World Cup of Wine Round Three

The final set of group matches saw Italy and Portugal crash out, and Luis Suarez bite an opponent for the third time in his career. Sadly, these will be the last Italian, Spanish, and (less surprisingly) Australian wines of this World Cup, but the next blog will feature the first Argentinian wine as well as beers from Belgium and the USA.

Spain v Australia

Spain: I'm never going to stop banging the sherry drum, as I firmly believe it's the greatest drink in the world: for variety of styles, value for money, and sheer quality, there is no other drink that can rival it. Its problem is that it's not well understood, and drinkers are easily put off by their lack of knowledge of what sherry actually is. In a nutshell, sherry is a fortified, usually dry, wine that spends a long time ageing in permeable old oak casks; the style of sherry depends on how long the wine has spent ageing. Fino and manzanilla are young, delicate, and fresh; amontillado a little older and rustier in colour; oloroso older again, darker, with lots of dried fruit character; palo cortado a complex wine that combines the fresh nuttiness of amontillado with the mature aromas of oloroso; Pedro Ximenez is made from grapes that have been dried to the point of raisins, making the wine intensely sweet. Simple, right?

Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa En Rama (c.£12 for a half bottle)

I had an accident this week: I broke a bottle of this wine in the back of the shop van. It's painful to think of such a waste, but the van smelt so beautiful. Manzanilla is very similar to fino, but the wine has to have been aged in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda which gives it saltier qualities. This manzanilla, from one of sherry's most historic producers, is classic: fresh, delicate, yet with a woody structure from 5-6 years' ageing, with aromas of apples, salt, and almonds.

Australia: Australia too has a long history of making fortified wine, though it makes far less than it used to. Both "sherry" and "port" have long been made, although those names cannot be used for wines sold within the EU - red fortified wine, often from Shiraz, is instead called "Tawny." Its most famous fortified wine is Rutherglen Muscat, from the hot inland town of Rutherglen in Victoria. Like sherry, it's aged and blended in a solera system, and like Madeira, it ages in hot conditions, together creating a rich, intensely sweet wine quite different from any other.

Stanton and Killeen Rutherglen Muscat, 12 years old (£16 for a half bottle)

Australians refer to their sweet fortified wines as "stickies," which is the perfect term for this mature, lusciously sweet, treacly, Christmassy wine. An ideal accompaniment to Christmas or sticky toffee pudding.

wine result a thrilling contest between two of the world's great fortified wines. Spain just comes out on top, as the Muscat is just so richly sweet it demands the further indugence of a pudding. Spain 4-3 Australia

actual result with both teams being eliminated and Australia missing their star player, Tim Cahill, this was a rather one-sided and inconsequential match. Spain 3-0 Australia

Italy v Uruguay

Italy: besides being home to some of the most famous wine names in the world, such as Valpolicella, Chianti, and Barolo, interesting wines from non-Italian varieties are being made in Italy. Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot (both cheap and higher quality) are found in the Veneto region in the north east, Pinot Noir (or Nero) in the Alto Adige, and Merlot in Lazio around Rome.

Marchesi di Grésy Monferrato Merlot 2007 (c.£20)

Marchesi di Grésy is one of the top producers in the Piemonte region of Barbaresco, and they also make this exceptional wine from Merlot in the small DOC of Monferrato, a hilly area where non-Italian grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are grown. This wine has spent several years in old oak casks to mature, only released when ready to drink. It has a lovely balance of oak and fruit, with sweet spices and dried fruits coming through too. For such a good wine, this is great value.

Uruguay: the fourth-largest wine-producing country in South America, with much of its exports going to neighbouring Brazil. There's a strong Italian influence, which is why many growers are small farmers, as well as from the Basques, who introduced the Tannat grape to the country in the 1870s. More than a third of plantings are of Tannat, a grape which, as it name suggests, is high in tannins and is found in Madiran, in south-west France. The wines produced are quite different, however: whereas Madiran is heavy in tannins and ages over many years, Uruguayan Tannats are softer and fruitier, and drunk younger.

