Central Otago

Central Otago, due to its climate and inland location on the South Island, is different from the rest of New Zealand's wine areas. It's the most southerly wine region in the world, vineyards located beneath dramatic mountains on difficult, rocky soils. The wine is uniformly excellent, the climate and soils producing intense, concentrated wines that are only going to get better as the region matures.

One thing Central Otago does share with the rest of New Zealand's wine regions is that it's still very young, producers striving to learn what works and what doesn't. It's only thirty years old, and it's going to be fascinating to see how Central Otago develops. Its future will clearly be dominated by Pinot Noir, but other varieties, particularly white grapes, will help further understanding of this beautiful region.

climate 

New Zealand is surrounded by sea, 2,000km from Australia's east coast. The climate is maritime, rain hitting the islands from the ocean throughout the year. The one exception to this maritime climate is Central Otago, which, sheltered from the ocean by mountain ranges, is cool continental. In the summer, the days are hot, reaching as high as 40˚C, and the nights are cool, dropping below 10˚C, so there is intense ripening during the day slowed by the cool nights. Heat summation is similar to northern Chablis, yet Central Otago successfully ripens Pinot Noir. This is due to the intense UV rays coming from the sun, which intensifies ripening - the sun really does have a burning heat to it.

Central Otago regions

There are different climates within Central Otago, which has led to the informal classification of several sub-regions. Altitude is key, where both days and nights are cooler than lower down on the valley floor. The centre of Central Otago is a large valley surrounded by towering mountains, even topped with snow in the summer; this is the Cromwell Basin, which gradually rises at the southern end to the highest quality sub-region, Bannockburn. Here, the sun hits the north-facing slopes while wind rushes down from the mountains and through the valley to provide ventilation. Current plans to formally classify Central Otago have Bannockburn as the one stand-alone sub-region with its own geographical indication. Further north, Bendigo is warmer and the wines are ripe and rich, while to the east Gibbston Valley is higher up and produces thinner, more acidic wines. Many producers blend from the different sub-regions to make balanced wines that express the region as a whole, but the one area that stands out on its own is Bannockburn.

history 

The first commercial wine released in Central Otago was by Gibbston Valley Winery in 1987. There were vines planted in the 1860s, when the region was subject to a huge gold rush, remnants of which are scattered throughout Central Otago, not least in Bannockburn where barren hillsides stand next to recently planted vineyards. Once the gold rush faded, Central Otago became a quiet region populated by shepherds and orchard farmers. Cherries are still a big industry, but the region has been transformed in the last thirty years by wine. There are now well over a hundred producers and, despite the youth of the industry, quality is consistently high. As vines get older, that quality is only going to increase.

Pinot Noir vines at Peregrine winery

However, like the rest of New Zealand, the rush to make wine from the 1980s onwards led to compromises. New Zealand has a strict quarantine policy, which means that any plant matter must spend three years under quarantine before being allowed into the country. The downside to the strict import conditions is that the rapid expansion of the industry in the last twenty years meant that there weren't enough rootstocks available to graft vines on to and new plantings couldn't keep up. Instead, growers simply planted ungrafted vines. Phylloxera as a result is slowly spreading, which means necessary replanting of those young vines. Although it's under control, this is something that may slow the development of New Zealand wine as a whole, Central Otago included.

pinot noir 

Cornish Point vineyard, owned by Felton Road

75% of plantings in Central Otago are of Pinot Noir, the only black grape variety that will reliably ripen there. The hot days get the grapes ripe, while the cool nights preserve acidity and allow the aromatics to slowly develop. The wines vary from sub-region to sub-region, but there is a deep, rich intensity to them, and a deep colour which comes from the skins building up resistance to the UV rays. In a short time, these have come to be known as some of the finest Pinot Noirs in the world. They're certainly very good, but I feel at the moment that we're tasting potential rather than the definite finished result. As the vines age and producers understand site selection better, the wines will continue to improve: producers will worry less about ripe fruit aromas and concentrate more on making Pinot Noir which are compelling expressions of place. That's Central Otago: the youth of its vines as well as its producers leads to rich, fruity wines that will become more complex and intense as the region ages.

recommended producers: Felton Road, Burn Cottage, Bannock Brae

pinot gris 

The search across New Zealand has been to find a back-up to Sauvignon Blanc, in case worldwide interest in those wines finally comes to a halt. Many producers have focused on Pinot Gris, an aromatic grape that's closely related to Pinot Noir and not planted that widely across the world. Styles have varied in New Zealand, from dry and insipid to rich and bloated, which hasn't helped spread the wines' popularity. Producers have finally settled on a consistent, recognisable style: off-dry (the slight sweetness offsets the tannins of the grape), aromatic, but not too rich. In Central Otago, the grape accounts for 15% of plantings, and is held up as the region's white equivalent to Pinot Noir. The wines are good, food-friendly, with a refreshing acidity not always found with Pinot Gris. But I do feel that Central Otago producers made a mistake when they chose Pinot Gris rather than Chardonnay as the white equivalent to Pinot Noir. Now, many are having to consider whether to replant to Chardonnay or to stick to Pinot Gris.

