480725 Fri Jan 18 12:06:36 -0800 2008 57 34 Wine 0 3309118 There’s an interesting short interview with Ceri Smith, the proprietor of a [mainly] Italian wine store in San Francisco in the Chronicle today: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/18/WIV7U88U6.DTL Whiner first made mention of Ceri Smith (“a beautiful young woman who has clearly forgotten more about Italian wine than I will ever learn”) in his post recommending an SF store to purchase Amarone. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/476977 In the article she discusses a few varietals unknown to me: --Timorasso, a white wine from Piedmont: “I love it. Vigneti Massa's is like honey almond, and then it opens up with this rich, creamy green tea in the nose. It's a white wine that opens like a red wine.” --Nosiola, from Trentino-Alto Adige: “Where Pinot Grigio stops, it just keeps going.” -- She also “loves” Pigato, from Liguria. Any other interesting and relatively unknown varietals with wonderful flavors? Italian or otherwise? Or comments on these? I’m currently exploring Cesanese, after Pallavicini’s exotic nose and wonderful flavors for $16 won me over. Looking for other Cesanese recs as well as mentions of other varietals worth exploring. Carswell mentioned Erbaluce from Piedmont the other day: “Erbaluce's aromas/flavours tend to white fruit and citrus with an undercurrent of volatile herbs (sage?) and minerals.” http://www.chowhound.com/topics/472726 Others? Fri Jan 18 12:06:36 -0800 2008 18222 maria lorraine 1 3309169 I have to thank you for posting this article. I once tried a Pigato from Liguria about 12-13 years ago. It was offered through a private importer once. I can't remember the producer. All I remember was that it was a very unique, delicious wine. I have looked for more Pigato since that time, but have never seen another bottle. Looks like I may have found a source! I am looking forward to trying this type of wine again. Fri Jan 18 12:17:50 -0800 2008 3309118 89969 moh 2 3427210 My favorite Pigato is from Riccardo Bruna, his Russeghine vineyard. A wonderful glass of wine that usually sells for about $20/bottle retail in NYC. Goes well with artichokes, peas, asparagus and other early summer vegetables that can be problematic. A natural fit with most fin fish, oysters - depending on the prep. It is actually a wine I look forward to each summer. Sat Feb 23 09:48:29 -0800 2008 3309169 16959 Caillerets 3 3429904 Thanks for the tip! I hope to head back to NYC this summer, and will certainly look for this wine! Sun Feb 24 11:39:10 -0800 2008 3427210 89969 moh 3 3638512 Osteria Mozza in LA has a Pigato from Laura Aschero on the list. I agree Ligurian white wines are the perfect match for fresh fish. Mon Apr 28 19:38:32 -0700 2008 3427210 80842 LAwinelover 1 3309189 Oh - there are just so many. There are thousands of varieties currently being used commercially for wines in different countries. And Italy has some wonderful ones that are not widely seen. Some years ago I was raving about Arneis on a number of boards -- last time I was in California I found a couple of wineries making it -- but too sweet. There's an increasing public willingness to try new varieties. Suggest you buy a bottle of each and every variety you come across for the first time. But always reserve judgement on ones you don't like -- maybe its just that one winery and its treatment of the variety..... Fri Jan 18 12:21:19 -0800 2008 3309118 114099 Gussie Finknottle 2 3361906 Did the Arneis from California actually have RS? Or was it "fruit sweetness" in a dry wine? I'm a big fan of the Arneis from the Roero district in Piedmont. I think it's just about the best wine I've ever had with fresh tomatoes. I very much like this comment: "But always reserve judgement on ones you don't like -- maybe its just that one winery and its treatment of the variety." C'est vrai. One winery's version does not a varietal make. Sun Feb 03 15:46:07 -0800 2008 3309189 18222 maria lorraine 1 3310095 Some more obscure varietals I've tasted and enjoyed: Moschofilero from