The World Atlas of Wine

201 Pages·2013·146.74 MB·English

by  Hugh Johnson

Hugh Johnson Jancis Robinson
THE WORLD ATLAS OF
7th El)I'fION

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THE \\'OHLD,\Tl-~OF \\'l:'\E
Hu!(h Johnson• .lands Hobin""' 546
Fir..tpublbhL·d in Gn:at llritain in 11171 b) \1i1dwll lkazl"Y· .J68
an imprint ofCktopus Publishin)! Group Ltd. End<•amur
I lou,e. !89 Sha0l'shul') AH·nuc, Londun \\'C'.!11 8J\ 2013
Copyri)!ht ,. Octopus l'uhlbh111)!(iroup Ltd 1971.1977.
!985.1'194. :.wot. 2007. :!Ol:l
Text ,·opyri1o\ht ,. Huj!h John><m 1971, 1'177. l'J!!:;, l'l<J-l;
Huiih Joh1Nm ..l ands Rubinson 2001. 2007, 2013
All ri)!hts reser.cd
::\o part of this work nrny bt• rt•produn•d or ul iii zed in any
form by any 111ca11s, 1·lcctronil'or mcdrnnil'nl, indudin)(
photocopyin)(. ret·nrdin)(orh~ any information stora)(eand
retrieval ~)'Stem. without the prior writk n 1wrmission of
the publishers.
The puhlislwrs would lw !(rall'l'ul for any rdemnt
infonnation that \\ill assisl llwm in kl't·pin!( futuret•ditions
up to date. Althou~h all rea.sunablt• earl' has ht•t•n taken in
the preparation nf this hrn1k. ncitht•r the publishers nor the
authors rnn accept an) liability for any const•qut·nt·c arisinJl
from Ute use tht·rcoL or th" information ,·ontained thcn•in.
A CJ P catalo)(l1c record for Ih is h<"1k is a\' lilable from the
British Libr~.
!SB~ 978 184:;33 089 9
\1ana>(in)( ~:d1tor Gill Pitts Foreword6 St-Estcphc 82 Trcnlino 160
A'Sist:mt Editor Julia f'lardinl( \1\V Pauillac84 AltoAdige 161
Research Assistant l'ri":illa llcby Introduction 8 St-Julien 86 Vcronal62
t Director Jonathan Christ it• ThcAncicnl World and :-.1iddleAl(es IO Central Mt'doc 88 Priuli-Vcnezia Giulial64
Executive. \rt Editor Yasin William;, Leed hum The Evolution of'.\1odern Wine 12 Margaux and tht• Southt•rn ~cdoc 90 Central llaly 166
Oesil(n cnnc,•pt Peter Onwson, Louise Evans. Tlw Vine 14 Graves and Entre Deux Mers 92 Marcmma 168
Grade Design International Grapes 16 Pcssac-LcoJ.(nan 94 Chiantil70
Desi)(ncrs Lizzit> Ballantyne, l'ckr Da\\son Regional Grapes 18 Sauternes and Barsac 96 Montalcino 173
Louis~ Ev1uis
Wine and Weather 20 The Hil(ht Bank 98 l\lonlcpultiano 174
Senior Production \lanal(<'r Peter llunt Western Rheingau 230 North America 280
CartO)!l"Jphit• Editor Alison F.win)(ton Terroir22 Pomcrol 100 L:mbrial75 Eastern Rheinp;au 232 Canada284 Clare \'alley 343
GInadzeext tJeaenr e.. \ Pndarrkee"r J ohn,on O..\\ltaaakkk aiinnnggd WW itsiinn uees eiinns 3tlhh0ec CVeinlleayra 2rd6 24 SWOtu-irEndemosJi .o(ln ifoe t nh1 e01 S092o u thwest 106 SSSiaociruld~ti·hn 1ei7ran8 1 l8t0al yl76 RPfhaelizn2h3e6ss cn 234 OPanctiafircio ~o2r8t5h wcst 286 .\BkLc yaorennd V34al4e and
Badt•n238 Willamette Valley 288 Adelaide llills346
Pwofrcadcr Jumie \mbrose StopperinJ.(Winc 31 Loire \'all<.'~ and .\I uscadet 110 Franken240 Washington 290 Coonawarra 347
Pictun• Research \tanal(er Giulia Hetherington Anatomy of a Winery 32 Anjou 112 Spain 181
California 294 Victoria 348
Picture Research Emma O':'\eit Wine and Time36 Saumur 113 Rias Baixas 186
England and Wales 243 l\lcndoc:ino and Lake 296 .\.fornington Peninsula 351
OCRPtror.ii's\ln'(mitsieniooda!nl a( scrn aaadrpnt bohdo)i 1!cu1rstna. •pwdh tiy·n~ \CCrlhlnyi)nd!area pShu~ rfvt fef yt1sw L 't.'d-l '\l'nth t.~1itinn TTEanhsjeto iWynigon argln dWd o iTfn\aeVl k3ini8nc g 4A2b out Wine40 ASC\'aolhsnuaitnvce:oreranrly eal a8 nan dnd dB . Po\luoourng itlulloycu i1li 11s6 1s 4u r-Loirc 115 T'IH.n'o\ialrbavoena arrdarn adNd c1 o9Rlr D1tuh euwdeare os1tl9 S80p8 a in 187 SwiVtzaelarilsa,n Vda 2ud4.4 a nd Geneva 246 SNoSCouoarttnrhhnoeecmrrrnnoa Ss SC o3oonn0aoo0smmt 2aa9 aa7nn dd TYNaaesrwmra Sa Vonuaialtl he3y W5 33a5 l2es 354
France44 The I lcartof'Alsace 120 Hioja 192 Austria248 Napa Valley 302 New Zealand 356
oTTHfhhO" eeW'r' mte aT aiisHlp adEs< > i•Mnc1a 1tAlchcnPi dbsSiAan Wlrl( lwOoaniSRt h\Klai et reay cdron1mn mspiadlpet.x• Criatoyhn ol }lfo t1hu11<r s' icanarteleean. m·tahalesp l1,e.w,v.redyl. CCCBl6uoitrltecge udddnee'O dBlkyre5a4au08u nn ce:: S.\aknulernsaau}l 5t 534 SCNI looocurtremtt-hhiHetearorlnn.l(i cRcR 1Mha2lnin6ndtt •C• 11o22n82d rieu 124 .Cl \'rnaidtoaarllauuln d1y9aa 6- 1 S9h4e rry Country 197 BKWwrae·cmghesanluala2l na5dn0 d2 5K4a mptal 252 SSROtouaauktghYtshe iLrlolfecfo al3rphd0 e3 63 0B 07a5 y 308 :WI \llaaawrilrkbaeor'asro pBuaag3yh5 3 935 680
from map to map :111d :m· sho\\ n in cath mnp kc). Cote de 13emmc: 13eaune 56 The I !cart of'Soulhern Hhime 130 Portugal 200 IIu ngary 256 Sierra Poothills, Lodi. and Canterbury 362
nSearmifets~ a1nwkd) p!l'a.c\e1>E lc oHnSnl."\LC l1c:dn \o\inthth weimm•a;p ssamnsd sietraitfc tysp e Ci>le de Nu its: Chi1tl'auncuf'-du-Papc 132 \'inho \'erde 204 Tokaj258 the Delta 310 Central Otago 363
(t•I( Meursault) main!~ sho\\ "'thc·r information. CoNtue idtse- :S-\tu-Gitse:o rges 58 WEaesstteerrnn L LaannJ1.(~uuceddoocc 113364 TDhoeu rPoo rtP Loordt gCeosu 2n0t9ry 205 The Czech Republic CVeirngtirnaila C3o1a4s t 311 South Africa 364
aEwniatnci hen ~umm ,adhpee pr,' a.l'o-gaoe('k hf Oua~:pso - att h~hreti• M db\io\ll t<itlo'h im nld. l tTltw·o.. lG,o. cad.z:oalw'tllh.'n "a <t ch·rhe (: tpstiaedlat(•uc .s CiG>ete\ TCeh~a lCohnnamaisbee r6l2in 60 PRroouvsesnilcloe n1 4la08 LBiasibroraad aan adn Pde Dniiinos 2u1la0 d e Tanhde SWloevsatekrina 2B6a0lk ans 261 SNocuwthYworekst3 S1l6a tes 318 SCwonarsttlaanntdia 3 36698
:185 39<l), which giws tlw pal(<' numlx·r follO\wd by l\taconnais 63 Bandol 142 St'll'.1hal 212 Croalia262 .\fexico 319 Stellenbosch. Paarl, and