recommended producers: Misha's Vineyard

riesling 

Rippon Vineyard, Lake Wanaka

Central Otago has, with a collective purpose among producers, focused on aromatic white grapes to promote the region. Pinot Gris is the accessible wine, while Riesling is grown for quality and small production. Just 3% of plantings are of Riesling, a variety that's always fashionable among wine geeks like me but difficult to sell. Two producers, Felton Road and Misha's Vineyard, convincingly persuaded me that Central Otago has, in its schist soils and cool continental climate, much in common with Mosel in Germany. Like Mosel, the best wines have some sweetness to them to counterbalance the naturally high acidity that comes with the cool climate. Despite being so food friendly, such wines are not universally fashionable so many producers make dry Rieslings whose acidity I found just too tart - Central Otago's climate really is that cool.

recommended producers: Felton Road, Misha's Vineyard

chardonnay 

The elephant in the room is Chardonnay. I am loathe to suggest that yet another region concentrate on producing Chardonnay, but this, besides Pinot Noir, is what Central Otago is best at. The wines have a refreshing, crisp acidity, which allows malolactic fermentation, and a steely, stony texture. They taste exactly how the best Chardonnays should. Yet, only 3% of plantings are to Chardonnay. This is because when many of the current plantings were made twenty years ago, Chardonnay was an unfashionable grape and Pinot Gris was planted instead as an alternative. Now, producers have to decide whether to replant to Chardonnay or to stick to the aromatic varieties they already have. Central Otago is a young region: mistakes are likely to be made before figuring out what works best.

recommended producers: Felton Road, Peregrine

Western Australia

After landing in Perth (and recovering for a few days from jetlag), I repeatedly listened to Nick Cave's song "More News from Nowhere." That's no concidence, as Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world, two thousand kilometres from its nearest major Australian city, Adelaide. Adding to that tangible sense of isolation, the main wine region, Margaret River, is another three hours south of Perth, and the other quality area, Great Southern, is five hours away. Despite its far-away location, not only is some great wine made, there are some very good microbreweries and Margaret River is the centre of a vibrant tourist industry.

Margaret River 

In 1965, Australia’s leading agronomist Dr. John Gladstones published a report commissioned by Western Australia's government into which areas of the state might be best suited to grape-growing. He pinpointed Margaret River, due to its Mediterranean climate (very wet winters and dry, hot summers) and its gravelly soils, which he rightly felt made it ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. Two years later, another doctor, Tom Cullity of Perth, planted vines, laying the foundation for Vasse Felix, still one of Margaret River's premier wineries. Others followed: Cullen planted vines in 1972 and Leeuwin Estate in 1974. The elegant wines, quite different from the bold, fruity wines often made elsewhere in Australia, caught the attention of the industry on the other side of the vast island, and now there are over 150 wineries in Margaret River, receiving acclaim around the world.

wine and surf rule in Margaret River

Margaret River’s location is certainly ideal. The best vineyards are located not far from the Indian Ocean, which moderates the climate. The proximity to the ocean means that there are lots of trees planted around the vineyards, to protect the vines from strong winds. The ocean also bring in lots of rain - Margaret River receives nearly 1,200mm of rain a year, 1,000 of which fall in the winter. These heavy rains provide the vineyards with water for the growing season; some wineries irrigate rarely and there’s plenty of water in reserve if it’s needed. Despite the summer heat, Margaret River has a long growing season, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon while also adding complexity to the white grapes.

styles of wine 

tasting room pours are excessively small

Margaret River, particularly in the northern part, is textbook Cabernet country. It's usually blended with a bit of Merlot, but the latter grape is falling out of favour. It's being replaced by Malbec, which was originally planted by Tom Cullity in 1967 when the grape was much less fashionable than now and which adds a spicy, tannic structure to the wines. The Cabernet blends are full-bodied but not too tannic or fruity or overripe.

Shiraz, despite the best efforts of local winemakers, doesn't really work here, being too thin and dilute. Instead, it was the white grapes I found most interesting. The Bordeaux influence is again important, as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon work together very well. Semillon is too unfashionable these days to make it commercially on its own, but its waxy, full-bodied texture complements perfectly the herbaceousness and acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. These blends are fresh and lively; those without any oak ageing are quite fruity, while those with oak ageing have complex, engaging aromas of vanilla, spices, and nuts. The latter are particularly ageworthy, with enough body and acidity to last five to ten years, if not more.

Some of the greatest wines being made in Margaret River, however, have nothing to do with Bordeaux. Chardonnay here is simply superb. Clones planted in the area take a long time to ripen, gradually building up aromatic complexity (I also heard that the grapes are susceptible to leaf roll, which slows the ripening). At the same time, acidity is preserved from the cooling breezes coming in from the ocean. Just as importantly, what I most liked about Margaret River in general is that winemakers don't interfere with the wines too much. The Chardonnays are by no means overoaked: oak is used to give the wines a spicy texture and body but the fruits and acidity are still very pure.

wines 

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2015 (A$115; $90) 

Named after the founder of one of Margaret River’s first and still most distinctive wineries (they are certified biodynamic), this is an expensive Chardonnay but as good as it gets. This a smoothy, subtly textured wine: smoke, cream, and vanilla come from the oak, and there’s a dry, stone, mineral mouthfeel, given weight from the oak and aromas of stone fruits and cinnamon and all-spice. This is a white wine I would love to taste in another ten years, or even more. ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

Stella Bella Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2012 (A$45; $35) 

