One of the drawbacks of varietal labelling is that many consumers confuse the grape variety with the styles of wine that can be produced from them.
Unfortunately varieties often get stuck with a popular image that is inappropriate and misleading. Consumers unwittingly develop prejudices and shut themselves off from some excellent wines.
The Chenin Blanked Out
Chenin Blanc is an old variety from the Loire Valley, especially around the middle reaches of that river. It is mentioned favourably in the 16th century satirical penology Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais.
The Central regions of Val de Loire is where this variety shows its true versatility and value. It makes sparkling and still wines ranging from late picked and botrytis style sweet wines, off-dry and dry whites. Highly regarded Loire AOCs include include Vouvray, Montlouis, Samur and Anjou. Chenin wines are also known to age well, often for decades.
Another virtue of Chenin is what led to its shabby reputation elsewhere. It yields well and holds its acidity in hot irrigated regions. This is why it became so popular in South Africa (historically under the name of Steen) as well as in the Swan Valley of Western Australia and South Australia’s Riverland. The problem was that the wines produced in these conditions are often what is euphemistically called neutral. Speaking plainly these wines are really best used for bulk wines or blending.
Over the decades Chenin was replaced in Australia by sexier varieties especially Chardonnay. Then we became infatuated by Sauvignon Blanc, often from New Zealand.
Only in recent years have we seen a revival of interest in this variety as a quality wine. Better viticulture and thoughtful winemaking have resulted in some excellent wines.
Olive Farm Wines in the Swan Valley produces Fume Chenin with winemaking techniques similar to those use to make Fume Blanc.
You can read more about Chenin Blanc and see a list of Aussie producers on Vinodiversity.
How Gamay Lost a Pointless Race
Beaujolais is a wine region just to the south of its more famous neighbour Burgundy.1 The main red grape grown here is Gamay. Each year on the third Thursday the new vintage of the light bodied Beaujolais Nouveau is launched amid much razzmatazz and fanfare. The rushed production to meet this deadline often results in thin wine tasting like banana flavoured bubblegum. Hence they need the ballyhoo to distract people from the wine quality.
Some genius had the idea to be the first bottle shop or bar in London to have the latest Beaujolais Nouveau. Unfortunately every Hooray Henry in London decided this was a good way to exhibit their talent for pretentiousness and amplified the hoo-ha. The publicity generated means that many people associate the variety with this frivolousness.
Don’t let these Hooray Henry’s turn you off a delicious variety
But Gamay is a serious variety making serious wines. Producers who eschew the carbonic maceration method of winemaking release the fruity essence of the grape. These wines have similarities to Pinot Noir but have more refreshing flavours. In France most of the production is in the Beaujolais region to the south of Burgundy, but it is grown in most other French regions as well.
In recent years there has been a steady recognition by Australian winegrowers and consumers that this variety is well worth reviewing.
Karen MacNeil in The Wine Bible says
Drinking Gamay is like diving into a bowl of cherries
I say it one of the three best red wine varieties on the planet.
More information and a list of Aussie wineries using Gamay can be found on Vinodiversity website.
Grenache
This variety is most commonly called by its French Name but it is originally from Spain so if you are pedantic you might say it should be called Garnacha Tinta, to distinguish it from its pink (Roja) and white (Blanca) cousins.
Grenache is the 7th most popular wine grape variety based on area planted
Over the years Grenache has served several roles in the Australian wine industry.
Grenache thrives in warmer climates so there is no surprise to find it in many South Australian regions, however it is not so popular in other States, even the warmer regions.
Up until the 1950s it was favoured as the variety to make fortified wine ‘Port’. Huge quantities were made in South Australia where it thrived in the hot conditions.
As Port lost popularity more Grenache was used in dry red table wines but it was overshadowed for this purpose by Shiraz, so much so that by the 1980s Grenache was regarded by some as a weed to be uprooted from vineyards. This process was aided by government subsidised ‘vine-pull’ schemes.
Fortunately some growers held on to their old vines to produce some excellent wines. By the turn of the millennium Grenache was best known for providing the initial letter of the GSM blends being produced in the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions.