Alto de la Ballena Tannat-Viognier 2011 (c.£20)

A very unusual blend of Tannat and Viognier, a white grape which is used in the northern Rhône and Australia to soften and give fragrant aromas to Syrah. It performs a similar function here, with floral, perfurmed aromas overlaying the spicy oakiness.

wine result two high-quality wines offering power with a touch of finesse. A close victory for the Italians, with just a touch more sophistication and maturity. Italy 3-2 Uruguay

actual result a bitty game won by Uruguay, which saw them qualify from the group at the expense of Italy but will be remembered more for Luis Suarez's actions than the football. Italy 0-1 Uruguay 

Germany v USA 

Germany As mentioned in the first round of matches, Germany may not be particularly known for its red wines, but it produces high-quality Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder). The grape, which in Germany produces generally earthy, gamey wines, is grown in the regions of Rheingau to the west of Frankfurt (particularly around the wonderfully-named village of Assmannshausen), sunny, dry Pfalz near the border with Alsace, and Baden in the Black Forest, Germany's warmest and most southerly region.

Franz Keller Spätburgunder Ahr 2011 (c.£20)

An earthy, smoky, spicy wine from Baden, with red cherries and plums, which goes well with hearty meat dishes. Franz Keller is a family-run winery that's been making wines for several generations, and also owns several highly-regarded restaurants in the area, including the Michelin starred Schwarzer Adler. Matching this wine with the local food in the beautiful surroundings of the Black Forest would certainly be a heavenly experience.

USA the region of the USA most known for Pinot Noir is Oregon. Until the 1960s, virtually no wine had been made in the state, but a small number of intrepid oenologists started wineries in Willamette Valley south of Portland during the decade, including David Lett, a young student and avid fan of the wines of Alsace and Burgundy and convinced that Willamette Valley had the ideal conditions for the same grapes. His 1975 Pinot Noir was entered into a competition in Paris in 1979, where it performed so well that Joseph Drouhin, a noted Burgundy producer, invited Lett to enter the wine into another, more formal competition in Beaune in 1980, where it came second. All of a sudden, this unknown state became the centre of attention for Pinot Noir lovers.

Domaine Drouhin Cuvée Laurène 2010 (c.£40)

Drouhin was so impressed by the Pinot Noirs being produced in Oregon that he persuaded his daughter Véronique to visit there, where she became winemaker at the newly-established Drouhin Oregon off-shoot in 1987. Oregon is the one New World region that makes Pinot Noir comparable in style to Burgundy, as this wine proves: red fruits, integrated oak, an earthy nose, a gamey texture, and plenty of ageing potential.

wine result two exceptional wines, but the quality, longevity, and class of the Drouhin wins the day. Germany 2-4 USA

actual result another close run thing, the US competing gamely, but Germany's class was ultimately too much. Germany 1-0 USA

in the next blog, the competition expands to include the beers of Belgium and the USA, as well as featuring Argentina v Switzerland.

World Cup of Wine Round Two

The second round of fixtures saw some dull games, but there were some thrillers too and Costa Rica provided the biggest upset by qualifying from a group featuring three previous World Cup winners, including England, after just two games. Just the three wine match-ups in this round; let's see how the wines fared compared to the football.

Spain v Chile

Spain: classic European wine-producing country, famous especially for its aged, oaky reds from Rioja. There's plenty more to the country than Rioja, though: aromatic Albariños from Rías Baixas in the north-west, zesty Txakoli from the Basque country, muscley Monastrells from Jumilla in the south-east. Recently, Spain has been producing too much bulk volume wine at too low a price, undermining its reputation and the industry, but once you get above the £10 mark Spanish wine can punch its weight with any in the world.

Raimat Blanc de Blancs Albariño-Chardonnay 2013 (c.£10)

Raimat takes up a third of the Costers del Segre DO, inland from Barcelona, where the Cava giant Codorníu has since 1914 experimented with making sparkling wine from non-traditional grapes, in particular Chardonnay. This unusual, but well-balanced, wine combines the floral freshness of Albariño with citrus and tropical fruits from Chardonnay.

Chile: as featured in the first round of matches against Australia, Chile is a young wine-producing country still learning its trade. The challenge for Chile is to produce wine that is genuinely good value for money and not just cheap.