Greece. It's an aromatic white similar to an Italian Moscato or a Spanish Albariño. Light and lively on the palate, it's got citrusy apricot and apple notes. Zwiegelt from Austria. A medium-bodied red with good cherry fruit, some floral notes and peachy mineral core. Teroldego from Trentino, Italy. (Trentino actually has a LOT of obscure and delicious wines) Full-bodied red with plums raspberry and licorice. Fri Jan 18 16:09:38 -0800 2008 3309118 16011 oolah 2 3361911 Zwiegelt seems to come up more and more lately. I'll have to try some. Any specific recs, oolah? And the Moschofilero sounds lovely. Recs on that? Teroldego, I've also heard of but have never tried. Thanks for the leads. Sun Feb 03 15:48:38 -0800 2008 3310095 18222 maria lorraine 3 3362490 Oops -- I misspelled the varietal. It's Zweigelt. Sorry. My favorite of these to date has been the Sattler, although Hillinger makes a pretty good one too. The NYTimes did a tasting of a few different ones last year: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/dining/reviews/13wine.html Austrian wines in general are very underrated. I first came across the Moschofilero at Insieme in NYC. The sommelier, Paul Grieco recommended it for our group after I mentioned we were looking for interesting wines. The one I had there was from Domaine Spiropoulos in Mantinia, Greece and that's been the best I've found to date. For Teroldego, I like Foradori. It's sort of New World in style, which I don't generally go for, but this is really well-made and just delicious. Another nice thing about obscure varietals is that you get a lot of value for your money -- I've always found all of these varietals to be very well-priced. As it gets harder to pronounce or spell, the QPR shoots way up. Sun Feb 03 21:42:45 -0800 2008 3361911 16011 oolah 3 3425466 I have tried several different bottle of Zweigelt and the one I was most impressed with was the 2005 Kamptal Steininger Novemberlese from Austria. It was just an amazing flavor. Fri Feb 22 15:10:37 -0800 2008 3361911 14083 cooknKate 3 3620126 I just had a chance to try the Heinrich Zweigelt 2006 with lunch. It was a beautiful dark purple colour with a bouquet of cherries and raspberry. It tasted of red berries and had a light taste of mushrooms and earth, tannins were also light. It had a nice acidity and freshness, and it reminded me a lot of a young Pinot Noir. It went very well with an omelette made with herbs, lardons and wild mushrooms. What a lovely food wine! I also recently tried the Umanthum Zweigelt Reserve 2000. It was a very elegant, well-balanced wine with a bit more depth of flavour than the Heinrich, but with a matching increased price. I will be searching out more of this varietal! Thanks folks for the recommendation! Tue Apr 22 15:24:14 -0700 2008 3361911 89969 moh 1 3324892 A quick heads up for the Plavac red wines from Croatia too (eg. Dingac and Zlatan Plavac) - often superb wines from the Peljesac vineyards. Mavrud is found in Bulgaria and when well made produces a very sturdy and assertive red of great depth and worthy of bottle-ageing. But much of it exported is sadly just plain rough! In Romania, Tămâioasă Românească grapes can produce a superb sweet golden white wine - I have never seen a decent example of it outside Romania though. Wed Jan 23 12:24:01 -0800 2008 3309118 159691 pomegranates 2 3361913 IIRC, there was a recent post on a Plavac wine that the OP rhapsodized about. Sun Feb 03 15:49:31 -0800 2008 3324892 18222 maria lorraine 1 3325366 There are several lesser-known varieties from Portugal - although these same grapes have been used in making Port (which is a blend) for centuries. Try, for example, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesca. Even better if they are from the Douro region (where Port originates). Wed Jan 23 14:03:43 -0800 2008 3309118 11134 estufarian 2 3361923 I recently tasted through a Portugal Wine event, and found, almost without exception, that the Portuguese reds (especially Touriga Nacional) overoaked to the point of oenocide. I wish I could taste the grapes