Climate change in a glass: How a warming world is altering wine

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 18th May.

According to the viticulturist Dr Richard Smart, the world’s wine industry “is the canary in the coal mine, because it’s the early-warning system”. A map of the world’s wine regions shows that almost all vineyards lie in two narrow ribbons, between 30 and 50 degrees north and south of the equator. This is changing gradually, partly because of increasingly sophisticated methods of viticulture but also because, all around the world, grapes are ripening earlier.

Even a degree or two’s change in annual temperatures can make a huge difference to the quality and style of a wine – which is why every vintage is unique. There will be winners and losers: cool regions such as the Loire and southwest France, Hawke’s Bay, in New Zealand, and Tasmania, in Australia, once had difficulty ripening red grapes. Nowadays they don’t. Very high quality sparkling wine is now being produced in the UK.

At the other extreme, warmer areas such the southern Rhône in France, central Spain, parts of California and the Barossa Valley in Australia may become too hot to sustain viticulture. Irrigation, once commonplace in hot regions, may become expensive or illegal. Increased ripeness means higher sugar levels, leading to more alcohol. In classic regions, such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley, alcohol levels have increased over the past 20 years from 12.5 per cent to 14.5 per cent and more – a lot of Napa Valley wines now comes in at over 15 per cent. Yet many consumers are looking for lighter wines with lower alcohol.

A producer can chose to pick early to keep sugar levels low, although the danger is that the phenolic compounds, tannins and anthocyanins essential to high-quality wine may not have ripened yet.

Forward-looking producers such as Miguel Torres in Catalonia long ago began planting vines at much higher altitudes and investigating possible alternative grape varieties. (Torres is also investigating carbon capture and storage.) Others without that option are looking at planting vines on their cooler, north-facing slopes or adjusting their leaf canopies to protect grapes from sunburn.

The other option is to plant varieties that can thrive in warmer, drier climates. Here the Mediterranean countries have plenty of ancient indigenous varieties to offer. White grapes, such as Vermentino and Fiano from Italy and Arinto from Portugal, retain their acidity even in hot climates. For red wines, expect to see more Touriga Nacional, Castelâo and Trincadera from Portugal, as well as Nero d’Avola, Aglianico and Grenache instead of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

But most European wine regions are restricted to growing a limited number of grape varieties, and marketing Sauvignon Blanc or Malbec is a lot easier than marketing Aglianico.

Of course, this doesn’t address the other effects of climate change: extremes in weather, such as storms, floods or drought, as well as frost and hail are all predicted to increase.

Castellini Vermentino 2017, IGT Toscana
12.5%, €10 (down from €16.99) from Thursday, May 23rd

Floral, herbal nose with plump pear and ripe peach fruits, with good refreshing acidity. On its own, or with Italian fish dishes – spaghetti with clams, mussels or prawns.
From SuperValu, supervalu.ie

Prova Regia Arinto 2017, Bucelas, Portugal
12.5%, €13.95

Move over Sauvignon. Stimulating, appetisingly fresh and crisp with bright luscious fruits and a racy mouth-watering acidity, finishing dry. As an aperitif, or with grilled white fish.
From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie; Fresh, freshthegoodfoodmarket.ie; La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow,latouchewines4u.ie; Matson’s, Grange and Bandon, Co Cork; MacGuinness Wines, Dundalk, Co Louth, dundalkwines.com; the Corkscrew, Dublin 2, thecorkscrew.ie; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4, donnybrookfair.ie; Deveney’s, Dublin 16; D-Six Wines, Dublin 6; peggykellys.ie; Red Island Wine, Skerries, Co Dublin; Redmonds, Dublin 6, redmonds.ie; Morton’s, Dublin 6,mortons.ie; Listons, Dublin 2, listonsfoodstore.ie; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin,jusdevine.ie; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4, baggotstreetwines.com; McCabes, Dublin 18; the Coach House, Dublin 16, thecoachhouseofflicence.ie; Lilac Wines, Dublin 3, lilacwines.ie; Sweeneys Wines, Dublin 11, sweeneyswines.ie.