the grid rcfcrc1we. Pou illy Fuissc 65 Corsica 143 .\lentcjo 213 Slovenia 264 Fran~chhoek 370
Evc11·ctTort has ht•t•n mad,• tu makL• tlw 11rn1is in this Atlas Beaujolais 66 Jural44 .\ladeira 214 Bulgaria 266 South America 320 Cape Soulh Coast 372
as complt•tc and up to date'" possihlt'. In onlt•r I hat future The Crus of' Beaujolais 68 Savoicl45 Romania 268 Chile324
editions maybe• kl•pt up tn thisstandnrd, the puhlishcrs
would Ix• J!ratch.11 for any information that will lwlp to keep Chahlis69 Germany 216 The Black Sea Hegion 270 Argentina 328 Asia373
the mop' up tu dak. The I leartof'Chablis 70 Italy 146 Ahr220 Georgia272 China374
Champagne 72 orthwesl llaly150 .\loscl 221 Australia 332 .Japan376
Greece274
The lleartof'ChampaJ.(11t'74 Picmonll' 152 Saar222 Weslcrn Ausl ral ia 337
Previous page: 0 Fournier's futuristic winery, Bordl•aux 76 Barbaresco 154 .\I iddk' .\fosel: l'iesport 224 Peloponnese 276 1\r argaret Hiver 339 lndex378
Mendoza, Argentina Bordeaux: The Quality Factor 78 Barolo 156 '.\tiddk' .\loscl: Bernkastel 226 1\1rkcy277 Barossa Valley 340 Gazetteer 385
Right: Merlot vines in winter, Fanagona vineyard, Northern .\1cdoc80 l\'orlheasl Ttaly 158 ~ahe228 The Eastern Mediterranean 278 Eden Valley 342 Acknowledgments 400
Taman Peninsula, Russia
f-OHE\\ OBI>
Foreword "II ugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson arc the
Bordeaux and Burgundy ofw ine writers"
Seven editions in 42 years. A strike rate of one every six years. Does this reflect lhe
rate of change in the world of wine? Pretty well, I think. Other arts and industries
evolve quicker. Planting a vineyard and processing the results involves an inevitable
time lag- five years at least- and evaluating lhose results is a business that can't be
rushed either. But anyone who has, or can remember, one of the early Atlas editions
must be amazed at the scope of this one.
\\'ho would han• dreamed. l'\·cn two or three premium prices were grn ng lo smaller and smaller im·itcd .Jancis lo share lhl' load. Slw is )·ounger
editions ago - in. sa), the 1990s that we would uni ls of land that rnuld t·laim lo hl' distinct and than I, and (being a !\laster of Wine) far better
need detailed contour maps of what were different. Winemakers who formerly mocked the qualified. She now lrn\'l'b and la;;lcs much more
then bare mountainsides in the 1\ndcs or :'-!cw gospel of lerroir started looking hopefully and than I do, and through ht•rwl'hsitc. her books mid
Zealand's Southern ,\lps? Still il•ss. though hard al tlll'irown. articles, and her efficient team of en workers is as
admittedly in less detail so far. that we would Al the same time. the market was demanding Wl'll-informcd and well rnnnl'clcd as anyone in
be plotting the wine producers of China. What difference in grape varieties, loo. "Anything But lheworld ofwint' has ever been.
is driving this seemingly ineluctable expansion Cabernet, Chardonnay" was Jhe catchphrase. So l\ly role'? Supervisory in a distant sense.
of the wine world? We are: by our thirst. by our l(rape-l(rowers who had a choice were studying Critical. somcl imcs, in a slylisliconc. Questioning
curiosity. and by the quest for hl'ltl'r that is almost nol only\\ hl're lht•ir Cahcrncl was ripening about some of the more amazing revelations
the definition of a fast-dc\·eloping world. best. but whl'thcr a different grape altogether that continually occur in cornpilinj.( this book.
Once there seemed to be logical cultural limits. wouldn't give them a helter result. The rise and ,\dmiring as you can imagine. Founder. of
Wine is. after all. a Europcan pht•nomcnon. rise ofvariclalism, or grapc-consciousnt•ss. or the course I don't forget that. .. \nd grateful for the
\Vl1crc Europcans sl'lllcd. wine would follow: desire lo taste different fruits. has been c\·ident huge efforts and inll'nst• cooperation of t'\'el')·onc
the only question was (and is no lunger) whether since California stoppt•d calling its" ines Claret in\'11h·cd, from Julia !larding, Jancis's closest
it could match up lo its originals. But .\sia? The or Rurgund) 60 years ago. In the past fh-c or JO it co-worker: Allison \\'alls and :\lison Ewington
world conquerl'd by Islam. pl'rhaps the first has become the overruling factor. who. rcs1wctin·I~. compult• and supcn·ise the
place wht·rc winl' was made. aeons ago. has You will sec the results in lhi;; .\llas. 1\1) maps: Priscilla Rl'hy. who rnlkcts the labels and
tragically ruled itself out. Further east there colleague .Jancis was om• of the 11rsl writers to undertakes many other editorial tasks: and. above
seemed lillil' chance. whcthcr for cultural spot (or did she help to create?) the trend. 1l er all. to (;ill Pills. \\'ho nt•,·cr lt·avcs her command
reasons or agricu 11 ura I ones. Far Eastern peoples. book \'ines. Grap<'S & Wines. published in 1986, post at :\filthl'll Bt•azk), kel'ps track of every
we thought, often have problems ml'tabolizing \\'as the first popular work lo desnibe the vast detail. every dc\'clopmcnl, subs our copy and
alcohol and great vintages art• not associated variety of the planet's wine grapes. :\early 30 makes it fit. tactfully drhcs us on, and keeps
with monsoons. years later, having survcyt•d ewry other aspect of the utmost good humour throttl(h a pretty
!Tow little WC knew. The bil( news or thl' past wi nt' in lwr (J.\jimf Companion lo \I 'ine. she and taxinl(schcdulc.
