Gretchen’s Buzz
The landscape of options for the wine consumers in our country is pretty outstanding. We are fortunate to have access to practically everything the world has to offer. Thousands of different grape varietals, innumerous growing regions and producers, and so on. Almost every week a new wine will cross my desk that is made with a grape I’ve never heard of, or from an area I can’t place on a map without the aid of Google. I love finding these things…obscurity is an intriguing quality for someone like myself.
Let me be very clear, though, obscurity does not make a wine better than something familiar. It will always offer something new to learn, as well as bragging rights like, “of course I’ve had Garnacha Peluda, are you kidding me?” But that doesn’t always equal superiority. The most important thing to me as a buyer when I come across something wildly unfamiliar is value. The smart producers know their wines have to be priced below what they’d like to charge for them because that’s the only way anyone will take the risk of buying them.
There was a time when no one had ever heard of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Napa Valley was just an agricultural area with a few hippies running around attempting to make wine. That’s why sommeliers like to “geek out” with funky grapes from freaky places. It’s like discovering a new species that could be the next big thing. For this month’s Buzz, I’ve decided to cherry pick some of my favorite weirdo wines and expose them on one page. If you are the adventurous type, and are not embarrassed to grossly mispronounce foreign words, then this list is for you.
Vinos Rosados
2012 Garnatxa Peluda, Bodegas Edetària, Vinya D’Irto Rosat (Terra Alta, Spain)
2012 Tibouren, Clos Cibonne, Cru Classé (Provence, France)
2012 Sauska, Rosé Cuvée (Villany, Hungary) [Blaufrankisch/Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc]
Vinos Blancos
2010 Manuel Formigo, Teira X (Ribeiro, Spain) [Treixadura/Alvilla/Albariño/ Loureirra]
2011 Anima Negra, Quíbia (Mallorca, Spain) [ Premsal / Callet ]
2010 Viñedo de los Vientos, Estival (Atlantida, Uruguay) [ Gewürztraminer/Moscato ]
2009 Z’Ivo, Tryst, Colombia Valley (Washington, USA) [Viognier / Marsanne / Roussanne ]
2011 Arneis, Lorenzo Alutto, Meriggiare, Langhe (Piemonte, Italy)
2009 Romorantin, François Cazin, Cour-Cheverny (Loire, France)
2008 Chateau Montus (Madiran, France) [ Petit Courbu/Petit Manseng]
Vinos Tintos
2007 Prieto Picudo, Charco las Ánimas, Clan 8 (Castilla y Leon, Spain)
2010 Trepat, Josep Foraster (Terra Alta, Spain)
2008 Mencía, Viña Cazoga, Don Diego, Crianza (Ribeira Sacra, Spain)
2011 Bobal, Bodegas Ponce, Clos Lojen (Manchuela, Spain)
2010 Hilberg Pasquero, Vareij [ Brachetto / Barbera ] (Piemonte, Italy)
NV Nerello Mascalese, Frank Cornelissen, Munjebel Rosso 5, Mt. Etna (Sicila, Italy)
Vinos Dulces
NV Malvasia de Sitges ‘Espumoso,’ Vega de Ribes, Ancestral (Penedes, Spain)
NV Tannat, Viñedo d. l. Vientos, Alcyone (Atlantida, Uruguay)
If you need a reminder while you’re at dinner, just take a look at “Gretchen’s Buzz,” on the first page of the wine list.