without the overbearing oak, but alas couldn't tease the two apart. Have you experienced the same thing? Sun Feb 03 15:54:54 -0800 2008 3325366 18222 maria lorraine 3 3363109 Yes, some are overoaked - but in my experience that was mainly the Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) which is also aged in American oak in Rioja. Not sure what you got to try, but jamie Goode has been a reliable source (for me). His articles can be found at http://www.wineanorak.com/douro2004_1.htm Although some American oak is being used, it's mainly European oak - except for a few relatively wealthy places - and those seem to be using the Australian-style as a template. So avoid the Aussie winemakers! (If you can). Mon Feb 04 08:07:38 -0800 2008 3361923 11134 estufarian 1 3325378 Slovakian Varietals have been quite interesting, especially when paired with their foods. The ones I've had were definitely food wines. St Laurent is a delicious red (also found in Austria) and Frankovka can be a rather interesting and acquired taste. It has a spice laden bouquet and the finish has strong notes of cinnamon. Wed Jan 23 14:06:14 -0800 2008 3309118 124704 Icantread 1 3325642 I was at an Italian tasting in New Haven the other day and I had a wine made from the Ruche' grape, a red I have NEVER heard of. It is grown in the Asti hills in the Piedmont region. The same producer (Cascina Tavijn)also had a Grignolino which is something you don't see every day Wed Jan 23 15:15:24 -0800 2008 3309118 119594 jp62 2 3325690 I have a bottle of that grignolino, but i haven't tried this particular producer yet (although it came recommended from my wine shop and I usually adore Dressner's import selections). Grignolino is my absolute favorite wine to pair with tomato-based dishes on a hot summer day. It's light, fruity and simple. It's actually pretty common in Piedmont, but most of it doesn't make it all the way over to the states, unfortunately. Wed Jan 23 15:27:41 -0800 2008 3325642 16011 oolah 3 3326100 Jacquere from Savoie, in France (just north of the rhone area, I think?) was pretty rewarding. rich aromatics with notes of pear, floral tones and spice. not grown much elsewhere, one of those grapes typically available only in the region it is grown. Roter veltliner- i've only seen one - from Leth, vintage 1990. Similar to gruner, but much more intense and best aged. there's a delicious freshness to it's acidity, but the age gives it an incredible complexity and nuance of flavor. grown very little in austria b/c it is very particular to soil and climate. very intriguing- try it if you ever see it. Charbono is alot of fun- dna testing shows it to be related to another obscure variety- corbeau out of france. rarely done as a single variety- but has rich berry fruit and intense acidity and tannic structure, yet extremely versatile pairing. Duxoup does a nice one. Wed Jan 23 17:22:08 -0800 2008 3325690 70760 pierrot 4 3361930 I've had both the Foley and Summers charbono, and agree it is an interesting varietal. The Roter and Jacquere both sound interesting. Have you ever seen the Jacquere in the US? All these unusual varietals are giving me an idea: I should throw an "obscure varietal" party! Could be quite fun. Thanks, Pierrot. Sun Feb 03 16:02:09 -0800 2008 3326100 18222 maria lorraine 1 3326210 Another vote for Zweigelt and St.Laurent (and, as long as you're doing the Austrian red thing, if you haven't tried a Blaufrankisch you should!) I'm also very into dry Furmint and Scheurebe whites right now. Wed Jan 23 17:53:49 -0800 2008 3309118 20598 OliveBelle 2 3327692 Second the vote for grignolino (Prunotto has a decently priced bottle at Astor in NY) and also from Italy: piedirosso (Campania) and monica (Sardegna) for fresh, mid-weight reds. In Savoie, the roussette makes crisp, flowery whites (Apremont, most available); in Languedoc, Jurancon sec and Picpoul de Pinet are interesting, taut, lemon/mineral whites. In Galicia,Spain, goedello makes a nice alternative to albarino. Thu Jan 24 08:55:51 -0800 2008 3326210 22851 obob96 3 3361935 Have