March is the month to ditch the Merlot

Cork the old standby and try a daring and unusual new red wine

YOU MAY HAVE heard of the ABC movement, or “Anything but Chardonnay.” This was a south-ofthe- border phenomenon created by an exasperated wine writer who was suffering from palate fatigue. He had had it up to the saliva glands with overoaked Chardonnays that tasted like sweet butter.

I can empathize because these wines not only overpower the food you serve them with (unless it’s tartare of dinosaur) but they also anaesthetize the palate with their high alcohol.

But is there, I wondered in an idle moment, a corresponding club for red wines, for those who can no longer stomach the fruit bombs coming out of New World wineries? Let’s call them WMIs — Wines of Mass Indigestion.

Remember Miles in the movie Sideways, exploding outside the Hitching Post restaurant in Santa Barbara: “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving.I am NOT drinking any f—ing Merlot!” This one line had an immediate and disastrous effect on the sales of Merlot wines and a corresponding upthrust for Pinot Noir,which Miles eulogized.Maybe consumers were just waiting for an excuse not to buy Merlot — a variety that had become the Flavour of the Month.

What if this concept actually caught on and wine drinkers began turning their backs on those red varieties they had habitually bought? What if they wanted to give thumbs down to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz (a.k.a Syrah) and Pinot Noir? And for good measure Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo into the bargain.

The good news is that you would not have to give up drinking red wine altogether because there are a goodly number of red wines that are produced around the world from grapes you may not be familiar with.

Here are six to get you started.

Aglianico: (pronounced “ah- LYAH-nee-koe”) mainly grown in Italy’s Campania and Basilicata regions. It was the Screaming Eagle of its day in Roman times. Example: Mastroberadino Aglianico 2006 ($19.95).

Agiorgitiko: a.k.a. St-George, grown in the Greek region of Nemea, makes a fruity, full-bodied wine. Example: Estate Papioannou Single Vineyard Agriorgitiko 2005 ($18.95).

Baga: Portugal’s most widely planted grape. The name means ‘berry’ in Portuguese, producing tannic, acidic reds that can age well. Example: Quinta do Ribeirinho Baga Pé Franco 2003 ($159).

Blaufrankisch: The most widely planted black grape of Austria (the Germans call it Limberger). Produces gutsy Beaujolais-style reds. Example: Teleki Villányi Kékfrankos 2007 ($14.95).

Castelão: a southern Portuguese variety, a.k.a. Periquita, producing fruity, fleshy reds that can age. Example: Catapereiro Vinho Tinto 2006 ($14.95).

Dornfelder: A German crossing of two unpronounceable varieties that is deeply coloured, producing dark, ageable reds. The second most popular black grape in Germany after Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Example: Black Tower Dornfelder Pinot Noir ($10.95). 

Web exclusive suggestions:

Morellino di Scansano: A local name for Sangiovese along the Tuscan coast. The wines have a dry cherry flavour and are generally less costly than Chianti Classico. Example: Fattoria di Barbi Morellino di Scansano 2006 (Vintages # 720177, $17.95)

Mourvèdre: a grape of the southern Rhône, usually blended with Grenache and Syrah. A.k.a. Mataro in Australia and Monastrell in Spain. Produces high alcohol, flavourful wines. Example: Bodegas Castãno Hécula Monastrell 2005 (Vintages # 718999, $13.95)

Nero d’Avola: Sicily’s best red wine grape producing rich, dense red wines. Example: Ajello Majus Nero d’Avola 2006 (Vintages # 100545, $14.05)

 

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO