White wine: what you did not know. Riesling - the king of white wines
Italy today ranks first in the world in wine production. After Italy in the list of wine-producing countries, France and then Spain follow by a decent margin. It is impossible to imagine and understand Italy without at least a brief acquaintance with its winemaking. Wine has been produced in Italy since time immemorial, even before Roman times. It is assumed that winemaking in Italy appeared due to the resettlement of the ancient Greeks to these lands, they called the southeastern part of the Enotria peninsula, which comes from the Greek words meaning wine and vineyards (enotecas, popular in Italy, have the same root).
Since we are not indifferent to Italy, on our next trip to the Marche region we planned to visit a number of local wineries. As you know, each tourist has his own preferences, someone likes a beach holiday, someone likes exotic, and someone is attracted by photo travel. And, for example, for special wine lovers there is even such a thing as wine tourism. We are not such special lovers, but visiting wineries turned out to be very interesting and allows you to get to know Italy from the inside through the characters of the people who inhabit it.
The Italian region of Marche is the land of the sea and mountains, fortresses and theaters, wine and olive oil. The area is located on the shores of the Adriatic and this affects both the cuisine and winemaking. Marche is best known for its white wines, ideally suited to fish and seafood. Vineyards are divided on the coast and in the depths of the region. The main feature of Marche landscapes is mountains and hills, and almost all vineyards grow on slopes, and such hillsides lined with rows of vines are very photogenic.
The hallmark of the Marche is the Verdicchio variety. The main growing area of this variety is the area called Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, located around the city of Jesi. The vineyards are located near the Adriatic coast, due to this, sea air currents arise, blowing and ventilating the vineyards, which gives a special rich taste to the wine produced here. The city of Jesi is surrounded by picturesque hills, which are crossed by the rivers Esino, Misa and Musone, which flow into the Adriatic Sea. Jesi is surrounded by 14 medieval castles that protected this small but proud and strategically important city in the Middle Ages. In the vicinity of Jesi, there are many tourist routes for travelers interested in medieval history and modern winemaking.
Verdicchio claims to be the best white wine in Italy, and some wine connoisseurs claim that the world. Glory Verdicchio began in 1999, when he was named the best white wine in the world at a competition in Brussels. Verdicchio refutes the claim that white wines have a short lifespan and are unable to improve with aging. Verdicchio produces long-lived wines that can develop over years and even decades.
Today, Verdicchio is strongly associated with white winemaking in the Marche region, but no one knows exactly how the variety came to these lands. Perhaps this happened through the Romans - the main carriers of the culture of winemaking two thousand years ago. Other sources claim that the vineyards of Verdicchio were planted by Benedictine monks in the 8th-9th centuries. There is a version that Verdicchio came to the Adriatic coast thanks to peasants from Veneto who fled from the plague in the 15th century. Whatever the story, Verdicchio is now the best known and most widely grown white grape variety in the Marche region.
Thanks to its sufficient acidity, Verdicchio makes excellent sparkling wines made according to the traditional method. They are in no way inferior to traditional French champagne, but they do not have the right to be called champagne. They are called SPUMANTE. Limited production does not allow them to be brought to international markets, but if you are in Marche, be sure to pay attention to this local specialty. When visiting the Garafoli winery, we note the highest quality of champagne called GAROFOLI BRUT RISERVA. There is even a theory that sparkling wines for the first time in the world (hello France) appeared in the Marche. The Benedictine monk Francesco from the city of Fabriano in 1622, long before Don Perignon, in his treatise De salubri potu dissertatio (lat. On healthy drinking) formulated the basics of the production of sparkling wines.
Surprisingly, in the Marche, small family wineries manage to get along with large producers of international level. And we chose to visit one large winery with more than a century of history and one very small winery, the owner of which started business from scratch 30 years ago and was able to receive a wine Oscar for his wine, the most prestigious wine award in Italy.
Acquaintance with Marche winemaking began with a large and fairly well-known winery GAROFOLI.
This farm is located in a picturesque place near the town of Castelfidardo. It was founded in 1901 by Gioachino Garofoli. However, it is known that even 30 years before that, his father Antonio successfully made wine. Today Garofoli winery is a joint stock company, but wholly owned by members of the Garofoli family. Currently, the brothers Carlo and Gianfranco Garofoli are at the head of the company. In 2005, new members joined the company: daughter Carla and son and daughter Gianfranco, this is the fifth generation of the Garofoli family, which is involved in the production of great wines. The annual production is about 2 million bottles, of which 40% go to the local market and 60% for export, mainly to Northern Europe. 60% of production is Verdicchio wines.
Verdicchio owes a lot to the Garofoli family: for example, the fact that this wine began to age. Their top wine from Verdicchio is the world-famous aged up to 5 years wine called Podium.
Here is what was written in 2013 about the Garofoli winery in the wine guide from the Italian Sommelier Association: “When you think of the Italian white wine Verdicchio, a cult wine that has spread widely outside of Italy today, it is impossible not to think of the Garofoli brothers.”
Garofoli has an excellent website where you can get acquainted with the history of the economy, see photos of the owners, and also choose a wine tour for yourself, of which there are a great many: from the simplest with a small tasting and visiting the cellars to a complete immersion, including with lunch in the farm itself, where you will be offered traditional Italian dishes, most suitable for the best wines of Garofoli.
Silvio Jermann - the man who wrote a new chapter in the history of modern Italian winemaking, "the king of white wines in Italy." His Vintage Tunina consistently tops the Italian white wine rankings, for which he is often referred to as the "white Tignanello".
Heir to the traditional winery in Friuli, which existed since 1881, Silvio Jermann graduated from two famous wine academies: Cornellano and Instituto de San Michele. At the beginning of his career, he decided to work abroad and ended up in Canada, where he was able to experiment and gain the necessary experience.
Returning to his homeland, Silvio was able to break the stubbornness of his father and start a new era in the history of white Italian wines.
The impressive development of the estate began in 1991, when Silvio acquired vineyards in Ruttaris, the heart of the Collio region (next to Capo Martino). In the same year, the premiere of Capo Martino wine (originally called Piccolo Sogno) took place.
In September 2002, the first stone of the new winery was laid. On this occasion, Silvio gave a speech that perhaps best reflects the philosophy of the company: "This is undoubtedly one of the most important milestones in the history of our family. It goes hand in hand with the respect for the natural landscape and cultivation methods that were proclaimed back in XIX century The new winery and cellars will be built in the style of the 1700s or 1800s They will be entirely made of natural materials - stone and wood We will use barrels of different sizes and local grape varieties that have grown on this land for centuries "I want the wines to be authentic. I want them to be balanced and elegant. But above all, they have to touch our emotions and evoke a sense of authenticity."
Today, the total area of vineyards owned by the company is about 130 hectares, and their complex and rich wines are "icons" of modern Italian winemaking. At the same time, even the smallest vineyard is still under the personal control of Silvio, who wants his wines to always retain their individual and vibrant style.
Jermann Pinot Grigio
Straw yellow color with slight pink reflections. An elegant bouquet with hints of ripe white fruits, tea rose and almonds. Harmonious balanced taste with mild freshness. Soft, fruity and long aftertaste.
It goes well with fish and seafood dishes, in particular with crab pasta and Bisque cream soup.
Type: white dry.
Manufacturer: Jermann.
Price:
RUB 1,868
Jermann Afix Riesling
The name of this unique Riesling comes from the name of Alois Felix, the youngest of the sons of Silvio Jermann. This wine was first produced in 1996. Brilliant straw yellow color with a slight greenish tinge. Bright bouquet with pleasant fruit tones and bright varietal character. Dry and refreshing, this finely balanced wine has a velvety structure and harmonious acidity.
Served with fish dishes.
Type: white dry.
Manufacturer: Jermann.
Price: 2 192 rubles.
Jermann W... Dreams...
It was first produced in 1987. The original title "Where the Dreams have no end..." was changed after nine vintages to "There were dreams, now it's just wine!" ("Were Dreams, now it is just wine!"). The title was inspired by U2's "The Joshua Tree" album, specifically the song "Where the Streets have no Name". Since 2003, "W… Dreams…" has been written on the label, which can now be interpreted as: "Where Dreams can happen" ("Where Dreams can happen"). The label depicts the seven colors of the rainbow. Vertical collections of this wine are highly valued by connoisseurs and collectors. Light straw color. Delicate and elegant bouquet with notes of exotic fruits, melted butter and vanilla. All components continue to unfold in taste, creating a magnificent floral range. Aging potential: 8-10 years.
The wine goes well with roasted turkey stuffed with nuts, white wine sauce, chicken stew, and fish fried with Moroccan herbs.
Type: white dry.
Red wines have long been deservedly praised. Do white wines deserve to be forgotten?