had a few grignolinos, but never Piedirosso or monica. The roussette sounds lovely, and from a few recent posts (by carswell and others), it's really time to assemble a group of Jura wines to taste. Do you have a Picpoul that you're especially fond of? Also, I'd forgotten about goedello. Sun Feb 03 16:06:28 -0800 2008 3327692 18222 maria lorraine 2 3425475 Blaufrankisch, otherwise known as Lemberger. The Steele 'Shooting Star' is a wonderful, and obscure bottle. Fri Feb 22 15:12:34 -0800 2008 3326210 14083 cooknKate 1 3328221 * 2006 Azienda Agricola Valle Martello Cococciola Colline Teatine IGT - Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Teatine IGT (12/4/2007) Surprise of the two wines I brought tonight. Initially on a pop and pour it was a good wine, but by the end of the meal when I came back to it it had really opened up. Borderline searing acidity. Bone dry. Kind of an herbal nose. Glenn got more honeydew melon on the palate. I got more of a white fruit and citrusy flavor. The finish was kind of short, stopping it from being a great wine. Not badly out of balance, though. Definitely would buy it again. The acidity made it a better match for the scallopine with mushrooms than the Balgera. Imported by Vitis Imports. FOLLOW UP: Came back after two days. The acidity was less prominent, though still strong. But there seemed to be more fruit, making it a more balanced wine. The fruit seemed maybe to be more applish and a little bit of lime. Still a good wine. The cork is synthethic, suggesting this wine should be drunk young, but maybe it needs another six to nine months in the bottle to really develop. (89 pts.) Thu Jan 24 10:43:37 -0800 2008 3309118 11117 SteveTimko 1 3357499 Here are a few that you may not have tried or even heard of: Aglianico(Campania), Schioppettino(Friuli), Tazzelengag (Friuli), Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Grillo...... There are quite a few others that I enjoy. I think that Italy is the greatest undiscovered wine area that Americans don't know. We love Italian food but, Italian wine is another story. People want to drink Oregon Pinot Noir with there favorite Italian food. It is crazy. Fri Feb 01 18:56:21 -0800 2008 3309118 149582 horvath42 2 3357685 That's a good list, horvarth 42. Yes, have had many Schioppettinos and Aglianicos (like the latter particularly) and Fianos and Grecos. But this Tazzelengag, now that's a wacky name! What does it taste like? Is there another varietal it resembles, at least to your palate? I'll have to explore that one, and oddly, have never come across it in my visits to Friuli. Thanks for the contribution. Fri Feb 01 20:19:56 -0800 2008 3357499 18222 maria lorraine 3 3359373 The best I have had is From a producer from Moschioni. He treats the wine like it is Amarone and dries the grapes before pressing. To me it tastes like a cross between an Amarone and a Cabernet. it is used primarily as a blending grape and is one of three grapes in Moschionis Real. You will not taste another wine like this. Moschioni is a genius. If you have access to RobertParker.com, you can read his review on the wine. Sat Feb 02 15:32:42 -0800 2008 3357685 149582 horvath42 3 3388377 there are a few producers of Tazzelenghe (translates to tongue-cutter - mostly for it's acidity in a red wine). Beltrame is a smaller producer that is more affordable than the Moschioni and a little less manipulated, also Marco Fantinel from La Roncia produces a straight Tazzelenghe, and a few blends with T-zlnghe and Refosco. That's where most people will find the grape used. It is a great blending grape, but generally difficult to produce on it's own, though, for $24 the Beltrame is a good bet. Mon Feb 11 22:09:03 -0800 2008 3357685 165298 marcella_p 4 3388519 Grazie for the producer names, marcella p... Tue Feb 12 00:33:53 -0800 2008 3388377 18222 maria lorraine 1 3366768 Pomegranates, above, mentioned Mavrud, from Bulgaria. Rarely seen here, in Toronto, but when available, I always pick up multiple bottles. It can be really an excellent value. Gamza in Bulgaria, or