Stella Bella have some great labels and some great names: Suckfizzle is their vineyard to the south of Margaret River named after a character from Rabelais. This is a terrific example of a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend with a little bit of maturity: a creamy vanilla texture from the oak, waxy, green, herbaceous aromas from the grapes, refreshing acidity, and a rich, round mouthfeel. Such wines are particularly food friendly - with white fish or white meat, and spicy dishes that are popular here given the proximity to south-east Asia. ✪✪✪✪✪

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (A$31; $24) 

Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc on its own has a crisp, refreshing acidity one would expect from the grape, but there’s also a richer texture to it than from, say, Marlborough in New Zealand. This Sauvignon Blanc is part of Leeuwin Estate’s “Art Series,” the labels of which feature a different work of art by an Australian artist each year. The most famous of the series is the Chardonnay (A$99; $75; ✪✪✪✪✪✪), one of the first wines back in the 1970s to show the potential for Chardonnay in Margaret River. The series also features Riesling, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I particularly liked this distinctive Sauvignon Blanc for its rich, dry, mineral texture, its stone and tropical fruits, and its interesting, spiky aromas of lemongrass and nettle. ✪✪✪✪✪

McHenry Hohnen Amigos White 2012 (A$28; $22) 

Due to the warm Mediterranean climate of Margaret River, there is some interest in planting Rhône and Spanish grape varieties. In theory, this should work but the old-fashioned winemaking techniques of the Rhône and Spain don’t always translate well to the New World - I tasted a few Tempranillos which were simply too clean and straightforwardly fruity. White blends are more successful, perhaps because they don’t need the long ageing. The Amigos, from the founder of New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay, is a blend of Marsanne, Chardonnay, and Roussanne and despite the presence of Chardonnay is a characteristic white Rhône blend: stone and tropical fruits, nuts, white pepper, and ginger aromas in a rich but balanced wine. ✪✪✪✪

Margaret River's first modern winery

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (A$37; $28) 

The original Margaret River winery produces a range of three Cabernet Sauvignons, including the high-end Heytesbury ($A90; $74; ✪✪✪✪✪). I also liked the mid-tier Cabernet (with 7% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot in the blend), a range which the winery introduced in 2013 as part of an expansion programme. This has a smoky texture, with intense, concentrated black fruit aromas and chocolate, coffee beans, and a spicy peppercorn finish. A very good example of the full yet balanced Cabernet blends of the region. ✪✪✪✪✪

Si Halcyon Merlot 2015 (A$40; $31) 

Si (named after owners and winemakers Sarah and Iwo) are an eclectic winery: they are based in the south part of Margaret River, away from the renowned vineyards of the north. They make wine from their small vineyard from vines planted in 1978 and also own 5ha of land in north-east Spain, making wine from Garnacha grapes (I can’t imagine the amount of travel that must involve). They’ve also got Shiraz in Great Southern, showing the good sense to ignore the Shiraz planted in Margaret River and concentrate on the best area in Western Australia for the grape. The philosophy is minimal intervention, with little sulphur added, and lots of experimentation. This makes their wines quite distinctive, and making a quality Merlot in a region where others feel it’s too green and astringent demonstrates the couple’s obstinate but quality-orientated temperament. This is a tight, wound, tannic wine, with red plums and black cherries giving it a juicy texture, with a dry, herbal, spicy finish. ✪✪✪✪✪

Established producers such as Vasse Felix show the long-term quality of Margaret River; more experimental producers such as Si point to the potential for the region to go in different directions. It’s quite a conservative region (as is Perth itself), so don’t expect much change just yet: just be assured of consistent quality.

Great Southern 

A region with more surprises, however, is Great Southern, which unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to visit. While in Perth I got to taste a few wines from the region. Its climate is more varied than Margaret River's, becoming gradually more continental as it goes inland. Shiraz has a rich, voluptuous elegance to the wines, characteristically Australian but with a spicy, game undertone. The subregion of Mt. Barker, which has a combination of Mediterranean and continental climates, is especially good for Shiraz. Another subregion, Frankland River, inland and more continental, specialises in Riesling, the cool nights keeping the acidity high. The wines I tasted had some sweetness to them, unusual for Australia - more of a German style, but still with a lime fruitiness. Great Southern is definitely a region to keep an eye out for.

The Value of Bordeaux

My difficulty with Bordeaux is that the wines I can afford to drink, I don't want; the wines I want to drink, I can't afford. Although the wines of Bordeaux are much imitated around the world, this is why their reputation has suffered in recent years. Inexpensive Bordeaux offers little of either the quality or value for money that similar wines from Australia, South Africa, Chile, or, indeed, other areas of France give, while the premium wines compete with more accessibly priced, yet still high quality, wines from all around the world (Napa is an exception to this rule, its market not too much different from Bordeaux's). Bordeaux relies too heavily on investors and the nouveaux riches of the US and China, instead of producing wines that the general consumer can afford to buy.