By 2020 there has been quite a deal of interest in varietal Grenache. This has lead to a substantial increase in the prices paid by wineries to grape growers for Grenache grapes. A spin-off has been the appearance of several Grenache Blanc and a couple of Grenache Gris wines.
In southern France Grenache is often used, along and in blends for Rose style wines. Australian winemakers are using the variety for that style as well.
You can see just how good Aussie Grenache is when you check out these offers2
Riesling
There is so much confusion about this noble grape. Not only does Riesling make a broad range of wines, from grapes grown in a vast number of places it has seen its name appropriated by numerous unrelated varieties.
One problem with Riesling is that so many other varieties have (mis)appropriated the name. Many of these problems have officially been solved but the misunderstanding persists.
Here are just a few guises you might find for the name.
Riesling - used to refer to a style, rather than the variety. Drier than Australian ‘Moselle’ but sweeter than Australian ‘Hock’. Just about any variety could be used to make Riesling, most commonly sultana was used.
Clare Riesling - actually an unrelated variety properly called Crouchen. Now almost disappeared from Australia, although you might find it anonymously in blends.
Hunter Riesling - Really Sémillon; it is now correctly labelled. Hunter Sémillons are impressive age-worthy wines.
Rhine Riesling - this name was used to distinguish wines which were actually made from Riesling.
Italian Riesling or Riesling Italico - this is a synonym for Grasevina, an old Croatian variety. It is grown in Italy and various Eastern European countries.
Welschriesling - another synonym for Grasevina. Maybe it pairs well with leeks.
Emerald Riesling a California-bred variety that is now known to be a Grenache x Californian Muscadelle cross. After a brief flutter of interest in the 1960s and 1970s it is now in decline.
Roter Riesling - literally ‘red Riesling’ is a colour mutation, quite rare but has a couple of enthusiastic growers in Germany and Austria
Riesling Dore - more correctly Goldriesling is a cross of Riesling found in Germany and to a lesser extent in France.
Riesling Jaune de Moselle is a synonym of Auxerrois, an Alsatian variety. It is not the mysterious Aucerot from NE Victoria.
The problem is that varietal labelling has its downsides (sorry it’s an old hobbyhorse for me). There are just so many styles of wine that can be made from this variety, even if we exclude the false pretenders
Try some Riesling from our online wine merchant partner3
Some other disrespected varieties
Calling somebody a bastard is often intended as an insult. So why did that French variety, trousseau acquire the name Bastardo?
Merlot is the second most planted grape in the world. It has become associated with mediocre, rather characterless wines. And then it got a nice insult in that movie. Don’t ask me if I’ve seen it. I saw the trailer and that was repulsive enough for me. Maybe Merlot’s detractors should look at the prices paid for some of the Merlots from the Pomerol region of Bordeaux.
The early enthusiasm during the 1980s for Chardonnay saw it planted in all the wrong places and the development of some rather raspy over-oaked styles. Now that winemaking has toned down some very drinkable Aussie Chardonnays are available, but the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) mindset lives on, even in broadminded winelovers like me.
Which variety do you think has unfairly acquired a poor reputation? Leave a comment.
For a fun way to learn about French wine regions see this Metro map of France, now part of the Wine Map clearance sale.
Compare Aussie Grenache wines
See these offers from Wine Selectors
Coriole in McLaren Vale has been making a very drinkable and reasonably priced Chenin Blanc for as long as I have been living in South Australia (32 years). Bring on the King George Whiting or some squid!
Great notes Darby! I loved your line "every Hooray Henry in London decided this was a good way to exhibit their talent for pretentiousness" I like this quote I found on the web too:."Gamay has been victimised for some time, with it anecdotally vanquished from Burgundy proper in the 14th century by the irate Duke of Burgundy, who described it in eerily Trumpian fashion as “a very bad and disloyal plant.”"
On another variety, and I know you are trying to be humourous, "Welschriesling - another synonym for Grasevina. Maybe it pairs well with leeks." The origin of "Welsch" and also Wales is "Romantish". Depending on who you ask it might have come from Italy or not.