UPFRONT
WINE TALK
WORDS | Anne Berry | The Wine Cellar
Compact
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rapes come not only in different colours, but also in different shapes and sizes, and these factors have an influence on the final wine.
Red wines can, therefore, only be made from red grapes as a period of skin contact with the juice is necessary to allow the winemaker to extract as much colour and tannin as he desires.
Varieties used for table grapes tend to have large loose bunches, with big berries and thin skins whereas the species used in wine production, known as vitis vinifera, are normally smaller berries in more compact bunches. The thickness of the skins and size of the berries also varies and this has a significant effect on the style and colour of the wine produced.
Tannin in wine comes from the skin of the grape, so the thicker the skin, and the smaller the actual berries, the higher the tannin level in the wine. Probably the best example of this is Cabernet Sauvignon. Compact bunches of small, dark coloured berries with thick skins means a high ratio of colouring matter and tannin in the wines, which generally have powerful aromas and flavours of blackcurrant. They are often aged in oak, adding flavours of tobacco, coffee, chocolate and spice, and can age well due to the tannin and concentration in the wine.
White wines are generally produced from grapes with pale or green skinned varieties, while reds are produced from those with dark, or black skins. The juice of vitis vinifera grapes is almost always colourless. If you bite into a black grape, you will notice that the pulp is the same as when you bite into a white grape. Hence, it is possible to produce white wine from black grapes. This is done by removing the skins immediately, not allowing any of the pigment from the skin of the grape to come into contact and therefore give any colour to the juice. A fine example of this is ANNA DE CODORNIU BLANC DE NOIRS, a Cava produced from black Pinot Noir grapes. Blanc de Noirs is the term given to white wines produced from black grapes. At £10.25 this offers exceptional value for money.
DON DAVID CABERNET SAUVIGNON This comes from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown high up in the Argentine Andes at 1700m above sea level. At this altitude there are big diurnal temperature variations, which further concentrates the colour. Don David Cabernet has the classic characteristics mentioned above: it is deep purple in colour and has aromas of blackcurrant and blackberries with a hint of spice. There are similar
flavours on the palate along with chocolate, coffee and toasty oak, making a complex wine with great depth. It is an excellent wine to enjoy with steak, but is fruity enough to drink without food or simply with a plate of cheese. In contrast there is Gamay, a thin skinned grape that grows in looser clusters. This is the only red grape permitted to produce red wines in Beaujolais and, due to the thin skin and larger berries, the ratio of tannins and colour pigment to juice is much lower resulting in paler wines with less tannin. LOUIS JADOT’S BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES COMBE AUX JACQUES is the best-selling Beaujolais Villages in the UK. The grapes are grown in granitic soils in the best areas of Beaujolais resulting in a wine with more flavour than many reds from this not so fashionable and often underrated region. It has aromas of raspberries, strawberries and cherries, which follow on to the palate. The tannins are light, making it very easy to drink, and can be enjoyed slightly chilled with or without food. It makes an ideal wine for summer drinking as it works well with both red and white meat, salads and fuller flavoured fish dishes.
THE WINE CELLAR • TENNIS ROAD • DOUGLAS • IM2 3QW TELEPHONE: 01624 611793 • EMAIL: anne@thewinecellar.im
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