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

California snapshots

In California, the sun always shines. I heard one clap of thunder which was followed by a very brief downpour. I woke up in Sonoma to two mornings of cool fog; by eleven, the sun was in the sky again and temperatures in the mid-20s. Too much sun isn't a good thing, though. As it's barely rained all winter, there's a real drought problem in the state. The winemakers I spoke to in Sonoma and Napa didn't seem to think that was a problem, as they had enough water in reserve. Even if they can get by this year, long-term water shortages must surely be an issue and will affect how winemakers approach their job. The only winery that seemed concerned by the drought was Frog's Leap - the only winery I visited that refuses to use irrigation. Will other wineries be forced to follow Frog's Leap's lead and learn how to dry farm? If so, will wines be leaner and lower in alcohol and owe much more to the skill of the winemaker than California's idyllic conditions?

Mexicans in the morning fog

The vineyards at this time of year weren't teeming with workers, but there were still plenty trimming the vines beginning to flower. Every single worker I saw was Mexican and, as far as I could tell, valued by their employers. The employers' main concern with Mexican labour? - immigration legislation. The tougher legislation becomes, the harder it is for wineries to meet their costs, and it's a real concern for the future, as well as those Mexicans in need of work. Unfortunately public opinion, in the US just as in European countries, hasn't grasped how vital immigration is to their countries' economies.

Frog's Leap

Everything about Frog's Leap sets it apart: the name, the label, the alcohol, the winemaking, the philosophy. Land - not just terroir, but how it's cultivated and what other plants are grown there - is at the heart of it all. There are bees, fruits, and plants surrounding the vineyards, all contributing to the land's biodiversity. Everything is sustainable down to the last degree: all the buildings have been made from fully recycled material. It makes the winery seem quirky and different, but these sustainable practices may make it more financially and commercially stable as California's climate becomes more extreme. And the wines are great too: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the grapes, producing elegant, restrained, expressive wines. We were also lucky enough to taste the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon - these wines have serious ageing potential.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc, Cakebread Cellars

Like the good wine snob I try not to be, Sauvignon Blanc isn't my favourite grape: too obvious, too upfront, and too often the same aromas over and over again. However, California opened my mind, as I tasted some really interesting wines full of character and individuality, and quite different from both Loire and New Zealand. My favourite was from Cakebread; partly fermented in old oak barrels and aged for four to five months in neutral oak, the wine has lots of complexity. Although the characteristic flavours of Sauvignon Blanc are there - grapefruit, citrus, melon, capsicum - there's a creamy depth to the wine from the oak ageing and it has the potential to age another five years. Clos du Val also produce two excellent Sauvignons. The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc was grassy with ripe tropical fruits, and very fresh, but it was the 2011 "Signature Series" I was especially impressed by. A blend of Sauvignon and Sémillon, the grapes are separately barrel fermented and aged in neutral oak. After six months, the two wines are blended and aged for another five to six months, again in neutral oak. The seriousness with which the wine is treated is evident in the complex, appealing aromas: grassy, spiky, tropical, toasty, and spicy. A great wine with Thai curry or seafood, and again with ageing potential. 

Crispin's Spirits

another hard tasting; photo courtesy of @winebizkid

I visited this distillery in Mendocino in order to taste the brandies of Germain-Robin, reputed to be as good as those of Cognac, but the visit ended up centring around the spirits of Germain-Robin's former assistant distiller, Crispin Cain. After seriously injuring his back at the distillery over ten years ago, he created a rose liqueur to give himself something to do. He spent a great deal of time perfecting the liqueur and it was finally launched in 2007 to great success. Since then, with the help of his two sons, he has created a series of spirits, all of extremely high quality and great individual character.

The relationship between Crispin and Hubert Germain-Robin, whom he picked up hitchhicking in the 1980s, has clearly been key to the development of his spirits, as Crispin makes great use of the distillery's equipment. Part of the spirits' individuality comes from the old Cognac still installed in the distillery and then from the very old barrels scattered around the warehouse - some of them over a hundred years old. Add to that the imaginative skill of the distiller and you have a set of unique spirits.

I'm still not a convert to vodka, but I enjoyed the four I tasted. The "Straight Vodka" had been made with 10% Viognier, giving it grapey and floral notes, while the three citrus vodkas had each been naturally flavoured, with, respectively, citrus, tangerine, and Buddha's Hand citron. Refreshing but with deep, rich citrus flavours, without any of vodka's harsh alcohol. The Russell Henry London Dry Gin had lots of complex but balanced botanical flavours - juniper, coriander, rosemary, grains of paradise, cinnamon, and cardamon. There are two flavoured versions of the gin, with lime and ginger. Crispin has also started making whiskey; they're still young - he even makes a colourless whiskey - but with lots of potential.

My two favourite drinks were the 1850 Cocktail and the Rose Liqueur, where the enterprise had begun for Crispin. The 1850 is a barrel-aged cocktail, made with Germain-Robin brandy and absinthe, Crispin's whiskey, and herbs - like a Sazerac, but with both brandy and whiskey. Finally, the Rose Liqueur is simply divine: an apple and honey base, giving it a natural, rich sweetness, flavoured with seventeen rose petals, the most important being Don Juan, giving chocolate and raspberry character to the drink. Like California itself: rich, indulgent, and irresistible.

