Bob’s Blog
Bordeaux approves seven new grape varieties BOB CAMPBELL MW
Marselan, one of the seven new grape varieties approved for Bordeaux.
THE BORDEAUX and Bordeaux Supérieur wine producers’ syndicate grabbed the attention of wine lovers when it announced that seven new grape varieties had been approved in a desperate attempt to cope with climate change. That’s like Rolls Royce declaring it’s about to ‘future proof’ by releasing an affordable, all-electric vehicle. The mostly disease-resistant, heat-loving grape varieties are:
RED
Touriga Nacional – Portugal’s finest red grape widely used in port and in premium table wine. Arinarnoa – A cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon grown mainly in the LanguedocRoussillon area in southern Franc. Castets – Produces deeply-coloured wine. Popular in the late nineteenth century, there was only onehectare in France by 2008. Marselan – A cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Grown mainly in the Languedoc and southern Rhone.
WHITE
MR GRUMPY - PACKAGING PROBLEMS
IT’S PLEASING to see a massive switch away from polystyrene bottle boxes to the more environmentally friendly cardboard equivalent. I still get a few polystyrene bottle boxes but can successfully recycle them, together with my carboard boxes, by passing them on to wine shops. I acquired a large television a few months ago and tried to dispose of the polystyrene packing by breaking it up and putting it in my general rubbish wheelie bin. When I retrieved the bin I discovered that the rubbish collector had dumped my polystyrene packing back into the empty bin. I guessed it was a prohibited item. There was no discussion. The rubbish truck driver doesn’t look like the sort of person who would bend the rules. Next stop my local rubbish tip where they refused to take my small amount of polystyrene packing. Samsung is about to receive an anonymous carton containing broken bits of polystyrene.
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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019
Alvarinho – Widley grown (and revered) in northwest Spain and in Portugal. Petit Manseng – Grown mainly in south-west France, principal variety in Jurancon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellations. Liliorila – Cross between Baroque and Chardonnay. Bred in 1956, there was only 4ha in France by 2008. In a “softly, softly” approach growers will be allowed to plant the new varieties on up to 5% of their vineyard area and to add up to 10% to final blends. The previous list of permitted varieties in the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations was more extensive than many people think. Red varieties were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere. White varieties included Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. The prestige appellations such as Pauillac and Saint-Émilion are not affected by the additional varieties yet, but the announcement is sure to have winemakers outside France reaching for their copy of Wine Grapes and contacting their local grapevine nursery.