Tabalí Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2012 (c.£10)

This is a terrific example of Chilean wine punching above its weight - creamy apple flavours with the use of neutral oak to produce a wine that's both refreshing but with plenty of body and substance to give the wine a satisfying structure.

wine result two interesting uses of the Chardonnay grape, to produce good-value wines that provide a great deal of complexity for the price. Spain 2-2 Chile

actual result a disappointingly flat performance from Spain which saw the World Champions crash out against a vibrant, exuberant Chile. Spain 0-2 Chile

Japan v Greece

Japan: I wrote about Japanese wine in a recent blog, but the country is far more known for sake than wine. Sake is made from rice (meaning it can't be called wine, which has to be made from grapes) in a wide range of styles, from dry to sweet, fresh and crisp to oaky and full bodied. This number of styles can make sake a confusing drink, but it also means there's always a sake to suit different occasions or palates.

Akashi-Tai Daiginjo (c.£35 for a 72cl bottle)

The style of sake in part depends on how much the rice is milled or "polished." As this delicate sake has been 60% polished, it is light in colour, and it has refreshing floral and peach and melon aromas. Another factor in the style is the proximity to water - Akashi is near the sea and this sake has a definite salty character.

Assrytiko vines in Santorini are protected from the wind by wooden baskets

Greece: It is easy to mock Greek wine, but wine has been made there for millenia and there is high-quality wine to be found if you know where to look. The best whites come from the Assyrtiko grape, especially on the island of Santorini, and reds from Xinomavro in northern Naoussa. (Greek grape names may be hard to pronounce but, as the maker of the wine below pointed out to me, names of grapes are always hard to pronounce if you don't already know how to say them.)

Gaia Assyrtiko Wild Ferment 2013 (c.£20)

From Santorini, this an intriguing, complex example of Assyrtiko. It's made using indigenous yeasts which are allowed to develop and ferment without any interference, giving the wine a slightly funky, barnyard quality. With the slight use of oak as well as acacia, it would be difficult to tell this apart from a quality Burgundy white.

wine result two drinks full of local character, demonstrating the best of their tradition to the outside world, though only one can be classed as a wine. Japan 1-2 Greece

actual result a forgettable game between two poor teams who most definitely did not demonstrate the best of their traditions to the watching world. Japan 0-0 Greece

USA v Portugal

USA: a wine-making powerhouse that's just going to get bigger and bigger. The industry is concentrated in California, which makes more than 90% of the country's wine. However, each of the 50 states does make wine of some sort. Washington is the second largest wine-producing state, followed by New York and Oregon. The latter produces Pinot Noir that rivals Burgundy in both style and quality, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Washington are a bridge between Bordeaux and Napa Valley.

Clos du Val Merlot 2010 (c.£30)

Merlot is a grape that gets a bad press, but in the hands of a quality winemaker it remains one of the world's great grapes. Clos du Val, founded by Frenchman John Goelet in the early 1970s, are one of the generation of Napa Valley producers that gained international acclaim following the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris. This is a classy but inviting Merlot, with ripe black fruits and a lovely spicy toastiness from the use of oak.

Portugal: as mentioned in the first round of matches, Portugal is more famous for its fortified wines than its still. However, it now produces high-quality whites and reds, especially in the Douro (the area where grapes are grown for port production), Dão, and, increasingly, Alentejo further south. There are over four hundred indigenous grape varieties found in this small country, giving Portuguese a unique identity.

Julia Kemper Touriga Nacional 2009 (c.£25)

Touriga Nacional is the most important grape for the production of port, and it also produces the most distinctive of Portugal's red wines, with floral, perfumed aromas. This rich, powerful, oaky wine from one of Dão's up-and-coming producers is a great example, and one which will get better and better over the next five years.

wine result a clash between two high-quality, powerful, ageworthy wines. USA 3-3 Portugal

actual result an open, entertaining game, with a surprisingly strong performance from the USA, who were denied victory by a last-minute Portuguese equaliser. USA 2-2 Portugal

The next round of matches will feature Italy v Uruguay, Australia v Spain, and USA v Germany

World Cup of Wine

The World Cup in Brazil has got off to a flying start: some great performances, controversial refereeing, and memorable upsets. I thought it would be fun to match some of the opening round of games with equivalent wine profiles, to see how the wines of different countries compare to each other and if they parallel the actual results.

