After a hectic December and the rush and excitement of Christmas, January is traditionally the time when we look at wines that will feature in our racks for the coming year.
I have always tried to look at different wines for the shop, wines that you won’t find everywhere and from countries you may not have discovered. I remember when I first started in the wine trade back in 1988 there was not a lot of Australian wine on the shelves or South American or indeed, South African. Certainly not the amounts we see today. The choice was simply the usual suspects, France, Spain, Italy etc. Nowadays the choice can be daunting, difficult to understand the different styles and what you are going to enjoy. But that is why its worth discovering new regions, new countries and try different wines. So, what are we going to choose for our shelves at VIN this coming year?
Some of you remember the fantastic wines I had from Uruguay over the last year or so. I’m going to continue with those and add to the selection. It’s an interesting country producing wines with great power particularly from the Tannat grape. These reds are full bodied with great ageing potential and the country continues to experiment with other grapes and other regions around the country.
Another country I dabbled with last summer was Greece. I tasted a few around Spring and was impressed with the quality these wines had to offer. These wines are not new to the world, they were just never really exported, which can be said for many other countries. I shall be listing more this year both red, white, rose and sparkling. They make wine in every region and on every Island so there is no shortage of choice.
A completely new country I have never listed before although have tried their wines in a previous life is Japan. Their main grape is Koshu, a white full of crisp, citrus fruit, bone dry with lots of finesse. Viticulture is nothing new to Japan, but it was mainly used for table wine for local consumption. This wine has been making waves for a few years now but expect it to be on everyone’s lips very soon. The wine we will be looking at is grown on volcanic and granite rich soil close to Mount Fuji and has been growing this grape for over 1000 years.
Other new countries I want to look at are Georgia and Croatia. Croatian wines have been leaving their mark for a few years now and the quality continues to get better and better every time I taste them. Georgia is rich in wine making history and continue to make it in traditional ways dating back 1000’s of years. Both countries grow indigenous grapes that you don’t find anywhere else so its worth exploring.
I think that’s enough to whet your appetites so keep a look out for these over the next few months. I shall be writing in more depth about them before they arrive, and they will be available to taste during our free Saturday afternoon tastings from 2pm till 4pm. You can also book a cheese and wine tasting.
