Australian Grenache: No more mister nice guy?
Grenache once covered more of the world’s surface than any other red-wine grape, and certainly had its day in the sun down under. It was never exactly an out-of-work actor, with its juicy, sweet-fruited affability scoring it roles in rosé, everyday blends, chillable varietal reds and even muscular Châteauneuf-du-Pape body doubles.
But a host of hot talents are sharpening up scripts giving this grape a plum role in A-list, single-vineyard wines. So, what’s it going to take to prove that Grenache has the range, depth and gravitas to be a box-office lead—and will the masses line the red carpet to check out its best work?
Know your étiquette! Finding meaning in wine labels
“Once you label me, you negate me,” wrote philosopher Søren Kierkegaard – so eloquently quoted in Cantonese by Mike Myers in Wayne’s World. It’s a bit different in wine, where labels mean a lot and nothing much all at once. This video series from Vininspo! looks at specific terms that carry countless clues as to what you might expect when you pour yourself a glass.
Wine is a travel experience
The concept of wine as a travel experience is a central tenet of Vininspo! But what do we mean by it? The simplest interpretation is that by tasting wine we’re travelling through time, across cultures to a specific place.
But there’s another important angle. As when we embark on any hopeful adventure, we should be free to experience wine wide-eyed and whole-heartedly, without the slightest sense we don’t belong.
Variety show: Mourvèdre
Born in Spain, on the up in France, the Mediterranean-hugging, warmth-loving black grape Mourvèdre is enjoying a day in the sun. Ed Merrison from Vininspo! digs a little deeper into its personality.
Imagination and wine
In Imagination & Time, British philosopher Mary Warnock says imagination’s the key if we’re to go beyond witnessing beauty to actually feel it. “The difference is this: in feeling the beauty of objects, we enjoy not only the common, shared pleasures of the senses, but also the private pleasures of the imagination, peculiar to ourselves, and such that we have to struggle to articulate them.” Vininspo! ponders what this means for wine.