Brazil v Croatia

Brazil: an emerging wine country that has to overcome very difficult conditions to produce quality wine. The wine-growing areas in the south of the country have a wet tropical climate, meaning that there is no winter in which the vines can rest. Some producers induce dormancy in the vines by pruning them after harvest; others encourage the vines to flower again, creating at least two harvests a year. Despite these less than ideal conditions, the reputation of Brazilian wine is slowly growing, though I am yet to be convinced. Red wines, as in neighbouring Uruguay, are often made from Tannat, but they are just too tannic, like chewing grape skins. The best wines are sparkling, from the Sierra Gaúcha area inland from Porto Alegre.

Campos de Cima Sparkling Brut 2011 (c.£20)

Made using the traditional method, giving it some bready complexity and flavours of sour apples, but rather one-dimensional with a short finish.

Croatia: a greater history of wine production, but one that suffered under communist rule in the twentieth century. With plenty of indigenous grapes, Croatia is certainly capable of producing very good wine that hopefully will attract interest as the industry grows and becomes more confident. The country's wine-growing areas are divided into two: inland, where the most interesting grape is perhaps Graševina as well as other international grapes such as Chardonnay, and coastal, where the potential for exciting reds is in Plavac Mali (also known as Primitivo and Zinfandel).

Golden Valley Graševina 2012 (£8.99)

Refreshing acidity, with stone and tropical fruits, and a very dry finish. Lacking complexity, but good structure to the wine.

Fred falling over

wine result a narrow victory from the developing yet distinct Croatia over the developing but disappointing Brazil. Brazil 0-1 Croatia

actual result a flattering victory for Brazil, helped greatly by a shocking refereeing performance and a dubious Croatian goalkeeper. With better performances from those two, the result could have been the same as the wine's. Brazil 3-1 Croatia

Chile v Australia

Chile: we may now think of Chile as an established wine country - and plantings date back to the 1500s - but the industry only really got going in the early 1990s, with significant plantings of international grape varieties. Chile's reputation is based on inexpensive, familiar wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, which makes it attractive to the regular customer; however, the flipside of this is that it has yet to establish itself as a producer of premium, high-quality wines. The influence of cooling Atlantic winds on this long, thin country ought to help the production of distinctive wines, but they are still few and far between.

Santa Rita Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (£23)

This is quite a sophisticated Cabernet, with 14 months in French oak giving the body real backbone and structure to the black fruit aromas. Like too many Chilean wines, blackcurrants rather boringly dominate - it would make sense to blend the Cabernet with other Bordeaux grapes.

Australia: plantings go back to the early 1800s, but, like Chile, Australia only really emerged on the international scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A hot country whose population and wine regions are all found along the coast, it too has gained a reputation for affordable, fun Shiraz and Chardonnay, but it's fighting to convince consumers of the quality of its premium products. There's no doubting that the best Australian wines are as good as any in the world.

Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra Estate 2007 (c.£16)

A very good value Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia's classic area for the grape, with blackcurrant, menthol, eucalyptus, cloves, and cedar aromas.

wine result Australia came through with class and value for money in a high-quality contest. Chile 2-3 Australia

actual result a surprisingly even and exciting contest on the field, Australia impressing against the much-fancied Chileans who finished off an engaging game with a late decider. Chile 3-1 Australia

England v Italy

England: the chalky hills of Kent and Sussex are almost identical to those of Champagne across the Channel and therefore ideal for the production of high-quality sparkling wine. The downside is that it's a very cool climate, which makes it difficult to make wine of desired quality on a regular basis. Production has only been in earnest since the 1990s, and it requires a significant financial investment that isn't guaranteed any returns.

Chapel Down Pinot Reserve 2008 (c.£25)

A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc that has spent five years ageing on its lees, this is a full-bodied bready, biscuity wine missing a touch of subtlety.

