Know your étiquette! Grüner Veltliner
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. This episode focuses on the Grüner Veltliner grape, the signature variety of Austria. We travel to the Wachau Valley to try a single-vineyard wine and see why this variety’s global popularity is on the rise.
Know your étiquette! Wachau Federspiel Riesling
Austria has a very rich wine-growing heritage, and it has made incredible strides in spreading its story over the past few decades. Domäne Wachau is one of the estates that has helped get the message out. Here, I pick up a bottle of Domäne Wachau’s Riesling from the Bruck vineyard to help you decipher the not-so-hidden symbols on a $40-bottle of single-site wine from this special, and highly picturesque, region.
Know your étiquette: Fino sherry
¡Viva España and it’s truly unique vino! We’re off to Andalucía and the vineyards of Jerez today to look at Fino.
Buckle up because it’s a pretty fast ride. Sorry about that - there’s just so much that’s unusual about crafting dry #sherry that it’s hard to cut a long story short. I’ll do a less breathless follow-up on Fino’s sibling Manzanilla soon that should help some of this info stick.
But for now I’d leave you in the capable hand’s of Valdespino, a member of the prestigious Grandes Pagos de España family of winegrowers seeking to highlight the singularity of Spain’s scattered gems.
Know your étiquette: Fantasienamen and the Rheingau
We go a little off-piste this week, with a look at something that sits outside the boundaries of the typically prescriptive German labelling laws. Fantasienamen - fantasy names - are what the Germans call fancifully titled cuvées. Now, what’s in the bottle here might be a dry Riesling lover’s fantasy, but there’s nothing weird about it. In fact, this is a fine example of what the best vineyards of the prestigious Rheingau region conjure from this grape variety.
It comes from one of the country’s pace-setters with site-specific dry Riesling, the Georg Breuer estate in Rüdesheim. And Theresa Breuer happens to be a wonderful person with talent to burn.
Know your étiquette! Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. Having discussed the VDP and its Grosses Gewächs classification in somewhat abstract terms, this episode looks at something concrete, or should we say slaty? It’s Dr Loosen’s 2021 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling GG.
Know your étiquette: Côtes-du-Rhône Villages
The Rhône Valley is home to some of France’s most important appellation contrôlée wines, both in terms of prestige (think northern Syrah crus such as Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, and southern Grenache-based crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and production.
Côtes-du-Rhône can be a little uneven in quality, but find a good one and you’re onto a winner in terms of value and drinkability. Australian drinkers are au fait with the concept thanks to the rich heritage here of Shiraz and so-called GSM blends, as well as the current strides we’re enjoying with stupendous varietal Grenache.
We take a Rhône overview with the help of a tasty Côte-du-Rhône Villages wine from one of the region’s icons, Paul Jaboulet Aîné.
Know your étiquette! Grosse Lage and VDP Grosses Gewächs
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. This episode follows on from our overview on Germany’s VDP to look at the meaning of Grosses Gewächs. The ultimate single-vineyard dry wine from this group’s members, these are well worth seeking out!
Know your étiquette! Rioja Reserva
With Jerez in Andalucía, Rioja is Spain’s oldest Denominación de Origen dating back to 1925. It shares with Calalunya’s Priorat the distinction of being the only Denominación de Origen Calificada. For many, it’s name is interchangeable with the term Spanish red wine.
There’s no doubt that its number one status has been challenged and that it’s had to respond to criticism of certain aspects of tradition.
Telmo Rodríguez is one of those special producers moving things forward - here and elsewhere in Spain - by being sensitive, skilful and intelligent in looking back.
Here, though, is a chance to peer behind the label to get a basic handle on the region via a very tasty 2014.
Know your étiquette! Mosel Spätlese
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. German labels can scare the heck out of people; what a pity if they put you off these delicious wines! This episode focuses on Dr Loosen’s Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese from the Mosel Valley.