Kadarka in Hungary, produces a medium bodied, somewhat spicy red. Xinomavro, in Greece, when treated with respect, is a red of very good depth and complexity. Leanyka and Irsai Oliver, both Hungarian, produce similarly aromatic, floral wines reminiscent of Gewurztraminer or Muscat. Tue Feb 05 09:36:41 -0800 2008 3309118 91415 hungry_pangolin 2 3621348 Czersegi Fuszeres (a cross between, IIRC, Irsay Oliver and Gewurz) likewise produces a nice, aromatic white that smells like Gewurz and tastes like a bone-dry Sauv Blanc. I think the combination is pretty neat. However, it seems to suffer more than most whites from age -- 1 year is optimal in my experience, after that it goes downhill fast, especially the nose. Trader Joe's sells the "Woodsman's White" for $2; I'd suggest looking for 2006 or 2007 (when they come in) bottles for maximum enjoyment. And don't expect anything subtle :-) Wed Apr 23 01:01:22 -0700 2008 3366768 72925 ttriche 1 3425513 I am currently working my way through The Wine Century Club's list of 100 varietals to try. It's found at http://www.winecentury.com/ and along with the standards that everyone has heard about, it lists many, many obscure varietals. The goal is to simply taste and expand your wine drinking knowledge and it's all on the honor system- but when you complete your list and send it in, you are sent a commemorative plaque. So far, I have checked off 73/100. Some odd varietals with a check mark by them: Arneis Blaufrankisch/Lemberger Bonarda Bourboulenc Cinsault Clairette Cortese Corvina Falanghina (one of my fav summer wines) Graciano Marechal Foch Molinara Pedro Ximenez Pignolo Rondinella Schuerebe (if you love Torrontes, or Viognier you will love this one) Touriga Franca Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz Teroldgego Zweigelt It keeps me searching out unusual wine varietals, and I have not been disappointed or turned off by any of these. It's amazing to see what is out there; most people stick with a handful of varietals and rarely expand that knowledge. There's so much to explore! Fri Feb 22 15:24:04 -0800 2008 3309118 14083 cooknKate 2 3425803 What a great idea! Thanks for the link to the Wine Century Club. As a passionate list-maker (not to mention unusual-wine drinker), this is right up my street. I'm going to start checking off varietals tonight. What fun! Anne P.S. The list is on the application form, for those who (like me) got lost on their web site. Fri Feb 22 17:00:34 -0800 2008 3425513 12541 AnneInMpls 3 3434272 Anne, let me know if you find something unusual and good and where you find it. I am north of the Twins, and always on the hunt for an unusual bottle or two. Feel free to email, or stop by my blog. Mon Feb 25 17:14:37 -0800 2008 3425803 14083 cooknKate 4 3434383 Sure thing! So far, my favorite "unusual" varietals are Parellada and Xarel.lo, which are in Juve y Camps Cava (a great Spanish sparkling wine - I especially love the reserva). I bought a bottle at Zipp's just the other night, and am drinking the leftovers as I type this! I'm also a big fan of Zweigelt - I've seen Sattler Zweigelt (a red wine) at Surdyk's and other places, and recently found a rosé version at Sorella (sorry, forgot the winery, but they only had one). Has anyone else every tried a rosé Zweigelt? Anne Mon Feb 25 17:51:25 -0800 2008 3434272 12541 AnneInMpls 2 3434314 I'm a big fan of Zweigelt (had some fantastic Austrian), as well as Lemberger. They're not as obscure in Europe, of course. Also enjoy some crisp Moschofilero on a warm summer night... Mon Feb 25 17:29:55 -0800 2008 3425513 116513 linguafood 3 3435680 Second the vote for Moschofilero, and add another for Librandi's L'Efeso, a delicious white from Calabria made from the montonico (or mantonico) grape native to the Ionian coast around Ciro. Usually vinified as a (wonderful) passito, here mantonico is dry, but barrique-aged to yield a warm, rich, fragrant, but still refreshing mid-weight wine for grilled fish or walnuts or aged pecorino. Tue Feb 26 07:05:45 -0800 2008 3434314 22851 obob96 4 3436115 Wow. I cannot