Andrea Pirlo, the world's classiest footballer

Italy: been making wine at all levels of quality for millenia, including sparkling wine. Since the 1960s, winemakers have been concentrating on the hills of Franciacorta in the north of Italy to make sparkling wine in the Champagne style - same methods, same grapes. The results have been wines of exceptional quality, but expensive and small production.

Bellavista Brut Cuvée NV (c.£30)

Subtle bready notes with a beautifully balanced acidity: a very classy wine.

wine result a match up of youthful promise against timeless class and sophistication. England 1-2 Italy

actual result a match up of youthful promise against timless class and sophistication. England 1-2 Italy

Germany v Portugal

Germany: like the national football team, Germany's wines divide opinion, with their flair and style overlooked. Germany produces some of the greatest, most complex white wines in the world, from dry to sweet Riesling. Some great Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) comes out of the country too, particularly from Baden.

Meyer-Nakel Spätburgunder Rosé 2013 (c.£20)

This is a very classy, sophisticated rosé, with real depth of flavour. Like all good rosés, it has appealing, light red fruit flavours, but it has an added complexity with a spicy cinnamon character. A very good summer wine, on its own or with salad.  

Portugal: more famous for its fortified wines, Portugal has nevertheless been producing great - and great value - wines since the late 1980s when EU investment allowed modern wine-producing techniques to be introduced. Most wine is made from grapes unique to the country, making their wines distinctive and full of character.

Mateus Rosé NV (c.£5) 

a worldwide famous brand, known for its unusual bottle shape, Mateus was the rosé of choice in the 1970s. It's far less fashionable now, but nearly 2m cases a year are still sold. Despite its cheap, cheerful, unfashionable image, Mateus isn't that bad a wine: lightly sweet and sparkling, it's refreshing, balanced, and far more palatable than many popular white Zinfandels.

wine result a surprisingly strong performance from the Portuguese brand up against a small German producer, but the class of the Spätburgunder shone through. Germany 4-2 Portugal

actual result: a dominant performance from Germany, crushing a weak and ill-disciplined Portugal. Germany 4-0 Portugal

second round matches to be featured in the next blog: USA v Portugal, Spain v Chile, and Japan v Greece

Mondovino: The Phantoms of Progress

In preparation for my latest Diploma exam on the relationship between the wine media and the consumer, I watched Mondovino, a 2004 documentary I've been meaning to view for some time. Shot in a shaky vérité style with no narrative voiceover, it takes an arch look at the world of wine, the effects of globalisation, and the influence, often controversial, of major international figures such as Robert Parker, Robert Mondavi, and Michel Rolland, a French wine consultant. It's a fascinating film, lacing the differences and similarities between, in particular, French and Californian attitudes to wine. By allowing all the characters to speak for themselves, it exposes a lot of contradictions in the way the wine industry sees itself, not least that the predatory capitalist values the French (and, by association, the film) attack the Americans for are as French as wine itself.

the players

Michel Rolland

A charismatic, opinionated, and self-satisfied figure, Rolland is an in-demand wine consultant for many wineries, particularly in Bordeaux and the expensive and lucrative Pomerol appellation. As seen in the film, his role is to talk on his mobile in the back of his chauffeur-driven car, run into a winery and tell the perplexed owner to micro-oxygenate the wine, and run back to the car and repeat the advice in several other Bordeaux wineries. A friend of Robert Parker's, their tastes coincide and lead to accusations of collusion: wineries that Parker gives high scores to have had Rolland as consultant.

Boisset

The number one producer in Burgundy and the number two producer in France at the time with a €230m annual turnover. In 2009, Jean-Claude Boisset, the very confident head of the family company, married Gina Gallo, of the Californian Gallo dynasty. I doubt that made the company any more popular than they are in this film five years previously.

de Montille

Hubert de Montille is a canterkerous, and, dare I say it, very French individual: very certain of his take on life and aggressive with it - yet honestly so. He repeatedly makes the argument that the US wine industry is using its cultural and imperial might to impose its vision of wine on the world, without any irony whatsoever. His son Etienne, with an equally aggressive attitude and whom Montille seems to have little affection for, works for the family company. His daughter Alix, whom he sees as a reflection of himself and his values, works for Boisset. (Not mentioned on her profile on the family website.)