few years is that China has wry much got the two colleagues published I \'ine Grapes. a detailed .\uthors roulinl'ly thank their collaborators,
point of wine, and is not only buyinl( it. some limes review or 1.3(18 grapl' varil'lit•s in rnmmt•rcial usl' gcnufkt:t lo lhl'irpublishers.claim responsibility
rcganllcs~ of price, but producing a wry ~rca\ for wincmakinj.( today. for the mislakes. and \akt• lhl'ir bnw. I make a
deal in the heart nfthc ~1iddle Kingdom. India. suppkmenlar) daim: lo ht• the luckiest wine
Thailand. onl' easll'rn. \sian rnuntryaftcr another THE LANDSCAPE OF THE VINE atlas-maker e\·cr in my partner. our helpers. and
arc following suit. The landscape of the \'inc the .\tlas portrays you. our rt•aders. I l is ~our curiosity. enthusiasm,
True. when you compan• lhl' al(ricultural is many times llw size il \\'as. Its population. passion for wine. and l'agle eyes for detail that
world of wine\\ ith lht• science· dri\'t'n worlds of loo, is hecominj.( far more \•arit•d and its etlrnic makes om efforts so rt•wardin).(.
communication or transport its progress seems \'ariety much more appreciatl'd. Yl'l lhc t'sscnlial
more stately. Hut there is anolhl'r \'ariahlc to add connection. thl' unique link. lll'lWl'l'll fruit and
in: that ol'fashion. It seems odd f'or fashion to so soil becomes only mort• intense. There is no
profoundly affect son11:lhi11g as personal as taste other product on earth. agricultural or industrial.
in fond and drink. llut nol so odd, perhaps, when where value is as dirt•cll) and precisely related
you think that all of us nel'd guid1111ct· through the lo whcrl' il grows and is madl'. Only wine l(oes to
maze of'labcls and prices, qualilit•s and styles. market with the name of a fil'ld, a farm. or al lcasl
When lht• previous (sixth) l'dition went lo print a county, as its husirwss card. Tracin1'( the meaning
there were two major trt•nds in cvidcnc·c• (climate ofllwsc c:1rds, and lhl' rnnscqut•nl valul' of'lheir
chanl(c had already emerged as a major force by bottles, is Ih l' busint•ss of this hook.
the fifth edition). The first was diffcrt•nliatinn. It was the smarll'st mon• I ever madl' whl'll.
l l was no lonl(cr enough to name a broad region: with four editions of this work behind me. l
9
l I \ T IW I> l. er I () :\ 1:\T\WDLCTI():\
Introduction
and Shirazcs tarry· essences. there has been a de Pays now that they arc being replaced by. IGPs produce the wine (which in some cases may even ABBREVIATIONS
comprehensive volte-face. :\lost Chardonnays (sec p.46). New maps of Etna and northwest Spain be in a c.:1>nlract winery or custom crush fm.:i Ii ty).
arc no\\ so lissom they can almost he accu1;ed arc a responsl• lo the trend outlined a bow in 1t aly In such cases we have marked the former location The following most common abbrev1at1ons
of being anorexic. while a completely new style and Spain. respecti\·cly. while \\'l' ha\'l' introduced as being where they choose to present themselves are used throughout the text:
of Shir;1z. sometimes e\·cn called Syrah, ha~ a map of \'in ho \'erdc and extended that of the lo wine lovers. Wint• producers arc not marked
AOC Appellation d'Ongine Controtee
One ofth e ,ery few frustrating responses I get llugh has already remarked on the dramatic cmergctl. one in which e\egann' b a \'irtue. ln Dourn in northern Portugal. as well as adding on thl' l'Xl'eptionally detailed Coll• d·or maps.
AOP Appellation d'Ongine Protegee
from the swelling army of wine lovers around broadening of till' range of grape \'arieties put to Spain. the most rc\'cred reds were once the new maps of parts of'. \ustria. Croatia. Slo\'Cnia. however. since these concentrate on \'ineyards
the globe is: "The \Vorld Atlas of Wine? I've commercial use. It was not that long ago when densest and most ob,·iouslyoaked. but today. the and. for the 11rst time, Georgia. The l'llll'rgcnl rather than n•llars which lend to be huddled AVA American Viticultural Area
got a copy of that." It almost always turns out it Sl'l'llll'd as though the world·s winemakers. furn~ has been moving northwest lo \'ineyards winl' industry of Turkey gets its own treatment. together in the same village backstrccts anyway. DO Oenominac16n de Ongen
that the copy they are referring to dates from wherever they were, were making\\ inc lo a cooled by the At Ian lie and those al partinilarly while Lhe shrinking one of;\orth Africa has been >lote lhal in order to make il l'asicr to EU European Union
another decade. Don't they realize how much handful or global recipes using quite remarkably high ek,,·ations inland. Tn Italy. too. less is more. mothballed (perhaps to re-emerge as !\lorocco distinguish between wine-related name1; GI Geographic Indication
this book changes with each edi lion'? The third fc\\ international grape varieties. Today. real joy is with the transparent \\~nCs f(rO\\ non the slopes of beefs up its tourist industry). and place names. all wine names,\\ helhcr IGP Indication Geographique Protegee
edition just will not do! This seventh edition. for taken in recuperating. exploiting, and c.:L'll'lwaling :\lounl Etna and those on the suhalpi11L' slopl's of I I ugh and I could not be morca\\'arc of Lhl· huge appellations or wineries. arc in type with serifs INAO lnst1tul National de l'Origine et de
example. has hl'en the prime prnject for llugh. lorn\ \'inL' ,·ariclics in traditional n:)!ions. and in the .\os\a \'alley enjoyin~ newfound respect. chan~cs therl' ha,·e been in the wines produc.:l'd in (for example. lhe appellation of:\\ ECRSA.U LT) La Oual1te
me. Ill) hard working associate Julia llarding experimenting with nm·cl \'arietics in newer ones. We ha,·c tried lo reflect new areas orinterest in German) .. \s a rl'su l l. we offer you a compktcly whereas geographical names arc i11 sans sl'riflype OIV Orga111sat1on International de la Vigne
l\1\\'. and till' hook·s dought) managing editor The producer is much more l'nlcrl<1incd and Lhe what wchan• introduced in this new edition. Tell.ts Ill'\\ map of the Ahr plus detailed maps of (for example. the \'ill age of Meursault). el du Vin
Gill Pills for two long years. ,\s we progressed rnnsunwr is surely considerably more titillated. li<n-e been thoroughly updated and sometimes Wonncgau in Hhcinhessen. :\lonzingen in the In deciding the order of' different regions \\~thin PDQ Protected Designation of Origin
along the route from shaping it to doing it. our But we hm·e noticed another, 1110re rct:cnt. complctl•ly rl'\\ rittcn and we present no fewer :\ahc, and Kaiscrstuhl in Baden all in the mime countries, Wl' have tried very roul(hly Lo go from PGI Protected Geographical Indication
party of workers ballooned to incluck' a battalion gloh;il trend, C\'l'n if it tends to have been than 25 new maps. France remains the country of grl'aler geographical precision. west to east and from north to south, although like
of cartographers. dcsiw1crs. artists. researchers. reported from each region as though it were a mapped in the most dclail because i l is. of the two But we know, Loo. that much of the recent all rules this has its exceptions. While choosing
indexers, and the all-important local consultants. slricll~ local plwnomenon. \'irluall~ l'\·erywhcre most significant wine producers in the world by dcvelopml'nl in the world of wine has been far which labels to feature on these pages (a wine