wait to get back to Europe and revel in the general availability of varietals there... and try everything that's been mentioned here that I hadn't heard of. Tue Feb 26 09:05:43 -0800 2008 3435680 116513 linguafood 5 3437590 Me too! Tue Feb 26 14:38:31 -0800 2008 3436115 18222 maria lorraine 6 3438133 thanks for the post, i stopped by ceri smith's store and bought the timorasso she recommends (derthona). she also recommends torbato, a variety that has golfball sized grapes that are virtually dry, so they make a really richly flavored wine when fermented. Tue Feb 26 17:17:12 -0800 2008 3437590 10403 StephP 2 3621349 The WCC is awesome. Without it I would not have tried Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Taurasi, Inferno Superiore, or Falanghina (as part of an IGT), all now among my favorites. I am currently at about 120 different varieties tasted and look forward to many more -- I have barely touched the Greek and Slavic varietals, for example. In Italy alone there are at least 3000 historical cultivars known, though given the Italian penchant for rigor and objectivity, who knows what is really going on there. Creativity first, order a distant second :-) I have a Pineau d'Aunis sitting in my cellar which I keep meaning to try, but the notion of drinking a "big bloody rare pepper steak" bothers me for some reason (quoting from another person's tasting notes). Then again, when I uncorked the Inferno Superiore that contained Pignolo, I found myself drinking one of the greatest things I have ever tasted. So I guess it pays not to be shy -- worst case, we can open another bottle :-) A genius idea, and one for which the DeLongs deserve great applause. Wed Apr 23 01:06:50 -0700 2008 3425513 72925 ttriche 2 4006190 Marechal Foch is a hybrid that is widely planted around Montreal due to it's resistance to cold and minimal flavor contributions from the riparia genes. Personally, I like it, as far as hybrids go. Cinsault is not really that odd is it? It's very commonly blended with granche, which is the worlds most widely planted red wine grape. I have to wonder how many of the grapes discussed in this thread are really the same things with different names. I suppose that some gene jockeys must have done the leg work and figured some of it out by now. Wed Sep 03 12:27:12 -0700 2008 3425513 208595 The Chemist 1 3474357 The most interesting ones I have tried of late are the Macabeo out of Spain and the Negroamaro from Southern Italy. The latter is on offer at Trader Joe's in the 2003 Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva ($4) Cheers! Jason www.jasonswineblog.com Sat Mar 08 23:12:26 -0800 2008 3309118 168850 jjrzut 1 3498958 Another obscure grape varietal is used by the producer of the Nosiola she speaks about in the SF Chronicle article. The wine is called Prabi and is primarily Manzoni Bianco. I've been told that grape is a genetic cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling. It seemed to have the best of both of its parent grapes. The Timorasso producer makes another interesting wine I've had made from a grape called Croatina. I remember it being a big and earthy/minerally red with great depth of fruit. Sun Mar 16 17:00:09 -0700 2008 3309118 12275 wineguy7 2 3499695 We grow a lot of Lemberger (aka Blaufrankisch in Austria) in the state of Washington. In fact, I opened a bottle for lunch guests today. Another grape we are seeing is Cinsault (aka Black Prince) and I managed a small vineyard of Cinsault one summer. We are also seeing Counoise. Sun Mar 16 22:32:46 -0700 2008 3498958 91889 Walla2WineWoman 2 3510292 Manzoni Bianco real name is " Incrocio Manzoni 6.0.13" and indeed is cross of Riesling and Pinit bianco. It is one of my favourite whites but not widely available outside the Veneto area. another up and coming varietal is Ansonica ( in Tuscany) or Insolia (in Sicily). Very interesting is the Clairette in Southern France: it has an unusual aroma of fennel Thu Mar 20 06:39:33 -0700 2008 3498958 172057 pietro 1 3508361 ceri smith at biondivino has a list of different