Robert Mondavi and family

Robert Mondavi, seen here just a few years before his death in 2008, was one of the most important yet divisive figures in the development of the Californian wine industry. The film focuses on the collaboration with Bordeaux's Mouton-Rothschild to create the ridiculously expensive Opus One winery in California, the failed attempts to set up a business in the Languedoc town of Aniane, and the partnerships established with some of the most famous Tuscan wineries, such as Frescobaldi.

Aimé Guibert

Of Daumas-Gassac, the most distinctive and prestigious of Languedoc wineries, who led the resistance to Mondavi's entry into the Languedoc scene. He opens the film lamenting the "death of wine" and is a sparky yet contradictory presence throughout the documentary: when Gérard Depardieu enters the Languedoc scene, he has no problem with this rich outsider - Depardieu is a big fan of Daumas-Gassac's wines and pleases Guibert by expressing that "the key is in the terroir."

California and the Mondavis are the not Guibert's only target

Michael Broadbent

The well-spoken, very English head of Christie's wine department makes the salient point that the wealth and standing of Bordeaux wine is due to the English aristocracy. He uses the example of Château Kirwan to demonstrate how outside influences still affect the price and reputation of Bordeaux wines: the winery was underperforming, Michel Rolland came along to make it in a more global style, and Robert Parker gave it 94 points. The owners of Château Kirwan maintain that their wines have evolved for themselves, not for Parker.

Alain Chatelet

Of the French government's "Competition, Consumption, and Anti-Fraud Agency," he maintains that French winemakers have altered wines to suit Parker's taste - "a school of production that includes illegal methods." The documentary doesn't attempt to investigate Chatelet's claims (I'm sure they do in the ten-hour version).

Neal Rosenthal 

A New York wine merchant, who has written a rather self-important book, Reflections of a Wine Merchant (2008), in which he talks about his ability to impress Burgundy winemakers with his knowledge of Burgundy terroir. He is seen in the film as the anti-Parker of American wine, talking about the "Napa-isation of wine" and "repressing the terroir"; his comments are echoed by de Montille, who claims that California winemakers are "hiding terroir with oak."

Frescobaldi

A Tuscan wine producer since the 1400s and, as the lineage indicates, owned by aristocracy: the female head of the line has the poshest English accent I have ever heard, indicative of a European aristocracy educated among and for themselves. Although Antinori, another aristocratic Tuscan family were "influenced by Mondavi," it was Frescobaldi who struck a deal with the Californian company - one third of Frescobaldi's production is in Mondavi ventures.

Ornellaia

One of the greatest of Tuscan wines, Frescobaldi now owns 50% and Mondavi 10-20%. James Suckling, Italian critic for the Wine Spectator who seems to intimate that he came up with the term Super Tuscan (he didn't, it was in a 1985 book by Nicholas Belfrage and Jancis Robinson) and says Berlusconi's doing a good job, states that the Italian government did nothing about this arrangement, but the French government would have. This I believe: the French government never passes up an opportunity to interfere. Michel Rolland was hired as consultant when the Mondavis got involved. A local wine merchant is interviewed about Ornellaia, arguing that when the wine was acquired by Mondavi, it was made the number one wine by Wine Spectator the very same year.

Robert Parker

Friend of Rolland, proponent of the style of wines Rolland consults his clients on; former lawyer who loves his two dogs; powerful critic since the 1980s, accused of an undue influence on producers who dream of gaining high scores from him; who says he brings the American perspective to an elitist industry, yet has made wine, particularly in Bordeaux, prohibitively expensive - and he admits he finds his effect on prices unnerving.

Robert Parker's bloodhound, Hoover

If this were a game of Cluedo, Parker would be the main suspect for the death of wine that Aimé Guibet laments at the beginning of the film. He's at the centre of every controversy: the development of Bordeaux (and Californian and Rhône) wine to suit an aggressive, high alcohol style, the relationship between media, producer, and consumer, and the price of fine wine. Parker defends himself quite well in the film, though not convincingly enough - he's aware of all the controversies surrounding his influence on the world of wine, but hasn't done anything to change the situation.

