a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. It might also be described, less colorfully, as a pinot gris would taste like with some light acidity, spice and a wee bit of fruitiness (think peach perhaps). There isn’t too much citrus going on here but you may find some of the lighter fruits with pits lurking in the background. The wine is a unique and subtle in its various flavors and qualities.

This wine will pair well with Asian food such as Thai cuisine and probably white fish dishes (again, I don’t eat meat so for meat so that last comparison isn’t from personal experience). I’d personally drink this with oli oli pasta, maybe some richer white pasta or gnocchi.  Hell, I generally have just busted it open and drank it by itself.

I recommended this wine to some folks recently and couldn’t come up with exactly the right term for the vaguely sweet flavor in it—the woman hit it immediately “honeysuckle.” That is a good term to describe an aspect of this wine.

And that is always the thing; wines are complicated and the person tasting is going to pick out something that hits them. What I want to eat with a wine may not jibe with what YOU want to eat with a wine. There is a level of subjectivity when it comes to pairings

As far as I have been able to find Zahel’s Orangetraube is pretty much the only one commercially available. Sources say there are other places in both Austria and Germany growing the grape but I couldn’t find them (admittedly with some rather limited searching).  The basic story of the grape is that it was found in the wild by a German, Johann Phillip Bronner, a pharmacist and an area pioneer in viticulture. He was a significant figure in improving the quality of wine in South Central Europe. It is interesting “his” grape now seems to have found a home in Vienna.

This is a crowd pleasing wine that will appeal to the wine snob in its uniqueness and to the box wine drinker in its accessibility. Part of the reason for this is its exquisite balance.

$24-27

0 Comments

Mayu Pedro Ximenez (Chile), Noted Sherry Grape, Also Makes Some Excellent Dry White Wines

5/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

The surprising thing about
Viña Mayu Pedro Ximenez is two-fold; first that it is an unfortified wine made with PX grapes and,  second, which it is from Chile. Admittedly the former is less surprising than the latter.

Most (excepting the most cantankerous) will admit that Pedro Ximenez as a white varietal hasn't been all that common. This is changing. There are a number of PXs out there now in a wide range of prices.

This wine has a peppery (o maybe just "spicy" is the term to use) and mineral heavy taste. There is a medium amount of acid to add some pizazz here (to use a very technical wine term). You will see talk of the fruit flavors in the wine? Meh...if anything there is a floral sort of taste more than fruit. To me this wine is all about the spice and the minerals. This is a solid wine to serve cold on a hot day. As a vegetarian I would eat it with Mediterranean food--hummus, dolmas or any light food with some garlic involved.

Mayu Pedro Ximenez is grown at a fairly high elevation of over 6,000 feet. There is a great deal of evidence that growing SOME grapes at higher altitude changes the flavor of the grapes for the better--grapes grow thicker skins and flavors appear more concentrated. Most of what I have read on the subject has been about red grapes but it is hard to imagine that there is no change when it comes to white grapes. High altitude changes the amount of oxygen, UV exposure, temperature and other things I am likely forgetting that a plant needs to grow and thrive.

Some grapes won't grow at a high altitude of course which means the wine won't be very good because it does not actually exist.

The vines in the area are old vines--but were hitherto used to make Pisco, liquor that is Chile's pride and joy...and Peru's too. If you want to have some fun tell a Chilean Pisco is Peruvian (and visa versa).

$13-15

Picture

Check out a different view of the wine from the Reverse Wine Snob.

0 Comments

Cortijo III Blanco Viura (2012) Is A Wine You May Want In The Fridge This Summer, A Nice White From Rioja

5/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Viura is a mostly Spanish grape varietal (you may also see it called Macabeo).  This particular wine, Cortija III Blanco, hails from Rioja, which is most known for its red blends.

Cortija viura is a fairly light wine with a slightly grassy taste and a lightly, for lack of a better term, astringent finish. It certainly has a bit of acidity.  If there is ever a wine that should have the word summer associated with it is this wine. It is a nice light wine without pretension and without a great deal of complexity. The label says the wine is “medium bodied.” Buy it, taste it and you tell me if it is medium bodied. This isn’t a knock. Light wines can be great.

