We’ve all enjoyed a bottle or two from the sunny climes of France, or South Africa, but what other countries are contributing to the production of wine? Let LUU Wine Soc President Coralie Strong broaden your horizons as she takes you on a whistle-stop tour of some of the world’s grape loving regions that may not have been on your radar…
First stop,
Mexico!
Like the country, this is a fun and vibrant wine. Full of cherries and black fruit. The flavours are typical of the grape used to make the wine Malbec. Its full of sweet cherry, red fruit and deliciousness! Mexico’s wine scene is one thats on the rise. It has a history in the wine scene from bordering California: grapes were first planted here by the Spanish in the 17th Century.
Morocco
Commonly regarded as too warm to grow vines the cooling influences from the Atlantic and the mountains make it possible. This Syrah is full bodied and fruity with flavours of spice and stewed plum. The grower is well known for his outstanding wines from the Northern Rhone, France.
Slovenia
Although Furmint is more commonly associated with Hungarian wine the country does border Hungary and therefore shares some of the same varieties. This vineyard however is located closer to the Austrian border. The white wine is dry and fresh with flavours of lemon and green apple. This is a crisp and refreshing white wine.
Moldova
This is an often overlooked country with quite an established wine scene. This grape used in this wine was the famous Cabernet Sauvignon, best known for its role in Bordeaux. The wine has the flavours seen in Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rich black fruits and notes of plum and cherry. It’s a juicy wine with a slight sharpness from the high acidity
Japan
Commonly thought to only produce Sake Japan is now starting to bring wine to the UK market. Kosha, the grape variety used to make this wine, is the most common grape in Japan. The wine is aromatic and full of blossoming scents. There’s a strong lemongrass note which is brilliantly balanced and suits this style of wine. Great pairings would be with typical Japanese foods
India
You may be far more familiar with this type of wine than you think, thegrape Sauvignon Blanc has had a lot of attention recently and here it is but from a country you might least expect. The wine is fresh and fruity with obvious grassy, herbal character and similar in style to a NZ Sauvignon Blanc
Brazil
Wine from Brazil hit the UK market before the last football World Cup but since then has almost completely disappeared. The wine is made from a blend of Riesling and Pinot Gris (aka Grigio). It has strong flavours of pear and green apple.
Uruguay
The wine scene here is growing rapidly as the country watches neighbouring Argentina’s success. Tannat is a grape best known for its big, tannic red wines in the South East of France. The wine is exactly that with herbal flavours and baked jammy fruits.
Around the world in 8 wines was LUU Wine Society’s fourth great tasting of the semester. Have you ever tried wine from the countries selected? Do you want to try great wines at low prices Wine Soc is the place for you. We have weekly meetings on Tuesday at 7:30 in Union Room 6.
Coralie’s website: Every Glass Matters
Coralie Strong