Fossil 2015, Vale de Capucha, Lisbon (organic)
13%, €20

Made with 60 per cent Touriga Nacional, this wonderful, moreish wine with violet aromas, lively concentrated dark fruits – blackcurrants, blackberries and wild fruits, with a strong, refreshing mineral streak, is unputdownable. Try it with pork dishes – grilled chops or a herby roast.
From Urbanity, Dublin 7, urbanity.ie; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Lilac Wines, Dublin 3, lilacwines.ie; Grape & Grain, Stillorgan, Co Dublin,leopardstowninn.ie; Baker’s Corner, Kill of the Grange, Co Dublin; 1601 Off-licence, Kinsale, Co Cork; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4, baggotstreetwines.com; Drinkstore, Dublin 7,drinkstore.ie; Martin’s Off-Licence, Dublin 3, martinsofflicence.ie.

Mont Horrocks Nero d’Avola 2017, Clare Valley, Australia (organic)
13.7%, €39.99

Australian Nero d’Avola: a sign of the future? This one is excellent: medium to full bodied, with perky bright red cherry fruits, touches of spice and smooth, gentle tannins on the finish. Drink cool with herby grilled chicken.
From wineonline.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin, blackrockcellar.com.

Light, fruity flavours are the best wines for the summer season

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 4th May, 2019

The great outdoors is not the place to bring your finest wines unless you are having a very posh alfresco lunch or dinner. Otherwise, if the sun is out, you should be cracking open something light and fruity – white, rosé or red, and preferably cool or chilled.

For white wine the rule is simple: go for something lowish in alcohol, unoaked and fresh; New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Spanish Albariño and French Muscadet are all ideal. For red wines, try Beaujolais, Loire Cabernet, Austrian Blaufränkisch, New Zealand Pinot Noir or one of the Chilean reds from Itata I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Beaujolais for me is the perfect all-purpose summer wine, with or without food. I tried it with my brined and barbecued shoulder of pork; it worked surprisingly well, the fresh acidity of the Beaujolais cutting through the fatty pork. You could try it with grilled pork chops, garlicky posh sausages, lamb, and vegetable brochettes, as well as cold meats and pates. Alongside, you could serve two other great French picnic wines, Muscadet and Provence rosé.

Like Beaujolais, Muscadet is one of the great summer wines, lively and refreshing, light enough to drink on its own but a great match for salads, white meats and fish. You can find inexpensive versions in most supermarkets. Aldi and SuperValu in particular offer good value. But as is invariably the case, if you spend a few euro more, the wine will so much better. These days Muscadet produces some very high-quality, nuanced, complex wines, and I adore them.

For many people, a chilled glass of rosé is the very essence of summer. Dry or off-dry, it is another great all-purpose wine, to be dunk solo, with salads and cold foods, and spicy barbecued white meats such as chicken. Just try to avoid the very sweet versions.

I have barbecued half a dozen times so far this year, each time a roast of some sort, although burgers grilled over charcoal with mesquite proved very popular too. Winewise, the St Hallett below worked really well with a whole roast chicken stuffed with garlic and herbs. This would also partner Jess Murphy’s lamb chops recipe in today’s Magazine very nicely, as would a Côtes du Rhône or Languedoc, or a Malbec from Argentina.

Château du Coing de St Fiacre 2016, Muscadet de Sèvre & Maine sur Lie
12%, €16.55
Lively pure ripe apple and pear fruits, subtle lemon zest and a fine mineral acidity. Drink it by itself, with shellfish, or summery salads.
From Bradleys Off-licence, Cork, bradleysofflicence.ie; Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2, fallonandbyrne.com; the Corkscrew, Dublin 2, thecorkscrew.ie; Le Caveau, Kilkenny, lecaveau.ie; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Listons, Dublin 2, listonsfoodstore.ie; MacGuinness Wines, Dundalk, Co Louth, dundalkwines.com; Worldwide Wines, Waterford, worldwidewines.ie

Fleurs de Prairie Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018
13%, €9.99
It comes in a very bling bottle and has tangy ripe raspberry and strawberry fruits, finishing dry. Serve with summery grilled seafood and chicken dishes or with salads. This would be good with Jess’s sherry and sesame drumsticks.
From Aldi, aldi.ie