Every word. symbol. and comma has been there is a distinct mo\'cmcnt awa~ from mass and far. that \\'ith the longest history of celebrating from Europe and arc keen lo ha\l' this .\tlas publishini:i; innovation when it was introduced
re\ iewcd and. typicall). re\·ised M> as lo offer in concentration for their own sake. a realization geographical precision. But L'\'L'n in France. the rcncct that. Thl• number of page~ devoted to in the first edition). I hm·e tried a~ far as possible level of efficiency in cartographic editor .\lison
this book a true and up-to-date representation of that wine~ arc more interesting if the) express winl'scapl' has changed noticeably since 2007. :\orth.\ mcric.:a has gro\\11 from 3.+ to .+O. thanks to make the labels shown rencct my personal E\\;ngton and ,\Ian Grimwadc and Allison Walls
the world of wine in 2013. a ,·ineyard\ natural characteristics rather and not just in how its wines arc denominated. in part lo much deeper covcragl' of Canada choice of the best \\·incs made in that particular of Cosmographics. I have been delighted!) and
This world is very different e\'en from the wine than winemaking technique. An inc.:rcasin).( The Langucdoc 1•ignoble. in particular, has (with Germany and England, one of the prime country, region. or district. The vintage shown on directly aware ol'the hard work and ll'nacity that
world of2007, \\hen the last (sixth) edition was proporl ion of the wine made Loda) is lighter, shrunk while average quality has soared. We beneficiaries of climate change) and or Mexico, the label has no particular relevance, although at has been displayl'd by the multi-talented Priscilla
published. and is completely unrecognizable fresher. and more transparently the product have introduced for this edition a detailed map of which no\\ has its own burgeoning wine culture the time of publication they are generally current Rebyo\'cr the past months. I lcruncnviablejob has
compared with the size. let alone stale. of the of geography than it was a decade ago. We arc Richchourg lo illustrate the parcdlation of even in Baja California. The mapsof:\orthern Sonoma and eminently respectable. These choices should been to track down often the most obscure labels
world of wine in, say, 1983. \\hen the third edition delighted by this. not just bl'l'ause it suits our some of the most famous vineyards of the Cote and Washington Statc·s Columbia \'alley have have a tr:ick record m·er many \'intages. or at least from all m·er the world. I hm·ealso had the pleasure
was published. In thateditionjust two pages were own taste in wine more. but also because it adds d'Or. and a particularly detailed map of the many been extended. while \-irginia. the Finger Lakes. several in the most embryonic wine regions. The of \\Orking with art director Yasia Williams.
devoted to South ,\merica. one to :\c\\ Zealand. further just ificalion for a detailed geographical different soil types of Chf1teauncuf-du-Pape. On and Santa Ynez \'alley all ha,·c their own nc\1' number of labels shown on each page is often who has been unfailingly good-humoured and
There was no hint that Asia would become the guide lo" inl' such as this. the other hand. we no longer dcrntc a map to \'ins detailed maps now. determined far more by page design than by accommodating, as has the publisher Denise
major force in wine that it is today. and so on. Tlrns. even in Calif'ornia. homl' of the Hoth Chile and Argentina ha\'C new maps. qualitatiw considerations. !\or should anything Bates. who has tactl'ullyconsulted fl ugh and me on
What is fun with each edilion is lo join the blockbuster. we can also choose l'rorn dclicall' No. not a chateau in Bordeaux, but Chateau Changyu and Australia's .\lornington Peninsula and part qualitative he read into the order in which all important points. II ugh and .I arc enormously
clots, to chronicle Lhc changes rcporlL•d from Pinols and racy Chardonnays grown on the AFIP Global in China's Hebei province. France of Tasmania have detailed map treatments for the labels arc shown on the page. Aesthetics. grateful to all those specified 011 p.2, who have
each wine region and. often, realize that they Sonoma Coast or in the equally fog-coolL·d Sta. provides the templates for both wine styles and the first time in this edition. The maps of the geography. grape varieties, and e;1Sl' of caplion m<uiaged lo get this book from our furrowed brows
winery architecture. In the past 10 years. China has
are surprisingly similar. The wine world. too. is Rita II ills ol' the Central Coast much further Awaterc \'alley in J\.larlborough and Canterbury writing have all \'ariously played their part in this. to crisp. beautiful, physical reality.And. as always. I
established itself as hugely important 111 \he wine
a \'illagc, it would seem: one that reflects in stark south. :\IL'anwhile. in Australia. where only world -not just as a consumer. but also as a grape are innovations fur our coverage of New Zealand. owe much to mywinc-lm·ing litcniry agent ofm ore
detail the cfkcts of climate change. yesterday ~urcly all Chardics were rich and oaky grower and wine producer. while new maps for Swmtland and Cape South PERSONAL THANKS than 30 years, Cara doc King.
Coast in South Africa and >lingxia in China are Hugh Johnson could not be a more generous, Particular thanks are also due to l'\'l'l)'Onc cited
symptomatic.: of' recent developments in those supportive. good-humoured. not lo mention in (and especially those inad1·ertcntly missed
countries all of them unthinkable when we were talented, collaborator. I le has been particularly off) the list of i\cknnwledgments on p.400. We
preparing the last edition. closely involved with this edition. scrutinizing have prevailed upon the goodwill of a vast array
every image and map. reading every word. and of informants all over the world and can only
HOW THIS ATLAS WORKS often rewriting mine. sprinkling Johnson gold bless them and the way improved tcchnolo~ry
The maps hmc been put together with the dust throughout thee:densivcly revised texts that has allowed us all lo communicate with such
consumer, not the wine bureaucrat, in mind. If an illuminate the maps. The book is all the better satisfying, almost dangerous (in terms ol'mccling
appellation .\OC. DOC, DO.A\'.\, GI, or South for this. deadlines), speed. ..\.ny faults in thb hook are
African ward. for example - exists hut is of no As so often over the past two years, WL' hm·e relied much more likely lo be mine than theirs. They
practical interest to the wine drinker. our policy is extremely hL·a1 ily on Lhc knowledge, diligence, cannot be hl'ld responsible for the man) opinions
Lo omit it. J f Lhc name of a region, area. or district and memory of my associate and lei low Master of expressed in this book, and certain I) not for such
is in common wine parlance, even if it has not Wine Julia I larding, who took particular charge tendentious issues as the choice oflabels.
y·ct been granted an oflicial designation. we have of re,·isi ng I Ill• maps and has hcr~elf de\'eloped ,\sever, however, I owe most lo :\ic.:k and our
tended to include it. a network of extremely generous informants in expanding family Julia, Will. Rose. Charlie.