1. The reigning king of white wines - Chardonnay
Source: silveradovineyards.com
This is one of the most popular white wines - a real chameleon! Grapes of this variety successfully grow in almost all climatic zones of the planet (except the Arctic, of course). He is subject to any period of exposure in oak barrels. It can be drunk solo or mixed with other ingredients. Champagne is unimaginable without Chardonnay. Amazing variety and versatility make this wine suitable with almost any dish.
2. Chablis - second "I" Chardonnay
Source: winepassionista.com
The name "Chablis" has become traditionally called dry and mineralized white wine with a very short (or even without it) aging period in oak barrels. And at the same time, few people know that Chablis wine is made 100 percent from Chardonnay grapes. Grown in the northern regions of France, this sour grape causes a wild burst of appetite long before the waiter brings the ordered dishes. The popularity of Chablis, with its characteristic shades of green apple and lemon peel, has been rapidly spreading throughout Europe and America in recent years.
3 Rising Star - Riesling
Source: wordpress.com
With all the versatility of Chardonnay, this wine is not overshadowed by a wonderful drink called Riesling. Light, not knowing the darkness of an oak barrel and rarely mixed with other varieties of drink, Riesling is multifaceted, elegant and subtle. Wines from it are diverse in terms of sugar content - from very dry to very sweet. Taste and body put Riesling in a range of wines that go well with a large number of dishes. It would be a mistake, for example, to think that Riesling is a wine only for fish dishes. This wine can be safely served with meat and very spicy dishes of Thai and Mexican cuisine.
Chardonnay. Homeland France. Burgundy.
Unofficial World status - "King of white wines".
It is often said that it is so good that it is simply impossible to make wine out of it...
Unless other white wines are named after him, of course...
The bouquet combines mostly fruity shades.
The color can vary from colorless with a greenish tint to yellowish green being more intense after aging in the barrel.
As a rule, these are delicate and delicate in taste and aroma, and maybe a bouquet of wine. As someone for himself and how to determine it.
The calling card, however, for him will be floral notes or fruity shades, sometimes green apple or citrus fruits, tropical fruits, light notes of spices, vanilla. Well, if we take into account the possibilities of today's biochemistry, then ...
For today's tasting, I have chosen worthy opponents.
For a very long time I want to fairly evaluate the work of the flagship of domestic winemaking Cricova.
Who today does not know this enterprise. Even someone who knows absolutely nothing about wine will definitely tell you who it is. And many far beyond the borders of the country know this manufacturer well.
Therefore, for some reason, my inner worm doubted ...
To not play on it? ... Yes, and a state-owned enterprise without the right to privatize in the foreseeable future ... National treasure and the like ...
But I did not take the cheap ... I took the best from the Prestige series (stealed by the way from Ialoveni Sherry. Registered for him but unceremoniously until the court and the case ...).
Sample cost worthy of 95 local. In general, it's cool.
The opponent will also be well known to us, including the well-known representative of the French school, Jean Paul Chenet, controlled by origin of the DOK category.
And even though it may not be the Top level by European standards, the samples tasted on my website turned out to be the most worthy, and if anyone is ready to argue with me, I won’t even listen.
Well, in the end it's not my fault. If the French put it on the frontal place in the wine-growing region... So we will form our opinion about the French school on it...
At least it was very difficult for the locals to compete so far with this representative of thoroughbreds.
I took one that was not marked with a medal at the competition, which stood nearby for 120, and the usual good one for the same 95 ...
In general, two samples worthy of each other and both of 2008 aged in good oak.
And I want to note the most worthy appearance, the design of Krikovsky.
Just a pleasure to hold in your hand. It's like that. Soundly. As for me.
The cork is true, like everyone else’s, natural but “in boots”. Sorry in colmatage or coated in the sense. Blende.
I have everything as always.
Rubbed. Refrigerator from evening to tomorrow. Professional glasses. Temperature margin and observation of the evolution of the bouquet in time at varying temperatures.
Fundamentally closed tasting for a more objective assessment.
Everything is honest.
Here are my impressions received as a result of a closed tasting.
I was the first to evaluate Cricova ... It so happened ... Who is who I found out later.
Color close to colorless. But to be picky, it's greenish-yellow.
Bouquet flowery, fruity. More reminiscent of a floral with hints of exotic fruits well perceptible. You can even specify this Mango.
The tones of freshly baked bread stand out if you think about it. This is the result of fermentation dominance.
As the temperature rises, well-perceptible fruit tones of pear - duchesse appear ...
Full on the palate, glycerine with a good body, sweet with a well-perceived bitterness.
I think it was from an excess of anhydride that provoked me, knowing that Europeans, to preserve color and protect against oxidation, sin with an excess of anhydride in whites, I leaned towards the fact that I had a Frenchman in my glass.