I went to a tasting in San Francisco that challenged this reading of Bordeaux's market, and which demonstrated that the Bordeaux wine industry is determined to compete at the lower end of the market by aiming to produce good-value, inexpensive wines. Whether those wines can compete with established New World brands remains to be seen.

whites

The dry white wine of Bordeaux has two advantages: it rarely fetches the exorbitant prices of the reds, making it often good value, and one of the two important grapes is Sauvignon Blanc, a grape riding the wave of international trends. The other grape is Sémillon, which back in the 1960s was the most planted grape in Bordeaux, black or white. Sémillon results in high-quality wines, but it's not fashionable, its waxy weightiness not always inviting. Put Sauvignon Blanc on a label, the wine sells; mention Sémillon, it stays on the shelf. As a result, Sauvignon Blanc is becoming more and more widely grown, and this is how the dry whites of Bordeaux are going to compete on the international stage.

There were sixteen dry white wines available to taste; eleven of them were Sauvignon Blanc dominant and these were the most inexpensive whites on show ($8-$20). They had characteristic grassy, vegetal aromas with a dry, refreshing acidity; simple, but pleasant and attractive wines. However, I am not sure how well they would fare on the international stage despite the affordable prices: the wines are not as pungently aromatic as New Zealand's, nor as steely and flinty as Loire's.

My overall impression is that $15 is when a dry white Bordeaux becomes interesting and engaging. That's also the price point when Sémillon becomes more involved in the blend, and the use of oak is more likely. My two favourite whites were Château Grand Abord (Graves, 2014; $17), which was 80% Sémillon and showed a creamy, lightly oaky spiciness and baked apples, and Château Respide-Médeville (Graves, 2013; $29), an almost equal blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon, with a little Muscadelle thrown in. The latter demonstrated everything good about white Bordeaux blends, with fresh, floral, stone fruit aromas, a nutty, spicy palate, with a refreshing acidity - but at $29 it's appealing to a very different market than the more inexpensive, green, vegetal Sauvignon Blancs.

reds

This is where pricing gets difficult and it's hard to find good-value wines. The inexpensive reds, which started at $10 at the tasting, just aren't that good. The tannins are bitter and green, the fruits far more restrained than similar wines from Australia or Chile, and there's little or no oak to give the wine structure or longevity. Most are not appealing, fruity, or forward enough for those consumers buying wine in the $10-15 range.

On the evidence of this tasting, quality red Bordeaux begins at around $25-30 and really kicks in at $30-40. That's a very difficult price bracket: more expensive than most consumers are willing to spend, competing with high-quality, arguably better value wines at the same price from around Europe and the rest of the world, but not expensive enough to attract the wealthiest customers.

Nevertheless, there are some good-value wines to be had for those willing to spend in that $30 price range. I was pleasantly surprised by the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation, which I had always dismissed as being rather basic (it can come from anywhere in Bordeaux, but has a slightly higher minimum level of alcohol than standard Bordeaux AC) - but it was only the pricey ones ($25-30) that impressed. The major appellations that offered good value were the Right Bank: being Merlot based and less aggressively tannic than the wines of the Haut-Médoc, they are fruity and inviting to drink at a young age. Château Moulin Pey-Labrie's 100% Merlot from Canon Fronsac ($28) had a lively acidity lifting the gripping tannins, with bright red plum and violet aromas, while Château de Viaud-Lalande's 2010 Pomerol ($30 - also 100% Merlot) had tannins well integrated with the ripe but not plump red fruits, with a nice spicy finish.

One more thing: Bordeaux's labels are hopelessly old-fashioned, most with a château seemingly drawn by a destitute artist from the nineteenth century possessing only a blunt pencil to draw with. In Bordeaux, a château simply refers to any winemaking enterprise - "a straggle of sheds," as Kingsley Amis puts it in On Drink, rather than an actual castle - but it devalues the whole Bordeaux brand when it's used with $10 bottles of wine. If Bordeaux is truly to compete with inexpensive wines from around the world, it needs to rethink its packaging as much as it does its quality.

Washington State

On a very wet afternoon, I visited three wineries in Woodinville, an area north west of Seattle where some of Washington state's major producers are based. As the cold, wet weather in mid-July suggested, this is not vine-growing country; instead, producers buy grapes from eastern Washington and make the wine closer to the crowds of drinkers of Seattle.

where?

The contrast between Seattle and eastern Washington could not be greater. Seattle is a green, hilly city surrounded by mountains and water, with active volcanoes just 90 miles away. Average rainfall is 45-50 inches a year, meaning that serious viticulture is all but impossible. East of Seattle are the Cascade mountains, a bleak, rocky range which break up the rain from the Pacific and create a very different environment beyond the mountains. Eastern Washington is arid, hot, and almost desert like, with rainfall as little as 4-8 inches a year.

Washington's wine industry has expanded hugely over the last twenty years; from 12 wineries in 1980 to 60 ten years later to over 700 today. It's now the second largest wine-producing state in the US, although California produces over 90% of the country's wine. There are eleven, and arguably too many, AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) for such a young wine region: the entire wine area is Colombia Valley AVA, within which the most important AVAs are Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley.

grapes

Washington produces wine from a huge variety of grapes, which is both to its advantage and disadvantage. Unlike Oregon and its Pinot Noir, Washington lacks a signature grape which consumers can identify the state with; at the same time, this allows winemakers a freer range of possibilities.

