Pop your cork over wine peeves

Giovanni Morelli voices his wine-related annoyances and looks at some of the best red and white wines coming out of Spain at the moment

‘Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age’ – attributed to Pope John XXIII.
One thing that really annoys me (my wife says I am far too easily annoyed and I have to admit, she is probably correct) is restaurant waiters who say ‘good choice’ after you have placed your order. Well, what else could they possibly say? Maybe ‘a very bad choice sir, the monkfish is really awful tonight’? Why do they not just accept your order and then get on with their job?
While I am at it and in the mood for a bit of venting, let me also complain about waiters who pour you a small drop of wine and then, while putting on an expression that is a bit like a dog when he is relieving himself, ask the stupid question, ‘do you like the wine, sir?’
Trichloroanisole
The purpose of pouring a small quantity of wine into the glass is to determine if the selected wine is corked or not (contaminated with trichloroanisole, or TCA) and not to know if you like it. TCA is best detected when small quantities of wine are smelled before swilling it in the wine glass. Swilling will help to dilute the TCA and therefore, the action will make its detection more difficult. Do not taste the wine at this stage, as TCA is more easily detected with your nose than your tongue.
TCA is a fungal by-product that is endemic in cork trees. The Portuguese, who are the largest producers of wine corks in the world, have been experimenting with blast freezing of corks to get rid of TCA. The future will tell whether they are successful but, in the meantime, perhaps 5 per cent of corks in wine bottles are contaminated.
While I am still in a complaining mode, let us talk about chilling white wine for a while – another peeve of mine. How often have you seen a bottle of white wine sitting on top of ice in a bucket? The bucket should contain water and ice, as water is a much better conductor of heat/cold than air.
A bottle of wine that is just sitting on a pile of ice will take forever to cool. Likewise, the wine bottle should be removed from the ice when three or four glasses have been consumed from it. The reason for this is that the last glass or two are likely to be over-chilled if the bottle is left to remain in the ice bucket.
On a recent visit to Spain, I sampled some really good white wines. Spain is traditionally known for its red wines, of course. Many years ago, wines from the Rioja region were very popular in this country. Distinguished by their beautiful vanilla taste as a result of storage in American oak casks, these wines were highly prized.
However, they had to be kept for many years and this proved too much of a challenge to greedy wine producers.
These wines were subsequently made for early consumption, an ‘international’ taste became desirable (or the wine makers thought so) and standards dropped as a result.
Happily, things have now improved significantly. There are many areas in Spain that are making excellent wine. Red wines from Priorat, Penèdes, Navarra and of course Rioja can now rival the best in the world. Their prices vary considerably but it is still possible to purchase drinkable wines for around €12 to €15. Marqués de Riscal and Marqués de Murieta are probably the best known wines from the Rioja region in Ireland.
Their own religion
On the other hand, white wines from Spain are not as well known. Apart from white Rioja, the two white-wine grapes that have become very popular are Verdejo and Albariño. Verdejo is a variety of grape that has long been grown in the Rueda region, which is south of Ribera del Duero. The growing of this grape probably spread to Rueda in the 11th century, possibly by Mozarabs. These were Christians in Muslim Spain and kept their own religion and canon law.
King Alfonso IX (1188–1230) of Léon-Castile (who, incidentally, was married to Eleanor, the daughter of King Henry II of England) is credited with making wines from the Verdejo grape, although these were apparently heavily oxidised, Sherry-like wines. Marqués de Riscal developed a new style of white wine that was based on the Verdejo grape with the help of French oenologist Émile Peynaud in the 1970s.
Wines that are labelled ‘Rueda’ must contain at least 50 per cent Verdejo; the remainder is typically Sauvignon Blanc. Wines that are designated ‘Rueda Verdejo’ must contain at least 85 per cent Verdejo and are often, in fact, 100 per cent Verdejo. However, the Verdejo grape is often blended with Viura.
Less oxidation
The Verdejo grapes are generally harvested at night, apparently because the grapes enter the cellar at the lower night-time temperature of 10-to-15 degrees Celsius instead of the daytime temperature, which in September can reach as high as 28 or 30 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures means less oxidation.
Verdejo wines are aromatic, often soft and full-bodied and can be somewhat reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Fantastic value at the moment is Tramoya (Verdejo-Viura), which is available from Dunnes Stores nationwide at €8.75. The Marqués de Riscal Rueda, Verdejo 2008 in Superquinn is a perfect example of this wine and at €11.75, it is well worth every cent.
The other popular grape from Rías Baixas (pronounced ‘bysis’) in Galicia, in northwest Spain, is Albariño. These wines are widely available in Ireland now and Martín Códax is probably the best-known grower. La Val is also an excellent buy and although it is often sold at €14 or €15, look out for bargains (I have seen it on sale in Tesco, for instance, for €10).
Without a doubt, bargain of the month is the Côtes du Rhône 2007 Classic Collection from Les Vignerons d’Estezargues for €7 at Superquinn. I wrote about this Vigneron earlier this year, you may remember. Their Côtes du Rhône was selling in Superquinn for €11.75 and to me at least, it is similar to the one selling for €7. I recommend that you buy some now, before it is all gone.
Happy drinking,
Giovanni.