St Hallet Gamekeper’s Red 2015, Barossa, Australia
14%, €15.95 (down from €19.95 for May)
Medium-bodied, smooth and ripe, this would go down a treat with those spicy lamb chops and/or the chicken drumsticks. Perfect barbeque red.
From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Beaujolais Villages Le Vin des Roches 2016, Domaine Longère
12.5%, €23
Light, fresh, juicy red cherries and plums, with real length and style. The perfect summer wine to serve lightly chilled with all sorts of picnic foods, salads and barbecued white meats.
From Ely 64, Glasthule, Co Dublin, Ely64.com; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4, baggotstreetwines.com; First Draft Coffee & Wine, Dublin 8, firstdraftcoffeeandwine.com; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie

Chile’s newest wines from some of the oldest vines

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 20th April, 2019

“Everyone was going northwards, to Casablanca, Leyda and Limari, so we went in the opposite direction,” says Pedro Parra, partner in Clos des Fous, one of the first companies to make quality wine in Itata. This region, along with neighbouring Bío-Bío and Malleco, are the most southerly vineyards in Chile, a four-hour drive from the main wine-producing areas.

Until recently, Itata had been seen as a backwater, useful only for producing the cheapest jug wines for home consumption. Yet more than 400 years ago, Itata was one of the first places the Spanish missionaries planted vines, essential for religious purposes. In those days it was the humble país grape. They brought the same variety to Argentina where it is known as criolla chica, and California, where it is known as mission.

Until recently it was always dismissed as being of inferior quality. “It will never produce truly great wine,” says Parra, “But it can make a very fresh and beautiful ‘vin de soif”. Along with two other ‘lesser’ grapes, cinsault and carignan, it is an ingredient in the Pour ma Gueule (or ‘for my throat’) below. Incredibly, some of the vines here are 200 years old, making them among the oldest in the world.

Close to the coast, this is a cool-climate region that receives sufficient rain for dry-farmed vineyards, unusual in Chile. Itata was and is a very poor region, inhabited by small farmers who practise mixed farming, with corn, tomatoes, pumpkins and fruit all growing alongside the vines. The vines are completely untrained, and flop along the soil, radically different from the neat manicured rows usually found in vineyards. Poverty aside, it is a delightful region, with picturesque rolling hills and forests. The best soils are granite, “very beautiful soils”, says Parra, a highly-regarded expert in wine geology.

Clos des Fous is not alone in the region. Roberto Henríquez, a recent visitor to Ireland, is a local boy, who travelled the world making wine before returning home to neighbouring Bío-Bío, where he produces some fascinating natural wines. The larger companies, including de Martino, Torres and Concha y Toro also offer wines from the region.

I have written about in glowing terms both white and red wines from Itata before. The reds are light and refreshing with crunchy, cool red fruits; think of a cross between Loire cabernet and beaujolais. The whites vary in style but the muscat-based wines tend to be floral, with succulent crisp dry fruits; well worth trying out if you enjoy sauvignon blanc. For a while Marks & Spencer stocked a very good example for a bargain €15. Sadly this has been withdrawn. But do look out for some of Chile’s newest wines, made from some of the oldest vines.

Clos des Fous “Pour ma Gueule” 2017, Itata valley
14 per cent, €19.99
A blend of cinsault, país and carignan, this is a very moreish, lightly grippy wine with crunchy fresh red-berry fruits. By itself, with cold meats or ham with parsley sauce.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; wineonline.ie; Grapevine, Dalkey, Co Dublin; Martin’s off-licence, Clontarf, Dublin 3

Montes Outer Limits “Old Roots” cinsault 2018, Itata
13.5 per cent, €23.99
Floral, with vibrant mouth-watering pure black fruits, subtle notes of spice, and a sappy dry finish. A very versatile wine that would suit salmon, tuna, cold meats or lighter cheeses.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4; wineonline.ie; Michael’s, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin

Rivera del Notro 2017, Itata, Roberto Henríquez
12 per cent, €24
A very engaging, gently perfumed “vin de soif” that mixes nicely textured plump orange and pear fruits with a reviving mineral acidity and a long dry finish. By itself or with grilled sea bass or bream.
From Loose Canon, Drury Street, Dublin 2; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Coach House, Ballinteer, Dublin 16