growlers

Every time I've visted an American microbrewery I've looked jealously on at the locals topping up their growlers. These are 64oz bottles (just under 2 litres; Americans serve their drink in fluid ounces, which is very confusing if you've been brought up in the twentieth century on the metric system) which you can buy from the brewery to take home. Once you're done, you come back and fill it up again. This is a great way of getting beer that's only available on tap at the brewery, as well as promoting customer loyalty. As I was staying at the family home of @winebizkid in Chico, we got to take home some growlers from the famous local brewery, Sierra Nevada. Launched in 1979, Sierra Nevada was at the forefront of the craft brewery revolution. Its beers are hop-forward, though produced in quite a range - they also make porters, stouts, wheat beers, and a barleywine. My favourite of the beers I tasted, and which I filled my growler up with, was the Nooner Session IPA - straw-coloured, very drinkable, with citrus and vanilla, and extremely refreshing for those warm Californian nights.

no American home is complete without a couple of growlers

Californian Chardonnay

Chardonnay from California fulfils all the stereotypes of the state itself: big, bold, brash, unabashed, and brazen. Subtlety goes out of the window, the wine is smothered in new oak, and given full-on malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine is all about the bravado of the winemaker rather than the primary flavours of the fruit, and feels like being smacked in the face by a buttered oak barrel.

Stereotypes do exist for a reason, but my trip to California has shown that many winemakers are determined to prove them wrong and make wine from Chardonnay in all sorts of styles that are as expressive of the grape as of the winemaking process. It's difficult to know whether this is due to consumer demand or the whims of winemakers, but I think it's clear that understanding of how to make good wine from Chardonnay has greatly increased in recent years. 

Of the wineries I visited, Ramey is the one which comes closest to conforming to the image of Californian Chardonnay. All the wines have 100% MLF, and the wines will be acidified after MLF if necessary. They're big, creamy, and smoky. However, the use of oak has decreased, and is contuining to do so. In 2002 (David Ramey started making wine on his own in the late 1990s), the single-vineyard Chardonnays were aged with 66% new oak; that's now down to 45%, and 30% is planned for the 2014 vintage. The AVA wines feature even less oak. 

There is a real commitment to place too. We tasted six Chardonnays back to back, and all of them were expressive of where they were from. Two - the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley 2011s - were "appellation wines," but the grapes were still taken from a small set of vineyards rather than from all over the AVAs. The other four, also from 2011, were single-vineyard wines, from Platt Vineyard near Bodega Bay in Sonoma Coast, Ritchie Vineyard from Russian River Valley, and Hyde and Hudson Vineyards in Carneros, Napa. The differences between each wine were subtle and nuanced, a reflection of terroir despite their power. The Hudson Vineyard, in particular, felt like an homage to Burgundy: slightly reductive, with a long, creamy finish, this wine will open up well with age.

Clos du Val, a Napa winery founded in 1972, has also cut back on the use of new oak and MLF, so that just 20% new oak is used in ageing. The Chardonnay Carneros 2012 has a light creaminess with stone fruits, a balanced wine designed to be drunk fairly young (within 3-5 years). Californian winemakers are open to experimenting with different clones of the grape to find the perfect California-Chardonnay match and to create more individual wines. The Lone Cypress Ranch 2012 uses the Dijon Musqué clone, which is more aromatic with more tropical fruit flavours, producing a bigger, but still balanced, and complex wine with more ageing potential. 

At Cakebread, another winery that's been going since the early 1970s, we tasted two Chardonnays, one the current release from 2012 and the other the same wine but from 2008. With 16% MLF and 8-9 months in 20% new oak, I found the 2012 a little subdued and in need of a bit more Californian oomph. However, the 2008 had already developed lots of complex, richer flavours, evidence of how a subtle, balanced wine can mature. 

Frog's Leap, whose first vintage was in 1981, is known for its very non-Californian approach to wine - biodynamic in all but name, lower-alcohol, and restrained flavours. The Chardonnay epitomises their approach, where the character of the grape is all-important. The wine is fermented in new oak barrels for seven days until it's almost dry, when it's transferred to concrete tanks. Newly fermented wine is continually added to these tanks, building up the temperature to 30°C, the yeasts and intense temperature creating new, complex aromas. The temperature gradually cools down, fermentation stops, and the wine is left on its lees, with no stirring, until Easter. The result is a lean and reserved wine, but with structure and body from the lees. 

Chardonnay California style: the driveway to Scribe Winery, Sonoma

All of these are long-established wineries whose wines are available in the UK. Scribe, on the other hand, dates back to just 2007, when it was established by two young brothers on land planted by German emigrants in the 1850s. Their philosophy mirrors Frog's Leap's in so many ways: all but biodynamic, alcohol as low as 11.2% (for their Sylvaner, made in tribute to the original German settlers), and wines restrained and lean, expressive of grape and place rather than winemaking techniques - "more work in the vineyard, less work in the cellar." The Estate Chardonnay, at around 12.5%, was a lean, crisp wine, with complexity from the cool, slow fermentation and structure from the long lees contact - no use of oak or MLF. The Skin Ferment Chardonnay 2013 was a different beast - left on its skins for 90 days in concrete eggs, it was very grapey, almost like a very good grappa. The wine was made as an experiment in 2010, but now it's made every year, yet another completely different, fascinating, and characterful expression of the Chardonnay grape. 

All of these are high-end producers, so it's impossible to say whether this focus on a new, more restrained form of Chardonnay is indicative of a change in taste in the general American palate. There's a feeling, though, that the American public are getting more educated about wine, hence the change in direction for some Californian winemakers. Moreover, everyone I spoke to was keen to stress how food-friendly their wines were, which reflects a definite trend for food and wine pairing. These winemakers seem less isolated and more open than they used to, looking towards Burgundy for inspiration and guidance, creating contemporary wines but happy to use hundreds of years of tradition for guidance.