varietals that her store is doing a special on: petit arvine, blanc de margeaux, moscato gialla, muller thurgau, favorita, erbaluce, bianchetta genovese, ribolla gialla, pecorino, mantonico, inzolia, irsai oliver, pinela, rousette, zlathina, debit... blaufrankish, zweigelt, st laurent, poulsard, cornalin, premetta, schiava, tocai rosso, tazzalenghe, schioppettino, pignolo, grignolino, cesanese, palagrello nero, casavecchia, sussumaniello, frappato, ciliegiolo... Wed Mar 19 13:36:50 -0700 2008 3309118 10403 StephP 1 3638491 There are actually 3 different zones (townships, areas, DOCs) where Cesanese can come from: Cesanese di Olevano Romano (name of town), Cesanese del Piglio (name of town) and Cesanese di Affile (name of town). To further complicate this, Cesanese is either made from one or a combination of the two classic Cesanese grapes: 'Cesanese Commune' (large grapes) and 'Cesanese D'Affile' (tiny berries). The latest research suggests that these two grapes are actually not related; in other words they are two different clones. You might also check out JK Imports in Pasadena. From what I know they bring in a number of different Cesaneses. Mon Apr 28 19:29:33 -0700 2008 3309118 80842 LAwinelover 2 3638559 Some interesting German varietals that are not too common in North America: Madame Sylvaner Pinot Auxerrois (granted, not all that rare, but not all that common here either) Ehrenfelser (spelling?) All of the above can result in delicious white wines. These wines are especially common here in BC due to the large number of Germans who pioneered the Okanagan wine industry. Foch, a hybrid red grape, can also make some good wine (Quail's Gate makes an "old vines foch" that has massive, complex flavours; fairly high in alcohol, sometimes up around 15%). Zweigelt is also fairly common in BC (again, the German/Austrian influence). I must agree with some of the comparisons others have made between Zweigelt and Pinot Noir. Both are typically light-to-medium bodied with generous acidity and floral and earthy flavours (as opposed to the blockbuster deep black fruit flavours of California cab. sauv.) Mon Apr 28 19:58:20 -0700 2008 3638491 99971 anewton 2 3997166 LAwinelover, Thanks for the info on Cesanese! I didn't have any idea about the two different grapes -- I was aware of some of the commune differences but certainly not distinctly. Fri Aug 29 13:09:38 -0700 2008 3638491 18222 maria lorraine 1 4100110 Just drank a bottle of Romorantin from the Loire Valley (2006 Thierry Puzelat Romorantin). Apparently, the grape is indigenous to the Loire, but just not grown very much anymore -- replaced primarily by Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. It was a really juicy and extremely fruity wine, with great acidity to balance it out. Dominant notes were peach and pear. I've never had this before, but will seek it out again. Sun Oct 12 19:46:58 -0700 2008 3309118 16011 oolah 1 4100129 Just had a very nice wine at a Greek place around the corner from our house - a Domaine Sigalas Santorini made from Assyrtiko, apparently an ancient Greek grape. Really nice, creamy lush texture without being heavy or flabby, flavors of peach, apricot, very ripe-tasting but with a lightness and minerality to the finish. Really good w/ grilled octopus and a roasted branzino. More info here -> http://www.allaboutgreekwine.com/wineries/sigalas/index.html Sun Oct 12 20:02:48 -0700 2008 3309118 35525 Frodnesor 2 4100200 We drank the Sigalas Asyrtiko a lot during our honeymoon in Santorini a couple of years ago. Good stuff. We opened a bottle of moschofilero boutari tonight. Sun Oct 12 21:04:44 -0700 2008 4100129 229082 The Chowfather 3 4100293 Ariston (f/k/a Ouzos) on Normandy Circle. Pretty good selection of Greek wines and the food is good too (I think there must be some remaining connection with Ouzos as some of the staff is the same as is much of the menu). Sun Oct 12 22:16:58 -0700 2008 4100200 35525 Frodnesor 4 4100492 I think he actually owned Elia prior to Ariston Mon Oct 13 05:03:18 -0700 2008 4100293 229082 The Chowfather