During the 1990s, Washington was most strongly associated with Merlot. In June 1991, the Washington Wine Commission met to discuss how best to promote the state's growing wine industry. They briefly discussed Cabernet Sauvignon before realising the futility of competing with Napa Valley, settling on Merlot, a grape little planted and largely unknown in the States at that time. Coincidentally, in November 1991 60 Minutes broadcast a documentary, "The French Paradox," which claimed that drinking red wine had health benefits. This led to the fashion for Merlot, which Washington was well positioned to take advantage of.

Despite its notorious fall from grace, Merlot is still the third most sold varietal wine in the US and Washington would arguably do well to reclaim its status as the best state by far for the grape, giving the state a stronger identity than it currently has. Washington Merlot at its best has ripe, rich red and black fruits, with a high acidity, and a coffee toastiness from the use of new oak.

The other black grapes that thrive in Washington are Cabernet Sauvignon and, increasingly, Syrah; there is great potential for Sangiovese and Tempranillo, though the American market remains addicted to French varieties. The most planted grape in the state, perhaps surprisingly for such a warm climate, is Riesling: astonishingly, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest producer of Riesling in the world (and that doesn't include the other brands it owns). Washington Riesling is made in a whole variety of styles of sweetness, but is recognisable for its stone and tropical fruits. Chardonnays are beginning to become less oaky and more balanced, while Washington's best whites are perhaps from less fashionable Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blends.

Tempranillo in véraison

wineries

Betz Family Winery

Bob Betz worked for Chateau Ste. Michelle from 1974, until establishing his own winery in the late 1990s. In the meantime, he became one of the most important exponents of Washington wine, both in promoting the wine outside the state and in defining the most suitable areas for planting. He's now the only Master of Wine in the US actually making wine. At 5,000 cases a year, production is small and focused on high-end Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

My visit focused on two vintages from two single-vineyard Syrahs, La Serenne from Boushey vineyard in Yakima and La Côte Rousse from Ciel du Cheval in Red Mountain. La Serenne 2010 was subtle and elegant, with juicy blackberries, light pepper, and a slightly dusty finish: just beginning to open up now, but with lots of ageing potential still. The 2012, which will be released in September, was too young but still indicative of the warmer vintage - earthier, thornier, with darker fruits. La Côte Rousse is a richer, warmer wine, from a hotter, sandier vineyard (though just 20 miles away). The 2010 was far more pungent than La Serenne, its smokiness almost peaty, with tobacco leaves, ripe blackcurrants, and sweet spices. Again, the 2012 is a little too young, but showing an additional, engaging floral character.

Delille Cellars

Just a four minute drive away are Delille Cellars, established in 1992. Many of their grapes are sourced from Red Mountain AVA, particularly from Ciel du Cheval and Grand Ciel vineyards, the latter established by the winery in 2001. Highlights included the Ciel du Cheval 2013 Roussanne, a complex yet immediate and refreshing wine - nutty and yeasty, with stone and tropical fruits. This is part of the "Doyenne" series, focusing on Rhône style wines, but it's Bordeaux blends the winery specialises in. The D2, named for the road which goes through the Médoc in Bordeaux, is their best-selling wine and is a good example of a Merlot-based wine from Washington, with black fruits, cedar, and a nice spicy finish. The flagship wine is the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Harrison Hill from Snipes Mountain AVA. Complex, maturing flavours of tar and leather, smoke, black tea, and figs, as well as cassis and brambles, though with a subdued finish. A very good wine, but at a hefty $85. My favourite wine, though, was a white, the Chaleur Estate 2013 - a blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Sémillon. Cellared in the last three White House administrations, this is a complex wine that shows all the best of Bordeaux blends - oaky and creamy, smoky and toasty, with lemon, spices, and brioche, and a barnyard feel.

Brian Carter Cellars

Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to meet winemaker Brian Carter, described to me as "the librarian of Washington wine," and didn't get the full story to his winemaking philosophy. All of his wines are blends, often quite unusual, taking advantage of the number of varieties grown in Washington, as well as growers' and winemakers' increased understanding of how to get the best out of the different varieties.

I did get to taste six of his wines. Oriana is a unique blend of Viognier (53%), Roussanne (32%), and Riesling (15%), which was aromatic, nutty, with a spicy finish. Together with the peach and nectarine aromas, this was a wine expressing, yet integrating, all three of the varieties. Tuttorosso 2009 is a super Tuscan blend, which seems to be how Sangiovese is most used in Washington. I was looking forward to this, but found it a little simple with smoky red cherries and light spices. The most interesting was the Corrida, a blend, which I can only assume is unique, of Tempranillo (62%), Graciano (12%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), and Garnacha (6%). Evocative of grilled sausages, with a peppery finish and dry tannins, this is a wine definitely doing its own thing, and no Rioja clone.

These are just three of Washington's 700+ wineries, but which give a good indication of the range and style of the state's wines. I hope to be back before long to taste more, but for now I'm off to California to explore the Golden State.