\Ve ha,·e marked those \\'inerics we think art' ,;ncyards. wineries. and laboratories around the and Jake. I am deeply grateful for the fact that
of particular interest to the world·s wine lm·crs. world. ,\ml II ugh, Julia. and I. not to mention those of them who arc old enough lo drink seem
whcthl'r on the basb of the qualil) of llll'ir" inc publisher and originator :\'fitchl•ll Beazley. increasingly tolerant of the time I devote lo
or their local importance. It can bl' difficult in continue lo depend heavily- probably too heavily my othl'I' great love. the magical liquid that is
some parts of the world, however, to pinpoint on our managing editor Gill Pitts. who, as usual fermented grape juice.
exactly whl'rl' a winemaking enterprise is based. has managed to achieve what on paper looked to
~!any operations. particularly hut b~1 no means be impossible in the time allowed .. \ ,·cteran of
cxclusivcl~ in Californi;i and Australia. ha,·e a three editions of this work. she quill' literally bears
"cellar door". sales outlet. or tasting room in a the scars. and has been pure pleasure to work
quite different location from where the) actual!~ \\;th. I have been keenly aware of an unparalleled
TtlE .\"\CIE\;T \\'OHLD \\;)) \lllll>LE .\CES 11
The Ancient World
Starting in Provence. which had had (;reek dying wine growers and dl'parting crusaders
planled vineyards alrt•ady for centuries, bequl•athecl il their land. the Church became the
they moved up the Hhone \'alley and into the grealest vineyard-owner. I I was indeed identified
6 6 Languedoc, the Pro,·incia '.'Jarho1ll'nsis. but with\\ im· not only :is the "Blood of Christ". but
and Middle Ages 6 6 \H' ,ti JI ha\'e no clear e\•idcnct• of t'Xadl~ When as luxur~ and comfort in this world. Cathedrals
\ iliculturl' started in Bordeaux. The earliest and churches. but above all the multiplying
mention is in the works of lht• pot'l .\usonius in monasteries. owned or created most of the
6
the 4-th <.:l'nturyAu (Ausonius lin;•d in St-Emilion. greatest l"iney<trds of Europe.
3 perhaps l'n'n at Chiilcau i\usone). but it probabl~ Tht• Benedictines, from their great
l
lwgan long before this. motherhouses of l\lonk Cassino in Italy and
3
Wine is far older than recorded histo1·y. lt balanced dish on a polr. Smart young things look calculating. discussing how much work a slave ,\II the earl) developments were in the river Cluny in Burgundy. went out and cultivalcd Lhc
l
(•merges with civilization itself from the East. coaching in thr finer points of'kol/abos. But such t·oultl do for how little l'ood and sleep without \•alleys. thl• natural lines of communication. finest vineyards. until their way of life hecamc
The e\ idence from tablets and papyri and treatment of the wine. and the knowledge that it losing condition. Roman wine-growing was which the Homans cleared of l'orest and notorious: "Rising from the table with their \'cins
Ero1>tian tombs fills rnlumrs. Mankind, as we was almost im·ariably drunk as\\ hat we would on a n·r~ lar!(e scale. and business calculation Starting in Caucasia or Mesopotamia 1 1n perhaps culth·atl•d. at first as a precaution a!(ainsl swolkn with \l'ine and their heads on firl'." Their
rrcognize ourselves working, quarrelling, call "a \\inc cup'', flavoured with herbs. spices. was at the heart of it. It spread right across the I 6000 BC, the vine was cultivated in Egypt and ambushes. Besides. boats wt•rl' the best way of great 11101wsleries included Fulda. near Frankfurt.
loving, and worrying comes on the scene and honl'Y and dilult'd \\ ith wall'!" (somctiml's Empire. so that Home was e\·entuall) importing Phoenicia 2 in about 3000Bc. By 2000Bc 1l was in moving anything so hea\'y as wine. Rorckaux, Lorsch. near '.\lainz. and major establish men ls in
Greece 3 and by 1000 BC ii was 1n Italy, Sicily, and
with the support of a jug of wine. Pharnonic c\·en seaw:iter). seems to question its innall' countlc.s.s shiplo;id' of amphoras from ht•r Burgund.\. and Trier on thl' l\.loscl (where tJ1e ,\lsal't'. Switzt•rland. Bavaria. and ,\ustria.
North Africa .ti. In the next 500 years 1t reached
wi llt'. ho\\C\'L'r \'ividly painted for w• lo sec. is loo quality. That the wines ol' different islands of colonies in Spain. :"'forth 1\f'rica the entire at least Spain, Portugal, and the south of France museum preserves a fully ladl·n and manned H.eaction came in 1098. when Saint Robert
remote to ha\'l' an~· meaning. Ou rage ofw ine. with the Aegean wnc highly prized for their distinct :\lcditcrrnnean. Since Pompeii was a tourist 5, and probably southern Russia as well. Finally Roman winc-hoat in stone) probably all started ol' :\lolcsme split from the Bcnrdictincs and
still tracc<lblc roots. begins with the Phoenicians characters is indisputable. Chios in partic.:ular rt'sort and considerable cntn•p<'il for the wine (see map below! 1t spread with the Romans into as merchant centres for imported 1t alian or foundl•d tht• ascetic ordt·r or the Cistercians.
and Greeks who colonized the l\leditcrrancan. was a supplil·r in constant demand. \\'hcther the trade. its remarkable sun·h.,11 ).(ives us a great deal northern Europe 6, getting as far as Britain. Greek wine. and then planted tht•irown vines. named for their new abbey of Citeaux, within
thr l'hornidans starting about 1100 Bt. the wines would appeal to us today \\t' ha\'t' no wayol' of tit-tailed evidence. By the Isl century \Tl there were vines on the walking distance of the Cote d'Or. The
Greeks :l:JO years later. It was then that wine knowing. hut the Greek term "symposium" for a Jlow good was 11oman wine'.' Some of it Loire and the Rhine: by the second in Burgundy. Cistcrdan order was explosi\'ely successful,
bt•gan to arrive where ii was lo make its real home: t·onn•rsation O\'er wine hints al how mueh the~ apparently had extraordinary powt•rs or keeping. and hy lht• fourth in Paris (not such a good idea). founding not only the !(reat walled\ incyards of
Italy. France. and Spain. The c;reeks called Italy appreciated it. which in itself su~csts that it was well made. The > in Champagne. and on the :\lose!. Burgundy's !ht• Clos de \'ougcot in Burgundy and Steinberg
tht• I.and of Slaked \'ines (sec p.H·8).jusl as the (;reeks industrialized \\inc growing in must was frequently content rated h~· heat in).(. Ctite d'Or remains the least easy virwyard to in the Rht'ingau, beside their abbey of Kloster
\'ikings nilled America \'fn land for the profusion southern Ital~·. Etrusc.:ans inTuscany;111d l'urther and wine was stored over hearths to be expo~ed to account for. lrnving no com·enient navigable Ehl·rbath, but magnificent monasteries all over
of native vines they found eirca \fl I0 00. north. and Homans followed. So mueh was smoke to achieve whal musl have hecn <l madeira river. It lay where the main road north (to Euro pl' and eventually. of course. becoming as
written about wine <ind winemaking in :incient like effeet. Trit•r. the "northern Home") skirted Lhc rich notorious for their gluttony as the Benedictines.
