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By The Glass Chuck Furuya |
Try different grape
varieties from abroadOne of the insights the master sommelier exam taught me was that there's a whole world of wine out there . . . way beyond California, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. Another revelation: There are more than 10,000 grape varieties -- 10,000! (Although only 1,000 or so are suitable for wine.)
In this light, drinking only chardonnay, merlot or cabernet sauvignon would be like only eating opakapaka. And to drink only those from California would be like only eating opakapaka ala Francaise ... you'd miss the diversity and unique culinary nuances that Mexican or Korean cooking have to offer.
So the suggestion for this week is to experiment with a few different grape varieties, hopefully from different countries. Here are some recommendations you can have fun with:
2001 Inzolia, Cusumano: The grape is inzolia, and this rendition is a delicately scented, deliciously fruit-driven, completely refreshing, very light-bodied example from Sicily. It is the style of wine one would enjoy at a seaside cafe in Sicily ... with some fried mackerel (akule or opelu, locally). At less than $10 a bottle, this is also a great value.
2001 Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Canella: It is very hard to find really good, unique sparkling wine for less than $12 a bottle. Try this one. In Italy, prosecco (its own grape variety) is an automatic choice for sipping on hot afternoons, the quintessential aperitif. The best subregion for prosecco is Valdobbiadene. The Canella is light, off-dry and effortlessly light and crisp, with a delightful effervescence (bubbles).
2002 Cheverny, Domaine du Salvard: The grape is sauvignon blanc, from old vines grown in limestone-laden soils in the cool Loire Valley of France. The soil is not of the same limestone composition as Sancerre or Pouilly Fume; therefore the wine is unusually aromatic, often showing exotic, tropical characters such as passion fruit and guava. The 2002 ($13) has amazing concentration, with a great flow on the palate and a long finish. Try this with herbed, grilled seafood or with more complex salads with herbed vinaigrettes.
2002 Vouvray, Didier Champalou "Cuvee des Fondraux": If I were to tell you chenin blanc is the grape variety here, you might pass on this wine. But you shouldn't! This is an amazing wine with incredible intensity. The 2002 ($16) is slightly sweet, provocatively mineral and unbelievably light. This is a wine seemingly tailor-made for lobster, especially when done with lemongrass or kaffir lime.
2002 Rose Ranch Brut, Tedeschi: A pink bubbly from Ulupalakua, Maui, and a very delicious glass of wine. The main grape is carnelian and you will be pleasantly surprised at its quality. Pretty, fragrant and delicately nuanced, it smells (and tastes) like no other. Tasty, refreshing and LOCAL. It sells for $20 via the Web site, www.mauiwine.com.
2000 Cahors, Clos la Coutale: I just tasted this and I must say, at $18 a bottle you would be hard-pressed to find something better. The main grape variety is malbec and this wine is produced in southwest France, below Bordeaux. The 2000 is dark, with very a intriguing, rustic, peppery scent. There is a lot of character, structure and pedigree on the palate. It certainly wowed me! And, you can let this one age. A real discovery if there ever was one.
Chuck Furuya is Hawaii's only master sommelier and a consultant with Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com