Sémillon

In the last few weeks, I've found a new appreciation for Sémillon, the white grape most known for the role it plays in the dry and sweet wines of Bordeaux. Due to that role, it's considered an important grape but it's not seen that often or a grape that trips off customers' tongues. This must in part be because white Bordeaux, where it's blended with Sauvignon Blanc, isn't that popular a style, but also because it just isn't planted in that many places: in Europe, it's virtually limited to south-west France and in the New World only Australia has made a speciality of it. It's these Australian versions which have led me back to taste white Bordeaux - from New World back to Old.

where it's grown

Its name comes from a local pronunciation of St-Emilion, the Bordeaux village renowned for its Merlot-based reds. It's the fifth most-planted white grape in France, concentrated on south-west France in Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Monbazillac. In Bordeaux, it's the dominant variety in the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac and also in the oaky dry whites of Graves; it's almost always blended with Sauvignon Blanc, which is becoming more prominent in blends. When it's planted in California, it's to produce similar dry white wines. In Australia, it's the second most-planted white variety, producing distinctive dry wines, particularly in Hunter Valley near Sydney. The wines receive no oak, are low in alcohol and high in acidity, and, despite that lack of oak, develop toasty complexity as they age. Margaret River in Western Australia is another important area, where it's again blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Plantings of the grape have declined in South Africa, but the reputation of its wines is increasing; again, the influence is Bordeaux, with the use of oak and blending with Sauvignon.

Sémillon grapes beginning to rot; taken from Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand's Grapes and Wine

what it tastes like

With its grassy, herbaceous aromas, Sémillon is not a dissimilar grape to Sauvignon Blanc (and the two are closely related), hence the tendency to blend the two together. It does have different characteristics, though; the acidity isn't as refreshingly high as Sauvignon, and the wine is fatter and fuller bodied, as well as waxy and oily. The grape's thin skins also make it suspectible to noble rot, and its fatty characteristics add to the body of a rich, sweet wine. From the oaky dry wines of Graves, the unoaked, ageworthy wines of Hunter Valley, on its own or blended with Sauvignon Blanc, back to the intensely sweet wines of Sauternes, this is one versatile grape. Come on winemakers, get planting!

tasting

Tyrell's Belford 2009 (Hunter Valley, 100% Sémillon, Wine Society, £21). A single-vineyard Sémillon from one of Hunter Valley's most famous producers, this is an exceptional wine that still has lots of development ahead of it. Classic Hunter Valley in its high acidity and low alcohol (11%), as well as developing complexity; there are still lemon and lime notes from the wine's youthfulness, but a waxy oiliness coming through, and interesting vegetal notes - I got creamy potato on the palate.

Brokenwood Semillon 2012 and 2007 ILR Reserve (Hunter Valley, 100% Sémillon, 2012 currently available at hangingditch, £20). Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste these wines at the same time, as it would have been fascinating to directly compare the two. The 2012 had sharply fresh, grassy, herbaceous aromas, while the 2007, from a single vineyard, had developed mature flavours variously described by fellow Diploma students as wet wool, shortbread, orange peel, lemon cake, and blossom. This was a serious, intense wine, quite different from the youthful exuberance of the 2012, and one that will continue to age for another 15 years. Both these wines have low alcohol - the 2007 11.5%, the 2012 10.5%.

Cullen Mangan Vineyard 2011 (Margaret River, 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42% Sémillon, hangingditch, £22.50). Cullen is a fully biodynamic winery from Margaret River, an area of Western Australia famous for its similarities to Bordeaux and where Sémillon works best in the northern part. I've tasted the 2011 vintage (the blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon is different each year) on two separate occassions in the last couple of months. The first was at the end of a Sauvignon Blanc centred tasting at hangingditch, where the style of this oaked blend was just too difficult for the Sauvignon lovers - I loved that oaky complexity in contrast to the too similar primary aromas of Sauvignon after Sauvignon. The second tasting was during the Diploma Australian session, where both tutor and students thought it wasn't complex enough for the price. The collective tasting notes, and the conclusion that it has another ten years, suggest otherwise: chamomile, thyme, grass, white chocolate, asparagus, ripe green and citrus fruits, as well as being waxy and oily, with weight on the palate from the light use of oak. Both a guest at the tasting and a student on the Diploma also suggested smoked cheese, a description the tutor found highly amusing, but it's one I fully agree with, especially after having tasted other Sémillon wines.

Cuvée des Conti: Tour des Gendres 2012 (Bergerac, 70% Sémillon, Carrington's, £12.49). Young, grassy, and green on the nose, showing just how similar Sémillon is to Sauvignon - it would be difficult to distinguish the two in a blind tasting. The palate differs though: a dry yet creamy finish, with a spicy, yeasty texture from eight months on its lees, and a much fuller body. The acidity isn't as piercingly high as Sauvignon either; this isn't a palate cleanser for a sunny afternoon, more of a food wine for a rich, creamy chicken or oily seafood dish.

Moulin des Dames 2006 (Bergerac, 70% Sauvignon Blanc/30% Sémillon, Carrington's, £25). This is a complex, mature, and quite beautiful wine with aged, oxidised notes, almost like a traditional white Rioja, with honey and beeswax. 50% aged for twelve months in barriques and on its lees, the palate is creamy, oaky, and spicy. It came as a surprise to learn that the wine is 70% Sauvignon Blanc, as the Sémillon seems much more influential - evidence that Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that can still surprise.

Château Rahoul Blanc 2010 (Graves, 75% Sémillon, Wine Society, £16). A very nutty (marzipan), toasty, and cheesy nose, with dairy and farmyard notes; the palate shares blue cheese and marzipan flavours, but with a big oaky, spicy finish. A full-bodied white which would be a great pairing with crumbly Lancashire cheese, as well as a bready fish dish.

Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2010 (Franschhoek, 92% Sémillon, Wine Society, £18). From vines planted in 1902, 1906, and 1942, this is a serious wine comparable in complexity and quality to the above Bordeaux. A waxy, oily, cheesy, smoky, toasty nose, with a slight yet pleasant stink of rotting fruits. There's an intense mouth feel - very cheesy, smoky, slightly rotten, nice acidity, fatty, and full-bodied with creamy spices and potatoes. Great on its own, but this would match with any rich, creamy dish.

Clos du Val Signature Series 2011 (Napa Valley, 72% Sémillon; 2010 available at hangingditch, £25). I wrote about this in my California blog - another great example of a New World wine taking Bordeaux as its inspiration but doing something quite different. Far less farmyardy and oaky than the Graves equivalent (it was aged in neutral oak), with fresher, grassier aromas, but depth and complexity of flavour from the ageing.

Château Doisy-Daëne 2006 (Barsac, 95% Sémillon, Wine Society, £26). Barsac is an appellation next to Sauternes in Bordeaux, producing sweet wines from the same grapes - it can be much more affordable than its more famous neighbour. The wine has a rich golden colour, and intensely sweet aromas of orange peel, marmalade, and dried apricots. The palate is honeyed with light oaky spices. Some sweet wines work on their own, drunk at any time, but this is definitely best as a dessert wine: with apple tart for example.

Every single one of these wines that I've tasted at different times over the last month or so was of a high quality: intriguing and complex aromas, all connected by the grape, yet distinguished by the style and character of its region or the nature of the winemaking process. I'm definitely a convert to the Bordeaux-style oaky, dry whites: these are complex, full-bodied food wines that should be much more appreciated. In complete contrast, the Australian Semillons are just unique: high acidity, low alcohol, no oak, lots of ageing potential, and developing complexity that's all about the flavour profile of the grape. Together with sweet Bordeaux, these are three completely different, yet equally appealing, styles of wine. 

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

non solo Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo may be the most important grape in Piemonte, but there are plenty of others grown in the area, producing many different styles of wine. Here are some of those grapes, and some of the wines I tasted on my recent trip.

not only Nebbiolo: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Merlot, and Moscato at Marchesi di Grésy

Arneis

Piemonte isn't particularly known for its white grapes, but there are plenty of them. Arneis is perhaps the most interesting. In the local dialect, "arneis" means "little rascal," which may explain its name as the grape is hard to grow and vinify. It used to be planted with Nebbiolo, as its strong flavours attracted birds away from the more expensive black grape, and it was also blended with Nebbiolo to soften it. After nearly disappearing in the 1970s, it's made a welcome comeback, though wines from the grape still aren't seen that often outside Piemonte. The wines are full-bodied but not aged in oak, with perfume and pear aromas.

Favorita

This is actually the same grape as Vermentino, a white grape grown elsewhere in coastal north-west Italy and the south of France, as well as Sardinia and Corsica (it's arguably at its best by the sea, where it takes on fresh, saline qualities). In Piemonte as Favorita, the wines are fragrant and mineral, fresh but quite full bodied. I had a glass with some gnocchi, and it had the acidity and full flavours to stand up to the tomato sauce. 

Moscato

In French, this grape is called Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and is one of the oldest and most important grapes in the world. It's one of the few grapes that actually smells of grapes, making its aroma extremely distinctive. In Piemonte, it's grown to produce two sweet sparkling wines, Asti and Moscato d'Asti. The reputation of Asti isn't particularly great, mainly because its heyday was the 1970s and 80s, but 80m bottles a year are produced of this sweet, low alcohol, fully sparkling wine. Moscato d'Asti is a superior wine with a lower level of alcohol (5-5.5%), slightly sweeter, and only lightly sparkling. Perfumed, floral, and fragrant, Moscato d'Asti is a beautiful wine for a summer's day and a bowl of strawberries. Even better, because of its low alcohol, it's always cheap.

We also tasted a late harvest Moscato from Marchesi di Grésy, L'altro Moscato 2007, a wine made only in dry conditions to avoid rot. A complex sweet wine that had spent three years in barriques, it had inviting aromas of orange peel, marmalade, and dried apricots, as well as honey and chestnuts.

International Varieties

A Nebbiolo-Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend from renowned Barbaresco producer, Gaja.

There are quite a few varieties not indigeneous to Piemonte also grown in the area. G. D. Vajra produce a delicious Riesling from vines planted in 1986. We tasted a very balanced Sauvignon Blanc from Marchesi di Grésy, who also make a very oaky Chardonnay. In the Monferrato DOC, Grésy make a mature, developed, and sophisticated Merlot - the 2007 is to be released in the coming months, and we were fortunate to taste it before it's been bottled. Piemonte winemakers are protective of the local grapes, but at the same time willing to experiment in small quantities with other grapes.

Dolcetto

Misleadingly meaning "the little sweet one," Dolcetto is mainly found under the Dolcetto d'Alba DOC. It's usually a straightforward, fruity wine, deep in colour with quite high tannins and low acidity - a combination which provides a challenge to the winemaker. It's normally designed to be drunk young, though some examples can age for around five years. Vajra's Dolcetto d'Alba 2012 was a good example of the grape - red fruits, floral, light, and ideal for a spring day. Their Dolcetto Coste & Fassati 2011 is more serious, from forty-year-old vines on two Barolo vineyards, with more tannins and spicy flavours, and more ageing potential.