ANCIENT GREECE Home that it b possihlt' to make a rough map proYint·e or ,\utun. Presumably the Autunois ,\Jcoba<;a in Portugal seems to have been their
The wines of Greece herself. no great matter for ol' tht• wines or the early Homan Empire (see ROME'S GREAT VINTAGES saw the commercial opportunit~. then .l\lichclin 3-slar establishment.
much of modern times. were l:n ishly praised right). The greatest'' ritl'l"s. l'H'n \'iq~il. wrote Homr's great vintages were discussed and C\'t'n ("'--1 found they had chosen a golden slope. The one important exc.:eplion to domination
and documented b~ ht•r poets. There was e\·en instructions to wine-growers. Ont· sentence drunk for longer than scl'ms possible: the famous The found;itions had been dug for the hy the Church was the thriving \'ineyard of
a fashionable aftcr-dinnn ).(ame in ,\thens that or hb "\'incs love an open hill" is perhaps Opimian - from the year or the rnnsulship or / v French wine industry we still know. Bordeaux. where development was simply
wcoinnsei sinte ydo oufr t churopw inintog tthhee alaisr tt foe whi lm ao duetlhifcualtse olyf ltoh ea b ewsitn sein-ggrleo wpieerc.e O olt'haedrvsic \e\ 'tth'rat't cmaunc bhe m).(ho·rcen O12pSiymeiaurss,o 1l2d1. nc was being drunk when it was ( 0rorino a Milano .~.~ THE MIDDLE AGES rI nl.3m2m loe rJ.cJ.i.)a:{l,. lwhict hg rae saitn Ugluec mhya orkt'eAtq iuni lv<iieiwne. , Fmroomst
Tht• Romans had all that is neeess;iry for Out of the Dark,\ges that followed the of western France. was united by marria!(e lo the
,\,
agl'ing wine. although the~· did not use the sanw •lf t:nUt.'ll.'i(' o'V•ono ~ rail of the Roman ~:mpirewegradually crown or England and bent its efforts to filling
Pormo
materials as we do. c;lass. for example. was not ->- 0 t•merge into thl• illumination of )!real annual wine Rcets with ho).(shcads of light
used for wine storage. \\'oodt•n barrels were ust•d \1w.illt'l1-.ee 0venez.ia the medie\·al period. to st'e in ib claret: the l'in nom•eaa the English lo\ ed. The
uni~ in (;aul (which included Germany). Like the luntn'if• Bologna0 •• p\fijl.lUnJ\1nnuumm ) painted pages an cnlirely familiar \'intners Company in London was granted its
Creeks, the Romans ust•d earthenware amphoras. olovenna scene: grnpc-picking and pressing, first Roy·al Charter (\'irlually a monopolym·cr this
An amphora holds about 7.3 ).(allons (:{5 litres). Fir0e nze • hiwn1un1m barrels in cellars and merry drinkers. thri\•ing tr:ide) in 136:~.
:\lost Italians of2.000 years ago probably drank • \Vinemaki n!( methods were not to change Tiut it was within the stab IL' framework of the
Pj\u·1111111m
11·i11c 1·t'r.1 like ;;omc of thdr les., sophisticall·d in their essentk1ls until the 20th century. Church and the monasteries. in which tools and
descendants today: young. ratlwr rough I~ made. 'f'°lmnnm• J>\c.:t"fl..., The Church was the repository of the skills ll'rms and techniques seemed to stand still, that
sharp or strong. according to the \'intage. E\·en the (11'",l\1-..;WllM_... e oftivilization in the Dark ,\ges indeed the the styll's of wine and even some of the grape
Homan ml'lhod or rnltivation of the ,·ine on trees. rnntinuation of Home's impt•rial administration \arieties no\\ familiar to us slowly came into
tht• ft>stoons which became the frit•zeson classical under a Ill'\\ guise. The Emperor Charlemagne heing. Fe\\ things in the medie\·al world \\'ere so
buildings. was still praclist•d until recently in recreall•d an Imperial system and took great and strict!) rl•gulated. Wine and wool were the two
parts oft ht• south ol'ltal~ and northern Portugal. famous pains lo legislate in favour of better wine. great luxuries ofnortlwrn Europe in the :\1iddle
The (;reeks took wine north to southern Gaul. As expansionist monasteries cleared hillsides Agt•s. Trade in cloth and wine made fortunes
The Romans domcsliealt'd il there. B) the lillll' and built walls around fields of cuttings. and as most notably in Flanders and the great annual
theywithdrl'W from what is now France in the :llh fairs that took place in Champagne, attr;icting
century \Tl, the Romans had laid the foundations merchants t'\en over the .\lps. \lo rt•!(ion became
for almost all or lhe most famous vineyards of 11.ihtc.umm Roman vineyards and wines in AD 100 mort' ob~csscd with \\ine than Germany. where
modern Europe. ! \lhanum •Kil\t'flb 1tl'I The middle map shows the approximate \'asl barrels known as "tuns" Wl're built for great
(-:i1l; TLPfoJnrJu.m:tlr1M.uu'l.m1:..l,ultim1(mmnn uu mn1 IJ.~nu_n. Tu:man•:n ti'ltun ddth1isrspotnulabgyuhsto 1aou nrt e otmfh etah rRek oagbmralpayen vc 1lEo1m1seep icVroiet1r sirn ev AsmOp do1e0nr0da. e Int ce with o\'irn 1ta9g.0c0s.0 T dhot'z Ie lnei dbeoltbtleersg. tCuonn hneoldis tsheeu erqsuhii\p« 1mlcanyt
- lklk'\.ciltanum •·1~unnum the vineyards of the 21st century, although there ha\'C bt·en rudimentary, but in 1224 the King
The Roman army veterans who established \/unuourn. •con~·ntlr)um is much less 111 Spa111 and Portugal. and less 1n or France held an inlernational tasting. "The
Merida 1n Extremadura, western Spa111, in 25Bc Messina,p France but vastly more 1n Eastern Europe (and Rattle ol'\\'incs" included 70 entries: from Spain.
were quick to exploit the region's suitability for •Hi.wnum apparently also 1n Britain!. The map on the left is
••• ~~mum (;ermany. and Cyprus as well as all over France.
ewn1t1h1ue-sgiraoswti1cn gtr.e Tahdiisn mg oofs agirca. pwehsi 1c1h1 ad setpoincets t trhoeu gh, SirocusaO 1t TP;owl1nL11.1Jntlufmmu m1m sa armeceo ynesatrr.u cNtaiomne osf owf 1m11oed-gerronw ci1ntg1 e1s11 aItrael ys hrno wthne in The judges \\'ere the king and an English priest.
was created in the 2nd century AO. c• ____ (\'.Jatri1u1n11w·1n1"1'(•u num bold; wine names in non-bold type. Cyprus won.
12 TllE E\'01.l TIO~ OF ~!ODEii\ \\'l\E
The Evolution of :\'ow these 1·ins de primeur began to gi\·e wa~ lo When 1t opened in Australia in 1888, Seppeltsf1eld's
gravity-flow winery was the largest and most
the dt·mand for long-fcrnwnted. dark l'Olourcd modern of its type in the world. It was built into a
vins cle yarde. cspeci<tlly from Lhc Cote de :\'uils. Barossa Valley hillside on a series of terraces.
In Hurgund~· al lt•ast. though, the master-grape.