But the contradictions, mythologies, and exaggerations surrounding Parker mark him out as no different from anyone else in the film. There are a whole host of players guilty of contradictory opinions, self-serving justification, and uneasy pragmatism that demonstrates the world of wine is like the rest of the world: messy, confusing, and still trying to come to terms with how globalisation has changed the way business is conducted.

 

Sherry Twitter Tasting

I'm wary of the twitter hashtag, which seems a lazy way of promoting a trend you haven't much thought about, but on Tuesday I found myself following the progress of, and contributing dozens of tweets to, #sherryTT. This was a live twitter tasting involving tweeters from all over the world contributing over 400 tweets, as part of International Sherry Week.

I don't know if there's a greater drink in the world than sherry - for its history, quality, variety, value for money, and its food-pairing potential - but it's one that suffers a severe image problem, so I was game to take part in the evening's tasting, hoping to spread the love and awareness of this much misunderstood drink. Some tweeters knew all about sherry, others were new to it but enthusiastic to take part, a combination which led to an engaging online conversation.

I've never been involved in a twitter tasting before and found it great fun. In many ways, it corresponded to a real tasting - the Andalucian crowd turned up late, some tweeters described the wines imaginatively, others engaged in contextual information. What I enjoyed about it most, though, was that it was a conversation many people were involved in yet which you could conduct at your own pace. If I wanted to, I could tweet constantly and breathlessly, or I could take my time and come up with a considered opinion of the drink - I did a bit of both, and felt more confident contributing to the online conversation and also felt I learnt more from the different observations of those involved than if we'd all been sat round a table discussing the drinks.

For it to work, though, it needs an organiser. In this case, it was Ruben from SherryNotes. He created the event, provided the samples of all the sherries, and made sure everyone was on board and understood the different styles of sherries. Many thanks!

I didn't expect the samples to look like actual samples

 

Gonzalez Byass Tío Pepe En Rama (April 2014)

For the last five years, Gonzalez Byass, the largest producer in Jerez, has been releasing its classic fino "En Rama". This means straight from the cask, unfiltered, and unclarified - you're drinking just what you would if you were in Jerez and stood in front of a barrel drawing the wine from it. Gonzalez Byass promote it further by saying the wine is from the very best casks ultimately destined to be part of Tío Pepe. It's a great marketing idea, which the sherry industry needs - it points to its distinctiveness (the solera system), its different styles (in this case, fino), and its different tastes (how decisions by the winemaker alter the appearance and taste of the drink).

I wish it were sunnier here in Manchester to appreciate the cool freshness of the En Rama Fino... #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

I always find En Rama rounder and fewer sharp edges than Tio Pepe - love Tio Pepe though ;-) #SherryTT
— Criadera (@criadera) June 3, 2014

tasting mat courtesty of @guillermomdv

 

Barbadillo Manzanilla Solear En Rama (Primavera 2014)

Manzanilla is, more or less, the same style of wine as fino, but it has to be made in the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda giving it more noticeable saline qualities. Many of the tweeters found the previous fino to have a definite saltiness as well, but I did think it was much more apparent in this classic manzanilla, which is also taken straight from the barrel (like the Tío Pepe En Rama during spring, when the flor is at its most active and the wine at its saltiest). It's a very different drink - more complex but less immediate; the Tío Pepe, whether in its classic form or from the barrel, is for a summer's day, while this is for a summer's day by the sea.

Manzanilla an incredible mix of tabasco sauce, banana bread and seaweed #sherryTT
— Sean Tennyson (@seantennyson) June 3, 2014

the salty seaside flavours of the Manzanilla remind me of the bracing walk to the tram stop in Blackpool on the way to school #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

Agree the farmyard notes are there thanks to the flor, with a bracing saline zip. Doesn't evoke sunshine like a fino does #SherryTT
— Criadera (@criadera) June 3, 2014

 

Fernando de Castilla Palo Cortado Antique

The difference between the fino and manzanilla were nuanced, delicate, and intriguing. The first sniff of this wine declared in an instant the astounding differences between styles of sherry. Palo Cortado is a complex style that's not always easily understood or explained - it's kind of like a cross between an amontillado and an oloroso. It's also the one that sherry connoisseurs rate as the most complex and involving, and this example had to be the wine of the night - in this line up that's quite a compliment.