It isn’t big, it isn’t bold it doesn’t have dozens of flavors roaming around in the glass but it is nice served super cold as the temperature starts to inch upward.  There is zero oakiness and the grapes come from 40 year old vines.  Since I look out the window in Chicago and finally see people not wearing jackets? This might be a go to wine even in the frozen north.

If the name of the varietal seems familiar it is one of the components of the Spanish sparkling wine, Cava. It is apparently used making a particular fortified wine (similar to a sherry or port).

Picture
Picture
I am fond of telling a story about how, years ago; when I went to Spain I asked some Spanish friends “Can I bring you anything from the States?” They responded; “Yes bring us white wine, all ours is terrible.”

That WAS some time ago, of course, but when you think of Spanish wines it is still likely your mind wanders to red first. Things have changed though and there are Spanish whites worth your notice (and they are not all albarinos). Part of this prejudice against Spanish wines might be that the focus was on the reds and we didn’t see as much of the white as we have been over the past few years.

To make up for my slights against Spanish white wine we will be chatting about some others here soon. In the meantime this one is a pretty solid summer wine, especially for the price.

$10-13



0 Comments

    WINE!

    There are thousands of wine grapes and many places that grow great wines. Why not find out about some surprising wines from surprising places?

    NOTE-Until recently I did not capitalize the names of varietal grapes (as a matter of style) but for a variety of reasons as of February, 2018 we will capitalize but I am not going back and altering the previous style!!!


    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    September 2021
    May 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Albana
    Albanello
    Albarino
    Alicante Bouschet
    Aligote
    Arneis
    Auxerrois
    Baga
    Barbera
    Bekari
    Blaufrankisch
    Blend
    Brachetto
    Cabernet Franc
    Cabernet Sauvignon
    Caladoc
    Carignan
    Catawba
    Centesimino
    Chambourcin
    Chardonel
    Chardonnay
    Chasselas
    Chenin Blanc
    Chinuri
    Cinsault
    Clairette Blanche
    Counoise
    Debina
    Dolcetto
    Frappato
    Fruit Wine
    Furmint
    Gamay
    Gamay Teinturier
    Garrut
    Gewurztraminer
    Glera
    Godello
    Grechetto
    Grenache
    Grenache Blanc
    Grenache Gris
    Grignolino
    Grolleau
    Gros Manseng
    Gruner Veltliner
    Italy
    Jacquère
    Kerner
    Lambrusco
    Limniona
    Listan
    Malbec
    Malvasia
    Malvasia Bianca
    Malvasia De Sitges
    Marsanne
    Marsellan
    Mataossu
    Mavrud
    Melon De Bourgogne
    Mission Grape
    Mourvedre/Monastrell
    Müller-Thurgau
    Muscadelle
    Muscadine
    Muscat
    Muscat Of Alexandria
    Muscat Of Hamburg
    Nascetta
    Nerello Mascalese
    Orangetraube
    Orange Wine
    Pais
    Parellada
    Pedro Ximenez
    Petit Courbu
    Petit Manseng
    Pet Nat
    Pineau D' Aunis
    Pinot Blanc
    Pinot Grigio
    Pinot Gris
    Pinot Meunier
    Pinot Noir
    Plavak
    Prosecco
    Red
    Ribolla Gialla
    Riesling
    Robola
    Romorantin
    Rose
    Rosé
    Roussanne
    Savagnin
    Sciaccarellu
    Semillon
    Skin Contact
    Sparkling
    St. Laurent
    Sumoll
    Sylvaner
    Symphony
    Syrah
    T. Amarela
    Tannat
    Tricadeira Preta
    Trollinger
    Trousseau Gris
    Trousseau Noir
    Valdiguié
    Valdiguié
    Verdeca
    Verdejo
    Verdelho
    Video
    Viognier
    Viura/Macabeo
    Vlahiko
    White
    Xarel Lo
    Xarel-Lo
    Xarel-lo Vermell
    Xinomavro
    Xynisteri
    Zinfandel
    Zweigelt

    RSS Feed

      We'd love to hear from you...(probably)...

    Submit