Modern Wine Pino! :'\oir. had been identified and madt•
mandatory. Clwmpagne, loo, adopted l'inot The wine trade was booming. In the\\ ine
:'oloir in emulation. Germany's best vint•yards growing countries an unhealthy amount of lhl'
Wl're being replanted to Riesling. But most othl'r economy reslt'd on wine: in Italy in 1880. it was
regions were still expcriml'nting. call'ulated that no lt'ss than 80% of the population
The wine that bcndited most from the mon' or less relied on it for a Ji,·ing. Both Ital~· (in
l:1> lo lhe start of the 17th century wine was It b no roincidcnce Lhat we dale tht' creation dewlopmenl of the bottle was the fiery port tlw Tusl'any and Picmonte) and Spain (in Hioja) were
in the unique position of being lhe one and of most of the\\ in es we consider classics Loda) English had started to drink in the late 17th ccntui;. crcal in~ their lirsl modern export\\ines. California
only wholesome and - up lo a point - storable from lhl' second half of lhe 17th century. But not oul of choice, but bt•causc the duly on thl'ir was in the midst of its first wine rush. This was the
beverage. It had no chalkngers. Water wa~ these dt'\·eJopments would never ban• succeeded prefrrrcd French wine was raised to prohihilin' world phylloxcra struck (se(' p.15). At the lime.
normal!~ unsafe to drink. at least in cities. Ale without the timdy irwenlion of the glass \\ine Je,·els hy an almost uninlt•rruptcd stall' of war. \\hen it caused !ht' pulling up of almost c\·el') ,·int'.
without hops veryquickl} \H'nl had. There were bottle. Since Ro1m111 times wine had spent all its Thl'yhaddoubtsaboul itat first.but as the century, it st•cmcd like the end of l he world of wine.
no spirits. nor any of the caffcinc-rnnlaining life in a barrel. !lollies. or rnlher jugs. usually of' and lhl'irbollll's,grcwolder. theiropinion ofil rose In retrosped, the rationalization ofplanling, the
drinks that appear essential lo life today. potter) or leather. ,,·ere used simply for bringing sharply. The trend is graphically i Jiu st rated by lhl' introdudion t>fgraf'ting. and the enforct'd selection
Europe drank wine on a sc;ile of which it is it lo lahle. The early 17th century saw changes wa~ the port bot Lil' ch;mged shape within a centui)· of the most desirable grape \'arid ics together madl'
difficult Lo conceive; our ancestors must have in glassmaking technology lhat made bvttlcs from a globe with a neck Loa near-cylinder. a chance for a great ne\\ beginning. llut it w;is ;1
been in a perpetual fuddle. I l is hard lo haw stronger and cheaper to blow. At about the ~amc In 1866, Andre Jullien published the figun·s ,;low and tortuou~ start. \\'ilh e\'el) ~ort of setback
confidence in the descriptions of\\inc th al suryh·e time some 1mknm\ n thinker brought together lhe for the alcohol it· strengths ofrt'cent \intagcs. B~ in glut. fraud, Prohibition. Oepression. World \.\'ar The modern world of\\'inc st<rrtcd in the 1960s, is that marketing takes O\'CI' from lht' people with
from before abou l 1700. \\'i Lh the exception of bottle. the cork, and the corkscrew. today's standards Lhe buq~undic. arc formidable: ;ind had weather. ln 40 years (to take Bordcmrx with lhl' almost simultaneous appearance of new wine-stained hands.1\larkctecrs play safe. Their
Shakcspc;1rc's graphic lasting note from 1 /enry Bit by bit it became clear that wine kt'pt in a Corton 1858, l~.6"(: ~lonlrachct 1858. 14.3'1:: as thl' sample). onlyll \'intagl's niuld bt•descrihcd winl'ril's with high ambitions in C;rlifornia and a<h ice will flood the market with \I hal sold last
!\;Act 11. "a mar\'ellous searching wine. and ii tightly rnrkcd bolt le lasted far longer than wine \'olnay 1839. 14.9"<: Hichcbourg 1839, 14.:3,.c. In as good. It was against this depressing background •\ ustralia. and perhaps more signilkantly tht• year rather than what a \'incyard is bt·~t capable of.
perfumes the blond l're one can say '\\'hat's this?'." in a barrel. which was likely to go off rapidly after contrast, Bordeaux wines of the sanw two years that the French go,·ernmcnl made the first 11101·cs launl'h by E &J Galloofchcap pulatahlt· tahlcwines The dangt•r of sament'ss. of every producer
Lhey lend to refer lo royal recommendations or the barrl'I was bro;ichec.J. It also aged differently. r;1ngcd from 11.:~<:'c (St-Emilion Supfricur) lo a towards regulation in the fledgling regime of (cn•n if they were labelled "Chablis" and "I Ie arl) aiming at the global market with a "me-loo"
miraculous cures rather than to taste and ~tyle. acquiring a "bouquet''. The l'in de ,garde was mere 8.91( (Ch<itcau Lafile). •\ ppcllations d'Origine Controlees (sel' p.46). The Burgundy") tu catt•r to a l'Omplctcly 1w\1 public. wine. has been well aired. To most consumers. it
In the 17th century all this changed. st<1rting created and with il the chance to doubk and The lown;1tural slren~h oflhe Bordt•aLLX\\'irws not i1111 of Lcrroir was l'odit ied for lhe ti n;l t imc. mu,;t he said. it is nol t1 d<mgcr al nil. Base-level
ll'ith chocolate from Central America, then treble the price of' wines capable ofagL'ing. explains wlwl sl'ems today a curious lrnbi l of Llw OAK AS MAKE-UP wint• drinkers make up Lhe majority, and whal
coffee from Arabia, and finally tea from China. It was the owrwr ofChalt'au IJaut-Brion who old winl' trade. L'p lo the mid-19th cl'ntury the SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY Armed with the science to impron• qualit~. and they want is l'ontinuity. \'aricty equals confusion
,\l lhe same time the Dutch developed the art first hil on the idea ofwhal \\L' might call "rt·servc" wines for England which was most of the best Thl' 20Lh century sawt:\vo rernlutions in Lhe world with kchnolo~ that accl'ieratcd " ith demand. and loss of confidence. To Anglo-Saxons. the
.ind commerce of distilling, turning huge Lrads wines: sdected. lalt•r-pickcd. stronger. carefully of Bordeaux were subjected to what was known nfwiill': the first scit'ntific. Lill' second industrial. ambitious winemakers folt there were no lll'ights reassurance ofl<rbels in English has been another
of wesll'rn France into suppliers of cht•ap while made. and matured. In the 1660s he opened as le lrcm1il al 'an,qlaise. One recipe ealll'd for the .\sit began. the practical significance of Pasteur's they could not scale. The )!real discm t·ry of the big factor in tht' sutcess of New \,\'orld wines.
wint• for their stills: hops turned ale into mun• London's first rcslaunrnt. under his m1 n name. addition of30 litres of Spanish wine (,\Jicantc or sciL'nn' was just sin kin~ in: ferml'nlation was 1960s was that French oak barrels. ust'djudiciously. On the other hand. the world's wi llt' drinkers arc
stable beer and !-(re at cities bc!(an to pipe the clean l'onlac's llcad, to publicize his produce. lknicarlo). two litresofunfcrmcnted while must. rn1 lnn~cr a mysll'ry but a prncess that cnuld could give wines from Yl.'I) different terroirs more slowly but 111l'asurnbly l rnding up and taking mmc
water thL·y had lacked sin<.:c Homan limes. ThL' ln the early 18th century, burgund) changed and a ho Lt le of brandy to ea eh barrel ofc laret. The be controlled. Rordcaux had opem•d the J'irst than a passing rest•mblance lo llw "classics" of interest in what they arc drinking. Qu<rlitywint• is
wine industry w<1s threatened with calastrophl' its nature, too. The most delicate \1ines, \'olna) summer after Lhe l'intage the wine was sd to unin·rsit~ department dl'dicated to ot'nology, at Francl'. :o\o single factor did more to do~c the gap gaining at the eiqJense oftnble wine a trend that
unless ilde,·cloped new ideas. and Sm·igny. were once the most fashion<.1blc. ferment again with thcsl' additives, then treated lhl' s:1111c time as i\lontpcllicr. Geisenheirn. l T betwt•t•n Frencl1 wine and its imitators. a future surplus at all ll'vels will only accclcralc.