Barbera

There are two appellations for the Barbera grape, Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti DOCs. The wines from Alba are darker and more powerful than the brighter, more elegant wines of Asti. Quality varies, but if the wine is aged in new barriques (which is more common than with Nebbiolo), it can produce wines with complex, oaky, spicy depth. Again, G. D. Vajra produce two good examples. The Barbera d'Alba 2011 had toast, smoke, and barbeque flavours, with spices and red fruits. The Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2010 was complex, from west- and east-facing vineyards, contributing finesse and power respectively. This had real structure and depth, with pepper and tobacco, dark fruits and smoke, but with a bright acidity. Another exceptional wine is the powerful, rich, oaky Barbera d'Alba Conte Tre Pile from Aldo Conterno, a renowned Barolo producer I wasn't fortunate enough to visit. The 2009 is as good a Barbera as I've tasted.

Brachetto

Brachetto d'Acqui is the red equivalent of Moscato d'Asti - low alcohol, very lightly sparkling, and sweet. As with the wine I tried in the photo below, it can also be made in the passito style - where the grapes are allowed to dry, which creates sweetness in the wine. Either way, Brachetto d'Acqui is a beautiful, vibrant red colour with aromas of roses and wild strawberries. It goes especially well with chocolate - how any meal should finish.

Barolo Chinato

An increasingly popular drink invented in the early twentieth century, this amaro is made from old Barolo wine. The name comes from the cinchona bark that's steeped in the wine, which is then infused with herbs, roots, and spices - each producer has their own recipe. When we were in Barolo, we visited the odd, but fun, wine museum; at the end of it, there was a Chinato and chocolate tasting. We only had time to taste one from Barolo producer Borgogno - herbal and bitter, it went well with dark chocolate.

In a region dominated by Nebbiolo, all these different grapes can get overlooked. However, because Nebbiolo is taken so seriously, it means that there are lots of winemakers with the know-how, experience, and enthusiasm to make very good wine from other grapes at more affordable prices. The severity and power of Barolo and Barbaresco are not for everyday drinking, but Piemonte has plenty of alternatives to offer.

A Vegetarian Christmas

Christmas can't be an ideal time to be a vegetarian; all that turkey and when it's not turkey it's goose, or some other game. However, there are plenty of vegetarian food options - the BBC, Jamie Oliver, and the Vegetarian Society have some good recipes - which can be as rich and decadent as a traditional Christmas meal - and, after all, all those side dishes are meat free.

Matching wine with vegetarian food is not as obvious as with meat or fish. The great wines of France, Spain, and Italy have developed in tandem with the local gastronomic culture, which has usually involved meat or fish dishes, and these are countries where vegetarian food can still be difficult to find.

What this means, though, is that matching vegetarian food with wine is not based on tradition but innovation, and you can really experiment with both food and wine. Thinking about matching flavour intensity rather than specific flavours, here are some pairing recommendations based on styles of wine.

Champagne

Any Christmas meal should start with a bit of fizz, and the yeasty, bready, toasty flavours of Champagne make it a great match for canapés, pastries, tarts, bruschetta, or even poppadoms.

Sauvignon Blanc

The aromas of Sauvignon Blanc are intensely green - apple, gooseberry, green bell pepper, asparagus. Goat's cheese salad is a perfect match: this polenta and goat's cheese stacks recipe would be a much more indulgent and Christmassy option.

Gewurztraminer

This is where you can really start to experiment. Gewurztraminer is often off-dry (particularly if it's from Alsace) and has rich, opulent flavours of tropical fruits (think lychee and mango) that makes it a great pairing for spicy Asian food, particularly Thai or Vietnamese. It may not sound that Christmassy, but that just depends on what you want to eat on Christmas day.

Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio, but it's picked much later on in the harvest, meaning that it has much deeper, richer aromas and may be quite a bit sweeter. Whereas Pinot Grigio is an easy-drinking aperitif, Pinot Gris can accompany an array of foods. Again, like Gewurztraminer, the nutty depth of Pinot Gris can stand up to spicy food: I recently had a New Zealand Pinot Gris alongside an aubergine and cauliflower rogan josh curry (at Green's in West Didsbury) and its nutty spiciness added further complexity to the meal. This Christmas curry would similarly benefit from being paired with Pinot Gris.

Italian Reds

Due to their high acidity and high tannins, Italian reds are at their best as food wines. The reason that Italian reds are so high in acidity is to match the sauces in pasta, so it doesn't matter whether there's meat in the pasta dish or not: it's all about the rich sauce accompanying it. Jamie Oliver recommends a couple of spinach-based pasta dishes that a Chianti or Valpolicella would be great with.

Pinot Noir

A grape that tradition pairs with game, but the earthy characteristics of Pinot Noir mean that it will go perfectly with any mushroom-based dish. This vegetarian Christmas roast almost demands a bit of Burgundy.

Sweet Wine

At the end of the meal, veggies and carnivores can get together in sweet harmony and share a sherry and Christmas pudding or port and cheese. For sherries, seek out in particular the intensely sweet Pedro Ximénez style. The French may not make their wines to suit vegetarian palates, but there's one combination that works well: Sauternes and blue cheese. Now there's a way to end Christmas day...