Fellow wine explorers! Here are some reviews of exotic varietals I’ve never tasted before. Are any of them worth stocking up on?
I’m a wine explorer more than a wine collector. What does that mean? Well, I discovered wine while traveling and living abroad, so a lot of my wine enjoyment is associated with enjoying local cuisine, culture and scenery with wine. As a result, drinking wines from other countries has been a way to escape and travel through wine and food while at home in addition to visiting wineries while I travel. Moreover, discovering new varietals, regions and producers is akin to visiting a new country, city, park or neighborhood I’ve never explored. My lust to try new wines is as big as my wanderlust.
Since I’m in California for a month, I was able to procure some exotic varietals I can’t find in Chile. The first varietal is St. Laurent. It’s a grape that comes from Austria, but it can also be found in Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Even though it can be found in every Austrian winegrowing region, it’s not the dominant grape in any of those regions. It is believed to be a cross between Pinot Noir and another unknown grape and has Pinot qualities–sort of in between a Burgundy and Rhone wine. Similar to Pinot Noir, it is a grape that’s hard to grow because it’s fragile and early-ripening. It’s also a parent of the more popular Austrian grape, Zweigelt.
Ever wonder what the ancient Greeks drank as they worshipped the god Dionysus? Then you should try Limniona. It’s a grape praised by Homer and Aristotle, so that means the grape is around 3,000 years old. Given the name, the grape probably comes from the Island of Limnos in the Aegean Sea. However, it is now more likely to be found in mainland Greece in regions like Macedonia and Thessaly. These days, it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, so I had to buy this mono-varietal version when I saw it.*
The next varietal I found comes from Sicily. Like many obscure grapes today, they were once popular in the 19th century before phylloxera wiped them out and they were replaced by other grapes. That is the case for Perricone which has now been replaced by Nero d’Avola and is generally used in blends with Nero d’Avola. Does it deserve a comeback?
Another Italian grape I discovered is Grignolino. It’s a light-colored varietal that was touted as the Beaujolais of Piedmont, but it has never caught on internationally like Beaujolais. The famous Heitz Cellar in Napa makes a California version of it, but it’s generally not found outside of northern Italy.
Speaking of Beaujolais and California, the last varietal I found is a California version of a southern French variety called Valdiguie. In California, it used to be called Napa Gamay until DNA tests showed it was actually Valdiguie.
*I’m still always exploring and learning, so I get things wrong sometimes. I originally described the grape as Limnio in this post and in our social media posts. Although much of the web, even some normally reliable sources for wine information, says Limnio and Limniona are the same grape, they are actually two different varieties according to DNA tests. The wine I drunk for this comparison is Limniona and NOT Limnio. Unfortunately, there’s not much information available on the differences between the two in terms of history and varietal characteristics. I’m not even clear if they are both related historically and if this is just an issue of Zinfandel vs. Primitivo or if these are completely different grapes with different histories and ancestry. There’s not a lot of either being produced, and ultimately it’s unlikely to know the exact DNA of the wine grapes Homer was describing. Both seem to share the same etymology. Maybe the island of Limnos had multiple grape varietals. I’m not sure if anyone knows for sure. I will keep exploring and hopefully find out more.
Tasting Notes
2016 Weingut Paul Achs St. Laurent, Burgenland, Austria
Biodynamic. Aged 13 months in used oak. The color is dark but still transparent. The nose makes me think of ripe Pinot with some minerality. The palate has good acidity and is medium-light bodied, but it reminds me more of light Syrah with darker fruit and peppery notes. No hard edges. I think the Burgundy-Rhone blend description of this grape is spot on. It should be versatile with food too. 89
2016 Domaine Zafeirakis Limniona Tyrnavos Thessaly
The winery is located on the foothills of Mt. Olympus with clay and flint soils. Limniona was abandoned 60 years ago and they only started making it again in 2008. 100% Limniona aged in various size barrels.
Purple color, made slightly transparent by the light. Purple fruit with herbal and spicy notes on the nose verging on floral. The palate is light bodied and low in tannin and acid. Super-easy to drink. Can go with lighter foods like chicken. It reminds me of other lighter reds like Beaujolais or Cinsault that are light enough to have with a summer picnic. 90
2017 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Guarnaccio Perricone Sicily
From the hills around Palermo. Aged in used French oak barrels. Dark color. Quite aromatic. A ripe fruity wine. Dark berries and plum. Low acid. Medium-light bodied. Soft structure. It doesn’t quite match the descriptions I’ve read about this grape. It’s typically more acidic and tannic. However, this particular version is a great wine for those who like ripe fruity wines but for everyday immediate drinking. 89
2019 Agostino Pavia Grignolino d’Asti
No wood treatment at all. Stainless steel vats. Rosé like transparency to the appearance but a darker rosé from like a darker grape. Nose of red berry fruit with savory earthy herbal notes. Medium acid. Drinks a lot like a Bandol rosé on the palate. Fruit with some meaty notes. Nice wine to drink chilled in the summer for a picnic as you would a rosé or Beaujolais. 89
2018 Cruse Wine Co. “Monkey Jacket” North Coast Valdiguié Blend
Founded in 2013 and based in Petaluma, the philosophy of Cruse Wine is to make California wine like it was 40 years ago–something uniquely Californian and not in reference to Bordeaux/Burgundy. This is their flagship wine. 51% Valdiguié, 13% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 8% Pinot Noir and the rest is a red field blend with grapes like Tannat, St. Laurent and Petite Sirah. 20% whole cluster. It’s also a blend of AVA’s, but it mostly comes from Mendocino and Solano. Unfiltered. Natural wine practices.
Light transparent color. The nose is a nice combo of fruity and floral with a savory minerality and spice. The palate has red fruit with good acidity. Light bodied. Even though this is not technically Gamay, it’s similar to Beaujolais or some Chilean Pais I’ve had. It’s a nice everyday food wine. 90
Conclusion
All of these wines are on the light, easy-going and versatile side showing their fruit but also their terroir. I understand how local grapes that produce yummy but perhaps not the most profound wines get lost in the shuffle in the market, but I for one appreciate having more light, food-friendly wines for everyday sipping to choose from. Continuing with the travel analogy, sometimes it’s worth it to check out a local village or lesser-known region when you travel rather than just sticking to the major attractions like a Paris or Rome, which may be more complex and bigger. Likewise, give these wines a try if you’re looking for something different and down to earth.
