Wine Geeks Speak

Weird Wines Stir Strong Interests

This post is for everyone who drinks wine without looking first at the “score;” for those who buy wine to consume yesterday, today and tomorrow; for those who do not collect trophy wines; and for those of us who would only pick up a “leading wine magazine” if stuck in the waiting room of a healthcare provider.

This convo erupted spontaneously when tBoW shared a May 26 2018 article from the NYT “Why You Should Be Drinking Weird Wines”. Jason Wilson (Lettie Teague traveling?) describes several key reasons for buying and drinking obscure wines including 80% of all wines are made from 20 0f 1368 varietals. I have done the heavy lifting: about 1.5% of all vinifera account for eighty percent of all wines. We can all thank 100 point scores and glossy wine mags for the widely limited access to what should be a wildly invigorating hobby.

This he argues creates a monoculture of wine featuring chardonnay and pinot noir. tBoW has posted how I am less and less fond of both varietals, esp chardonnay.

Wilson dips into “oddities type” wines pointing out one varietal in the Swiss alps from which 800 bottles are produced annually. Why bother even referencing the grape? We will NEVER taste it. He describes the flavors as “forest floor that’s been spritzed with lemon and Nutella.” Now I am certain I will never taste it. Oddities TV programming  seems to have had its heyday. Here is one we liked about a NYC shop Obscura where the customers often obscured the shop contents.

The good news is a wonderful email conversation – detailed here without permission – followed between two of the more intriguing tBoW readers – KrisB and The Fieldmouse, aka Maus. The conversation follows more or less in sequence.

tBoW – did you see this NYT piece on obscure wines?

Maus – What does tBoW think of Zidarich Carso Vitovska Belo? Funny this article made you think of us because it’s pretty much Riesling, Pinot, or Piemonte at our house most days. Nothing else usually sounds appealing.

tBoW – whadafaaa and perhaps this could soon be a blog topic.

Maus – well, I’ve already ordered two vitovskas, so come what may. Chris, don’t know if we’ve met, but do acquaint yourself with roussanne! but i must say, for us it’s mostly riesling and pinot (and sango blends) as well! Cheers!

KrisB (like Maus a fan of the Friuli region) – the vitovskas that I’ve had tend to be somewhat oxidative in style which is something that I just don’t like for the most part (except in some sherries, go figure).  YMMV (undecipherable notation) Roussanne can be nice, but it’s no Riesling! :)

You drinking domestic, Rhone, or more exotic like savoie?

Maus – ah, Bergeron. a bit hard to find around here, to say the least. tends to be a bit lean. Well, i’ll take roussanne where I can get it. sometimes i settle for the majority in a blend. white rhones are typically better, but Paso and, believe it or not, Washington, do nice jobs as well. My favorite budget choice is Chateau de Trignon in Southern Rhone.

For Rieslings, where do you go? Anywhere but California, I assume. I hope you had some Australians and Finger Lakes along the way… tBoW and I used to slurp Germans way back in the ’80s and I’m pretty sure we honeymooned in Mosel! [ed. He means with his spouse] Not that we don’t anymore!

Kris B – “Our Pinot has been mostly burgs lately too. As you know, I like to find a direct to consumer importer who finds unknown values. Fass Selections has been working pretty well for me on the burg and other front. Ugh vitovska. We visited the Carso a few years back. Some very good wines. But didn’t have a vitovska that I liked. They probably exist but maybe are hard to find.

And there it is. Cannot wait until we pull the corks on Vitovska and Himbertscha this summer in tBoW’s Summer Weingarten!

CHEERS INDEED! Here is a non-English video about the most rare wine grape, and the wine made from it, in the world! I think I understand what is being said!

3 Comments

  1. Wavatar
    Kris-B says:

    Dottore must be so jealous.

  2. Wavatar
    MAUS says:

    Please let me discuss my discovery: Marin. It’s a Langhe bianco with equal parts riesling and nascetta. Yes, riesling in Piemonte, not the Trentino. As for nascetta, another indigenous varietal I know bupkus about.
    Yet this wine rocks.
    It’s a 2009 from Fontanadredda. We once had lunch in Barolo and Fontafredda’s vineyards were right above. I know, because in big letters it said Fontafredda. How unPiedmontish can you get? The Wente of the Northwest. My wife ordered a pasta and the server brought a truffle the size of a Nolon Ryan fastball. She actually told him to stop grating after four strokes. Imagine? But I digress.

    This offering fits the bill for the veteran. It’s …. different. Full bodied like Gina Lollobrigida yet across the aisle like the late John McCain. I get walnuts and apples, plus a big gift from my retailer because the $40 retail was slashed to 10.

    Ok, Ok, it’s my wine of the summah.

  3. Wavatar
    Bacchus says:

    Atencion! tBoW is posting this comment on behalf the Field Mouse – welcome back!
    2018/08/26 at 4:51 pm

    Please let me discuss my discovery: Marin. It’s a Langhe bianco with equal parts riesling and nascetta. Yes, riesling in Piemonte, not the Trentino. As for nascetta, another indigenous varietal I know bupkus about.
    Yet this wine rocks.
    It’s a 2009 from Fontanadredda. We once had lunch in Barolo and Fontafredda’s vineyards were right above. I know, because in big letters it said Fontafredda. How unPiedmontish can you get? The Wente of the Northwest. My wife ordered a pasta and the server brought a truffle the size of a Nolon Ryan fastball. She actually told him to stop grating after four strokes. Imagine? But I digress.

    This offering fits the bill for the veteran. It’s …. different. Full bodied like Gina Lollobrigida yet across the aisle like the late John McCain. I get walnuts and apples, plus a big gift from my retailer because the $40 retail was slashed to 10.

    Ok, Ok, it’s my wine of the summah.

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