Some unpronounceable alternatives to Chardonnay

Quick, name the three most popular red grape varieties you can think of. And now three white grapes. Did you say Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot? How about Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc? Chances are you thought of at least a few of those, and for good reason. Historically considered to be the "noble varieties," these grapes (which happen to be mostly native to France) are now designated as members of the more PC "classic variety" group, so as not to hurt the feelings of grapes hailing from other regions. These grapes have achieved international acclaim by producing high-quality wines in diverse and varied growing regions throughout the world. 

The ubiquitousness of grapes like Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc seems to be both cause and effect for their success in the English-speaking marketplace. Consumers are used to seeing and drinking those wines, so if they don't see a producer they recognize, they buy them for consistency. It's sort of like going to Starbucks when you are in an unfamiliar town and you're not sure where to get a good cup of coffee--you know Starbucks might not be anything special, but at least it won't be offensive. On the other side of the coin, producers continue to make wine from these grapes because they know it will sell--in large part because the general public feels comfortable pronouncing the word "Chardonnay."

Despite the potential embarrassment saved on a date or at a business dinner by ordering a bottle that is dictionally safe, wine drinkers may be missing out by avoiding choices with seemingly unpronounceable names. Indigenous grapes from wine regions throughout the world frequently produce wines that are not only enjoyable to drink, but also enlightening about the culture, cuisine, and terroir of the area in which they are grown. Furthermore, to the benefit of the adventurous imbiber, these wines are often seriously affordable, since most people are too afraid to ask for them. 

Upon opening a wine list, many eyes immediately gravitate to unknown items like Cserszegi Fűszeres [CHAIR-say-ghy Foo-seh-resh] from Hungary, or Öküzgözü [OH-cooz-GOE-zue] from Turkey. But when it comes time to order, a familiar glass of Zinfandel or Merlot ends up on the table. Those wines are enjoyable enough, but an attempt to verbally navigate the umlauts on the page could lead to something much more exciting, like the aforementioned Cserszegi Fűszeres, a crisp and delightful dry white with floral and spicy aromas not dissimilar to a Gewürztraminer, or easy-to-drink red Öküzgözü  from Turkey (blended with only-slightly-more-pronouncable Boğazkere [bow-AAHZ-keh-reh]), marked by soft fruity and floral aromas and Beaujolais-like character. 

Even some of the less-obscure grape names are tough on those whose French or Spanish education stopped after fulfillment of their high school language requirement. It practically takes a bachelor's degree in French to sound out "Mourvèdre" [moo-VEDR] or "Viognier" [VEE-ohn-yay], while Iberian grapes like Albariño [AL-bah-REEN-yo] and Tempranillo [temp-rah-NEE-yo] that look innocent enough can be a source of utter bemusement to those unfamiliar with the basic rules of Spanish pronunciation. 

At The Barrel Room, we support any and all endeavors related to drinking wines made from unpronounceable grapes and are happy to help. We've also learned that a glass or two of said wine can greatly improve your pronunciation abilities (it's true: science!). And while all three of us love learning new languages, none of us has yet become proficient in Croatian, Slovenian, or Greek, so often we too are working on our pronunciation. One tool we have found very helpful is the website forvo.com, which provides audio pronunciation of words in any language by native speakers. Not every wine grape is listed on the site, but you can always try googling individual grapes for assistance with the really obscure ones. 

The strangest-sounding grapes are often some of our favorites, like our bright and floral Clos Alivu Patrimonio rosé from Corsica made from a blend of Sciacarellu [Shak-a-rello] and Niellucciu [NEE-el-OO-chiu] or the sour cherry-flavored Gentilini from Greece, an impressively earthy blend of Agiorgitiko [eye-YOR-yih-tih-ko] and Syrah. If you step outside your comfort zone and order a wine with an unfamiliar name, you are likely to be pleasantly surprised. Even if it's not your favorite wine you have ever tasted, there's a good chance it will be different from anything you have tried before. And if you want to just point to the wine on the menu rather than try to sound it out, we will totally understand.

Anthony Dias Blue

On a slightly-related note, I recently had the opportunity to chat with Anthony Dias Blue on his James Beard-award-winning radio show, Blue Lifestyle. If you would like to hear me attempt to pronounce "Öküzgözü," or just hear what I have to say about The Barrel Room, you can listen to the interview here. I start around 33:10.

-Nikki

All-American Zinfandel?

What’s more Californian than a glass of spicy, jammy, rich Zinfandel? Californians have been sipping massive Zins with typical American fares like barbecued ribs and peppery steaks for generations. Zin was, in fact, termed “America’s vine and wine.” As a blush wine, White Zinfandel took the market by storm in 1869, when El Pinal Winery in Lodi started the trend. And though White Zin has become less favored recently, it still has enough intrigue to inspire veteran cult wineries like Turley to produce it.

the best-known White Zin: Beringer

Until quite recently the origins of this mysterious grape were unknown, and the style of Zinfandel wine developed in the hot, sunny vineyards of California. It was no wonder this explosive high-alcohol raspberry- and blackberry-fruit laden red was though to originate in the south of Italy, especially given its similarity to the Primitivo grape (later proven to be a clone of Zinfandel). But U.C. Davis Professor Emeritus Carole Meredith discovered in 2002 via DNA profiling that California Zin is, in fact, an ancient grape that used to be widely grown in Dalmatia in what is now Croatia: Crljenak Kaštelanski.

a Crljenak vineyard in Croatia

So how did this confusion come about, and how did the grape get the name “Zinfandel?” Between 1820 and 1829, a horticulturist on Long Island named George Gibbs received crates of grapes from all over Europe. One crate was labeled tzinifándli, a Hungarian translation of Zierfandler, a white grape from Austria’s Thermenregion. The receiving team couldn’t quite make out the name written on the crate and relabeled it “Zinifandel,” from which the name Zinfandel ultimately arose.

a Zinfandel grape bunch beginning to raisin

During the Gold Rush in the 1850’s Zinfandel made it to the west coast and was planted just north of Napa. In the hot California sun the grape ripened to an extremely high sugar concentration, and had a tendency to raisin. In 1857 Joseph Osborne made the first Zin which received high praise and was soon repeated by many local wineries.

After Prohibition there was quite a shortage of the grape. Its origins were forgotten, and wineries began to confuse it with the Black Sonora grape which was growing alongside it. Winemakers started producing insipid, uninteresting wine with it through the mid-1900’s. But luckily more recently a new interest in Zin has emerged and winemakers have been experimenting with this powerhouse of a wine grape, bringing it to new heights.

Zayante vineyards in Felton, California

But back to Croatia momentarily… Crljenak was a very popular grape in Dalmatia until the phylloxera epidemic in the late 19^th century. One of its prodgenies, however, survived quite well and is thriving today: Plavac Mali. Plavac is a cross between Crljenak and Dobričić, and is one of Croatia’s largest wine exports to the US today. It produces wines similar to California Zins: black pepper, spice, and blackberries, all wrapped up in a rich, tannic structure, perfect for grilled meats. Plavac and its Zinfandel counterpart are very interesting to taste together. If you’re curious, we’ve got a comparison this month at The Barrel Room: Zayante Zinfandel versus Dingač Plavac Mali (see our list here).

So how Californian is Zinfandel? Though the grape made its way here from the traditional vineyards of Dalmatia, California Zin now has a style all its own and is without question one of the all-American grapes.

- Sarah