Quite spicy and refreshing, but there are still notes of wariness in taste assessment despite the rather low initial tasting temperature.
Later, as the temperature in the glass increased, I realized what was happening ...
Tones of aging also appeared, or rather the imprint of a barrel or oak ... Decent but not outstanding ...
The finish is characterized by hints of ripe fruit, again full-bodied. Slightly sweet. The bitterness gradually disappears, but not completely.
For some reason, a feeling of high alcohol content is created in comparison with the second sample, meaning the Frenchman.
Again he leaned towards the Frenchman because he initially knew that the Frenchman had two percent higher alcohol. It should have been tangible in the evaluation.
However, when tasting, the opposite taste impression was created.
The Frenchman seemed more assimilated or something.
Although alcoholism affected the state immediately.
Those. at the level of sensations, Cricova seemed stronger, and at the level of physical impact, Frenchman.
This is an indicator of quality, elegance, aristocracy or something, and he is in favor of the Frenchman.
Two hours after the start of the tasting, already fairly heated samples in Krikovskoye, a pleasant aroma with hints of duchesse was preserved, floral without being specific, again there was exotic. The Mango reminder is repeated.
The taste has become easier with time. Feelings of incoherence from the presence of exuding bitterness.
The bitterness is not catastrophic but spoils.
The Frenchman was originally without a label on the glass.
The color was noticeably more intense than the competitor rather unexpectedly for him, given the Blanc de Blancs première cuvee and for the French-European School as a whole.
Slightly yellowish with a greenish tint.
The bouquet is fruity-floral, more fruity.
As the temperature rises, it resembles a barberry or cultivated field, so to speak. Or maybe more lollipops.
Full-bodied, sweet on the palate, hint of bitterness in the distant aftertaste.
But that's only because I've been looking for it hard.
To be honest, this is biased and can be neglected. There is no bitterness there. Or rather, if you try hard, you can find it everywhere.
The taste is also pleasantly fruity.
Over time, tones of sweet fruits appear and even more distinctly candy.
It's from a very interesting and thoroughbred French oak I think.
French is more elegant. But you realize this only after a while with a glass in your hands.
However, then this feeling is more confident and without a doubt.
Two hours after tasting, understandable shades of coffee appear in the glass, even chocolates with hints of smoke, that with a control shot kills all doubt.
Very high quality oak was clearly used here.
Vanilla undertones are even beginning to be more pronounced., but not intrusive artificially and deliberately ineptly introduced or something, as often happens from a lack of taste or education, or from an excess of effort to do better, but only at the level of conjecture.
So much so that you get an additional, separate pleasure from the fact that you managed to identify ... unravel ...
At the level of a riddle, everything ... The bouquet is clearly with a riddle. But not for everyone. For specialists. How's your exam.
Found a good guy. No... Oh well...
Like that thoroughbred cat that lies on the most prestigious place in the house, and the owner strokes him carefully, like a serf, so as not to disturb and irritate the owner.
And he, okay, they say, smooth, smooth ... I allow ... Bye ...
In other words, the taste is sweeter than that of the competitor, full-bodied, pleasant.
Excellent taste…
So, summing up, I can say that these were two worthy samples that left a wonderful feeling of tasting and, to be honest, surprised Krikovsky quite well and worthy.
The Frenchman for the second time, as in the case of Rose, receives the characteristic "Elegant", "Aristocratic".
But for now I hope...
In a gastronomic sense Chardonnay is extremely versatile and democratic.
As always white meat, shellfish. Fish, salads, desserts, fruits… Well, further down the list, depending on the degree of “take-off” at the time of tasting your fantasy.
Tasting evaluation...
Cricova ... Chardonnay aged 2008 series “Prestige” … 86 out of 100 possible...
Jean Paul Chenet ... Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc aged 2008 Oh yeah … 88 along the same lines...
Riesling is one of the most amazing and one of the noblest grape varieties. On the other hand, it is one of the most underrated white varieties. The wine produced from this grape - Riesling (Riesling) - the king of white wines in Germany.
Riesling - the best white wine in Germany
The climate of Germany is not favorable enough for winemaking and German wines cannot successfully compete with the wines of France, Spain or Italy in terms of quality and assortment.
Therefore, German producers strive to supply the market with the wines that they do best. These are, of course, white wines, and Riesling is the star among them. The grape vine is quite unpretentious, tolerates frosts well, is well cultivated and brings crops in fairly cool regions. In the literature there are references to its cultivation on the Moselle and the Rhine in the Middle Ages.
A large number of fakes and low-quality wines using the name "Riesling" did not serve this fine wine. We must not forget that the word "Riesling" is included in the names of many ordinary grape varieties that simply use a well-known name (see article). The most famous German Rieslings are produced in the Moselle valley, where, according to connoisseurs, the best grapes ripen on its steep banks. On the northern coast, both the sun's rays falling at a more direct angle and the rays reflected from the surface of the water contribute to a more complete maturation.
Despite the fact that all such wines are made from the same grape variety, the range of flavors, sugar content, and alcohol content is very wide. There are both dry and semi-sweet and sweet. If you see the word “Trocken” on the label, it means dry wine; the word ”Halbtrocken” - semi-dry; Riesling “Trockenbeerenauslese” - made from grapes that have been subject to noble rot (botrytis), this is a sweeter and heavier wine, and, by the way, very expensive. Another great wine owes much to such noble rot - this is Sauternes (see article).
More wines are unique in their longevity. There are very few white wines that can withstand storage for several decades! The combination of high acidity and sweetness allows the wine to age well and improve its characteristics with age. A case of wine tasting over 400 years old is described, and the wine was still alive!
Dryer, younger Rieslings can pair with a wide variety of dishes due to their lightness and harmonious acidity. Pairs well with a variety of white fish and seafood dishes. Riesling goes very well with mussels, oysters and other shellfish. In the network of Parisian restaurants Léon de Bruxelles I sometimes like to eat stewed mussels with a bottle of such wine, however, the choice is very limited there, but it is inexpensive and tasty. Heavier, semi-sweet and sweet - go well with desserts and serve as the end of a meal:
Bottle of german wine
Label on the back
You probably got the impression while reading this article that good Rieslings are only German - no, in fact they are made in many countries around the world. Wherever this grape is not cultivated - in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, in the former USSR, the areas occupied by this king of wines were the largest in the world. From distant countries, it is very common in Australia, I somehow came across such a Riesling in our store.
German wines can be called "reference", but we must not forget about those from Alsace, which are also very good and of very high quality. Wines of Alsace are compared with German ones for the simple reason that Alsace borders on Germany, besides, it periodically belonged to either Germany or France and was one of the reasons for the repeated wars between these countries. The soils and climate of Alsace and the German wine regions are very similar. Moreover, the vineyards stretch along the course of the same Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps, and then flows through France and Germany. A too warm climate is not good for Riesling and, if ripened quickly enough, it produces an inexpressive and ordinary wine, so the Alsatian climate came in handy for him.
Riesling is the oldest and most famous grape variety grown in Alsace. Alsatian wines tend to be drier and higher in alcohol.
A bottle of Alsatian is always easy to recognize. Since 1972, a provision has been introduced according to which all wine must be bottled only in the region of production. The color of the bottle, with rare exceptions, should be green. The shape is strictly regulated - a long bottle, with an elongated neck, they are called Alsatian flutes or pipes (flûtes).
Trimbach (Trembak) - one of the largest merchants in Alsace.
On the label, in addition to indicating the grape variety, you can find the inscription "Grand Cru", indicating the classification of the vineyard. Then the name of the vineyard itself will be indicated - “Brand”; "Kitterle"; ”Geisberg” … If the wine is produced from several vineyards, then the inscription ”Grand Cru” is not indicated.
The inscriptions ”Réserve particulière” and ”Réserve exceptionnelle” (from private/special stocks) indicate the best wines of a particular producer. ”Vendanges tardives” and ”Sélection des grains nobles” - “late harvest” and “from selected berries of noble varieties”. Late harvest grapes are overripe and have a high sugar content, but the king of white wines obtained from them can be both dry and semi-sweet. To find out, you have to taste it. Wine labeled "from selected noble berries" is made only from grapes subject to noble rot, similar to the German "Trockenbeerenauslese". It will definitely be a sweet wine with a strong fruity aroma. The only drawback of such wines is the high price.
In Alsace, there are a lot of wineries that produce wines of outstanding quality. We will mention only the most famous: “Hugel et Fils” (Yugel-e-fis), “Marcel Deiss” (Marcel Deiss), “Trimbach” (Trembak), “Domaine Schlumberger” (Domain Schlumberger), “Domaine Zind Humbrecht” (Domain Zind Humbrek).
In Russia, German Rieslings are hard to come by and rarely found in liquor stores. Alsatian - more common, they can be found in ordinary supermarkets. You can buy wines from other countries, but they, in my opinion, are not so good.