On the grapevine
Nothing says ‘summer holiday’ quite like a drop of local wine enjoyed on the terrace. From Naples to Nice, Jilly Goolden explores the varieties that go down best in their hometowns
ON THE GRAPEVINE
THESE DAYS WE ARE SPOILT FOR CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO WINE – WE CAN BUY BOTTLES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD IN OUR LOCAL SUPERMARKETS. BUT NOT ALL WINES TRAVEL WELL. SOME REMAIN AS LOCAL TREASURES, THEIR FLAVOURS SHINING ONLY WHEN SIPPED FRESH FROM THE VINEYARD UNDER THE LOCAL SUN
words: jilly goolden
SOME LUCKY travellers, who at home lead serene and languid lives, slink into laid-back holiday mode as soon as they settle into their aircraft seats. For the rest of us whose lives are more stressed-out, the point between work and play is less of an obvious full stop. It may take a couple of days to finish off the laboured sentence that represents the pressures of everyday life, but unwinding is helped by lying back and slowly sipping a glass of the local wine.
It isn’t at all the same as uncorking a bottle of plonk from the local supermarket back home. Such wine could well come from the other side of the world. It’s anonymous and detached. However, that glass of the local nectar you savour on your terrace on holiday bottles up all the local ingredients that go together to make this the perfect spot for you. When you stroll down the street to find a local restaurant for dinner, you probably scan the menu for local specialities; you’re not looking for the best Icelandic salmon or Argentinian beef. And so it is with wine – the more home-grown it is, the more it contributes to that relaxing ‘being on holiday’ feeling.
ALICANTE is the gateway not just to a goldmine of beaches, but a treasure chest of local gastronomy and partnering wines. More rice comes from the paddy fields of the Valencia region of Spain than from anywhere else outside south-east Asia. Unsurprisingly, it’s the birthplace of paella. Seafood is at the centre of most of the cuisine – look out for dorada (John Dory) baked in a salt crust, for which both the white and rosado styles of the local joven (or tenderly ‘young’ wines intended to be glugged down as soon as they are made) are ideally suited. The dry whites (from the local Merseguera grape) are gently aromatic and make effortless drinking, with slight spiciness, but if young rosés put you in the mood, make sure you choose something genuinely joven. This summer you should accept nothing older than 2005, and it should be a shell pink colour without a hint of coral. For those who like their meat the reds are made in the joven style too, from Monastrell grapes, often strong and firm in flavour.
Packing a bigger punch is the local speciality, Fondillon, made like sherry and aged in oak for at least eight years. It’s alcoholic and nutty, like tawny port, and as sweet as sponge cake. If it says rancio on the label, beware. It’ll be incongruously dry.
If you’re planning a trip later this year to LYON, then I envy you. This is the gateway to vinous heaven! The river Rhône cleaving its way through deep-sided valleys flows past some of the most haunting names given to French wine. They may not be the most famous, but these wines are treasures worth a detour, or remembering when in a wine shop or restaurant. You can pick up the wine route down the Rhône at Viennes, 30kms south of Lyon.
Even if you miss the most northerly village of Condrieu, do not miss the wine. This aromatic white from the Viognier grape, redolent of peach kernels and blossom, is rare and therefore expensive.
Look out for much more affordable Viognier vin de pays, a country wine made from the same variety from further to the south. The big names of the Rhône such as Côte Rôtie, Hermitage and St Joseph – all in the northern stretch and made from Syrah grapes – are expensive wherever you buy them, varieties (chardonnay hasn’t colonised this part yet) but the star among reds is Aglianico and the whites are Fiano, Greco and Falanghina. It might be more useful to know the good wine makers to look out for on the labels, such as Feudi di San Gregorio, Caggiano, Terredora di Paolo and Cantina del Taburno.
Back home in the supermarket, you may have spied Primitivo, a vivid red with dark loganberry flavours and the sterner Negroamaro, an inky black grape variety which can be blended to make voluptuous, dark but supple reds. These come from the heel of the boot and bottle up the passion and intensity of the country.
Driving into TURIN at the opposite end of the country, you are plunging into the classiest vineyard area – Piedmonte, famous for truffles and the inkiest, but continuing south, prices ease up and the wines become lighter and more relaxed. Côte du Rhône is no surprise, but look out for wines named after villages such as Vacqueyras, Côteau du Tricastin, or Cairanne. Also look out for Syrah on the label.
The most ’serious’ French rosé is Tavel which is both challenging and dry, and which comes from between Orange and Avignon. But you don’t have to dig deep in your pocket for an easy-drinking rosé from further south, or approaching Provence from NICE. As you sashay into Provence you’ll find slightly coral rosés abound. As young as possible is best (look out for the 2005 or 2004 vintage) and remember, they’re best under the local sun, so drink them here as they could be a disappointment back home.
If you’re heading to Italy you will be spoilt for choice on the wine front. The Italians grow more different grape varieties in greater quantities than anywhere else in the world. The vine’s first grip was down in the south on the spur, heel and toe of the boot known as The Mezzogiorno or midday (like ‘midi’ in the South of France). When the Greeks arrived, they called their new colony Enotria Tellus, or Land of Vines. Although there have been attempts (some successful) to replace the idiosyncratic local vines with higher yielding types from the north, growers proud of their heritage have hung on to the historic varieties, and these are the gems worth seeking out.
Beyond the boundaries of NAPLES, fanning out towards the foothills of the Apennines tucked into the beautiful, if stark, countryside are vineyards with a heritage. The traditional bush vines of the ancient grape varieties have been embraced by some progressive and conscientious wine makers, who, supported by modern technology, are making progressive wines. You won’t have heard of the grape darkest, most serious of red wines, Borolo. But you’re on holiday! This wine challenges you to take it seriously and would bite back if you had the effrontery to sip it on the balcony. Instead, look out for Dolcetto, meaning ‘little sweet one’ – don’t be misled though, it’s not sweet at all. This wine should be enjoyed frivolously and drunk within a couple of years of being harvested.
Alba is home to Asti Spumante, the frothily sparkling, headily sweet fizz that sophisticated drinkers love to hate. Don’t listen to them, though. Asti Spumante and the cheaper Moscato Spumante can be nectar in a glass – especially when born only yesterday. Youth is the key here, so try to buy some that has only just been bottled. Moscato d’Asti comes in a regular (as opposed to sparkling wine) bottle, is delicately sweet and has a slight spritz to it. At only 5% alcohol it is perfect for the sun lounger, so my advice is don’t waste time unpacking when you arrive. Instead grab a bottle of the local nectar, lie back and let your holiday begin for real…