moving on to the Fernando de Castilla Palo Cortado now. One sniff, and it's like being in a different world! #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

You could say Palo Cortado is a hybrid of an elegant, sharper Amontillado on the nose and a full-bodied, rounder Oloroso in mouth #SherryTT
— SherryNotes - Ruben (@SherryNotes) June 3, 2014

The complexity of this Palo Cortado is astonishing, yet it's such an immediate, drinkable wine #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

Palo Cortado Castilla 30+y: old,brownish colour. Intens nut aromas. Sweet dried raisins & dried fruit. Mandarin, caramel, cigar #sherrytt
— Olaf Leenders (@Vinama) June 3, 2014

Wine 3 in the world's first twitter sherry tasting - Antique Palo Cortado - que lujo #sherryTT pic.twitter.com/01p9VrVPx9
— Criadera (@criadera) June 3, 2014

Looks like Palo Cortado sales will be up this year, based on these reactions! When you fall for #sherry, you fall hard! #SherryTT
— Criadera (@criadera) June 3, 2014

 

Oloroso "Pata de Gallina" Almacenista Juan García Jarana (Lustau)

Lustau are another of sherry's top producers, and one of the best and most interesting lines they do is the "Almacenista" (referring to a maker of sherry who sells it on to another company), a range which showcases Lustau's best suppliers. I think this is a wonderful way of supporting and promoting the sherry community; during the evening I discovered that Juan García Jarana runs a motorbike dealership in his other life. Having said which, the nose was a little lacking but it did have a long, lasting, leathery finish.

It's great to see @BodegasLustau honouring the work of the smaller almacenistas! #sherryTT pic.twitter.com/Jd0vabZGWb
— SherryNotes - Ruben (@SherryNotes) June 3, 2014

As often in great Oloroso, there’s a slight peppery heat coming out towards the finish #SherryTT
— SherryNotes - Ruben (@SherryNotes) June 3, 2014

would love to taste this Oloroso alongside an old Verdelho or Bual Madeira #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

@galg @SherryNotes This makes you appreciate sherry cask whiskies even more... #sherryTT
— Sven De Guise (@S_DeGuise) June 3, 2014

Notice the immense variety of sherry, we've started with light and mineral, now complex with totally different aromas #sherryTT
— SherryNotes - Ruben (@SherryNotes) June 3, 2014

 

Gutiérrez Colosía PX Colosía

Pedro Ximénez is the name of the grape, as well as the style of the wine; essentially, the grapes are dried to such an extent that they become raisins, resulting in one of the sweetest wines in the world. It can be a hard drink to take on its own, with layers and layers of complex sweet flavours. There are lots of sweet foods it can be paired with, but the classic match is pouring it over vanilla ice cream. Gutiérrez Colosía are based in the town of El Puerto, along with Jerez and Sanlúcar de Barrameda one of the three towns that make up the "sherry triangle." This was a great example of the PX style, with lots of appealingly chewy dried fruits.

The Pedro Ximenez is like a Christmas cake of dried fruits #sherryTT
— Matthew Gaughan (@mattattheditch) June 3, 2014

#pedroximenez nose of figs, raisins & prunes. Palate soft, sweet licorice, coffee & warm spice. Unctuous, obviously! #SherryTT
— Sinead Cabot (@sineadcabot) June 3, 2014

Why eat desserts when you can drink this #sherryTT Dates, figs, raisins with such a long finish
— Erik Burgess (@TheWhiskyKiwi) June 3, 2014

There's not a lot much better than tasting five high-quality sherries with other wine enthusiasts, whether on- or offline. These two tweets sum up the tasting's best wine and the evening as a whole.

My favourite of the line-up is #palocortado Fernando de Castilla Antique. Complexity, precision, balance, punch and depth. #sherryTT
— Sinead Cabot (@sineadcabot) June 3, 2014

#sherryTT @SherryNotes a fantastic line up! Loved the Palo Cortado. Thank you for organizing. What a brilliant idea. More please!
— Lyndsey (@LyndseySpellman) June 3, 2014

Follow the whole tasting on Storify