Volcánico País 2018, A los Viñateros Bravos, Itata
12.5 per cent, €22.95
Light and juicy, with captivating dark fruits, an earthy, herbal touch and fine grippy tannins on the finish. With posh sausages served with green lentils.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6; Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2

The perfect wines to go with your Easter roast lamb

First published in The Irish Times on Saturday 13th April, 2019

Easter is my favourite annual festival. The longer, brighter days have arrived, the spring bulbs are in full bloom, and we have the promise of summer and sun ahead – even if they later fail to appear.

Easter is all about hope. It also allows me to indulge in some of my favourite wines. As lamb is one of the most wine-friendly meats of all, this is the time to show off your finest red wines. Tradition would dictate a Bordeaux or Rioja Reserva, but just about any red wine will taste better alongside roast lamb of some kind. However, it is worth trying to match your wine to the kind of lamb you will be serving.

There are few nicer ways to celebrate the arrival of spring than a roast of delicate, pink new season lamb with lots of herbs, served with new potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Easter is late this year, so we may be able to find some asparagus and early salads. Here I would go for a Rioja, but a Crianza or an unoaked Joven in preference to a Reserva or Gran Reserva, or possibly a Cru Beaujolais.

I suspect many of us will be tucking in to a leg of lamb, medium rare, studded with garlic and rosemary. With this, a good Bordeaux, such as the two below, would be ideal, or a Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva. A good Cabernet from California or Australia would also fit the bill nicely.

Lovers of Italian wine should had straight to Chianti Classico – the Isole e Olena, Fontodi or Monteraponi (€30 to €33 from independents), all tasted recently, would make the meal special. I am not a fan of cheap Chianti, though; I would much prefer the Sangiovese below, a much better bet if you’re looking for something less expensive.

You could go for any of the above options, but a lighter, fruitier wine, such a New World Pinot Noir, possibly from New Zealand, or Mencía from northern Spain, would be excellent.

Careful with the mint sauce, though: the combination of sweetness and acidity, especially vinegar, doesn’t do wine any favours. At least make sure you take a mouthful of meat between sauce and wine.

These days we are all familiar with spicier, Mediterranean-style lamb. If you have a vegetarian or vegan to please, serve your lamb with a Lebanese fattoush salad or go Moroccan, with spicy lamb served with roast peppers, aubergines and harissa-spiked hummus. This calls for bigger, spicier reds; think of a Languedoc, a southern Rhône or an Aussie Shiraz.

Château Janoy Bellevue 2017, Bordeaux
13.5%, €10.95 (down from €15.95)
A very enjoyable light, elegant Bordeaux with refined, cool plum fruits and well-integrated light tannins on the finish. Great value for money. Whelehans Wines, in Loughlinstown in Dublin, has the superior 2015 vintage of the same wine for €14.50.
From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Sangiovese 2017, IGT Marche, Cantina dei Colli Ripani (organic, vegan)
12.5%, €14.95 to 15.99
A very happy wine brimming with delicious juicy dark cherry fruits, and a little bit of grip on the finish to make it a perfect food wine. With lighter lamb dishes.
From La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow, latouchewines4u.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6,greenmanwines.ie; the Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny,thelittlegreengrocer.ie; Kellys, Clontarf, Dublin, kellysofflicence.ie; Ardkeen Quality Foodstore, Waterford, Ardkeen.com.

Eggo Tinto de Tiza Malbec 2016, Zorzal
14%, €25
Your Easter egg? Concrete eggs are all the rage in wineries these days; this superb unoaked wine, with its fresh, deep, dark loganberry fruits, would go well with all sorts of roast lamb.
From La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow, latouchewines4u.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin, blackrockcellar.com; Clontarf Wines, Dublin, clontarfwines.ie.

Château Tour Sieujean 2012, Cru Bourgeois, Paulliac
13%, €35
Classic Bordeaux with developing notes of tobacco leaf and black pepper, cool blackcurrant fruits, and a long dry finish. Perfect for that posh Easter celebration.
From Whelehans Wines, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin whelehanswines.ie