as other wines and kept for several years in wood Davis in California, and Hoscworthy in Australia Sadly. it was ;i trick that soon gut 0111 of control. The days arc passing when. for example.
bl'fore shipping. The result was strong wine with opcnl'd tkpartmcnts for the study ofl'iliculture. as Jl<l\·k·cs confused the taslt• of oak with lhe taste branded Chardonnays can slug it out in the
• Re- a ~ood Jla\'Our. but "'heady and not suitable for all Tlw t•stablishcd wine world had enough prohlerns ofg 1>od ''inc. Ovcruseofoak as Ramu ring. making marketplace on the basis of low price and Jots of
sti)machs". lt fctd1l'd more thtm milurnl wine. tu solvl'; the enwrgingone had every decision to wint's that rcl'rt•sh no one. is still a widespread adwrlisi ng. ,\s consumers learn more about wi nt'.
• White Today's preoccupation with authenticity. cn•n takl'. starlingwith which \'arit'tit·s lo plant. problem. not only in thl' '\e\\' World. hut among and about their own taste.;. lhey are prepared to
Silit1' ,(' Schlo'> Johanni<IJ.,l')l at lhe t'xpcnse of quality. makes these practices Rut it was not until the 1950s. as .\merica French. I tali an. and Spanbh produn·r, ''ho h:n·c spend more. It lwcame clear in the last decades of
11 \larcuil) Rlldt"hc1m seem abusi\'C. But it is as if someone rc\'caled stnrµ;µ;led oul oft he chaotic lq.(ae~· of Prohibition. lost rnnfidence in Lhcirown lastl' and bend lo the Lhe 20Lh century that the days of the nondescript
Cha1cau1 Dllll'>~ i(t c" ~G1er.ilnlfhctn>1lw11l '!I as a shocking practice the addition of brandy to and Europe began lo recowr from \\'orld \\'ar wind of fashion. arc numbered. The vinl'yards of the .\1idi that
W\lin~t·U \ 1P.ieeal'!o)a .1 ll\lico-cdhrhiteh1 m Lei SI port. We like Douro wine with brand} in it: our fl. that anything like prospcrit~ returned to The :!Isl century started'' ith tht• greatc!<l <lllct• prndun•d 1·i11 ordinaire arc now Lhc home
ll.laJtuotu·Br rion SleUl anct·~tors liked 1.afite laced with Alkanle. (1\nd ch;ileaux. wineries, and domaines. supplies (indeed. a potentially embarrassingglut) of\'ins de Pays (IGPs). Fc\1 grudge the premium.
Rauz:in tastes change; today we likt• Douro wi nt' without for the warm rnunlril's of the New World the of good winl' from more sources tlwn Lhc world and sueccss spurs the producers.
UIJiO.'{\Oillfefi he' T Liebfr:mcnm1lch br:tnd~ as wcl I.) true rernlution came ,,·ith refriger<1lion and the has l'\l'r known. Addl'd to all tht' scientific and Thl•re arc many reasons to bt•lie,·c in tht•
GBUroi-mArene'tn '·e( B·L \l;tio.nIRulllu'onenari cc l Mom Racht1 anldn ftuhlel e1r9 tihn cceonltouuryr .a cnhda mflpaavgonuer waas lsthwocudgehr oabnillyi la~r ntmo acloiol.l: .t bhael afenrcmede,n atnindg p mroufsitta. bAllym aogscta tbllwe olcfl t'hhne o2l0otghic caeln attuhr-ya nwcacss i, nti tl·lo' gmrmealtm liecaap\ iaoln t.h hee enncde saus ravmhhaill ioofu ;\;a rNicetw~ W-ionrdlede gdr oiwn cirtis; rree\p'lia\acle,
Pichoo-Longut:\illt otherll'isc ver~ Ii kc it is today. Port and sherr) table 11 ines tht'refore came from northern in worldwide compel i tion. Cabernet and ~lerlol with Sangiovcse, l'icbbiolo.
had both been perfected. Tht•re was more strong Europe. Once that nul was tTacked. California There arc fe\\, if any. secrets today in a world Tcmpranillo. Touriga :'olacional, and vast tracts
sweet wine: .\lalaga and J\larsala \\·ert' in their took lo varietal wines like a religion. Nol many whirh used lo play its l'ards clost> to the chest. of Sy rah or. more likely thanks to .\ustralia's
High Douro ~1r;1-gro1B11ah,.'., ,1ocf lltm111<1ge he~rcJays . .\ladcira, Constantia. and Tokay (as \'arictics: Zinfandt'I was California's own grape. The "flying wirH'maker" was an irwl'nlion 11f increasing influence, Shiraz. But Lht•rc art'
Prc1gnar \ll'al il was then called) \\ere as highly rl'garded as hut Chardonr1<1~ was "lht• suit• source of the grl'al the 1980s: a high-tech professional. usuall~ heartl'ning !>igns that\\ inc producer!' all OH'r
Shem from the white "" nomme'\, d1!\'J U1111tn·me to-,f, !llieraduitm'\eI\ ) (;crman~ 's Troekl'nheerenauslesen. French white burgundies". Cabenwt "the premier Australian. originally com rnissioned to m::rke I\ inl' the world arc taking new interest and delight in
I':i."1ri:1e l'illenan~:d'Ornon R:l1tCl)\l\t ( red grnpl' of the Bordeaux area nf \.'ranee". Their in Europe in Australia\ winll'r, now ol\en making what they and they alone h<we to offer lod<iy·~
(,lj~lu.u .m. rllrgt.tn. ."ic1r>e It 1s fascinating to compare A Jullien ·s 1866 nthaamt ln'so b wecinaeml)e irnncualndt hatei ownist.h tohucti.n .\\uinslersa cliaat.e wgohroisees Wmainn~<\'m\ ainkeesr sa, tf ltylwin sga omre l 'Larimlheh aolul nodn.• rs othmee wlionrwlds. bint'c r\'lC«rlys isnpgelyc idails lcoecranli ncgo ncdointsiounmse or.r wanh eatlhmeor sitt
ll..t•c,~ li.W:<IUltd.e' s cmtaosds1efr1nc aidt1eoans o. Ifn t hheis w Toorplodg'sra gplr1e1aet dwei nTeasu sw leitsh our founding wine-growers planll'd Shiraz, Se111illon. seem to be in constant eonfcssional. spewing out extinct indigenous grape 1•aricty. This does not
Vignobles Connus he listed the vineyards shown on and Hit'sling. had lo hutT) lo introdun· the grapt's e\'Cry detail of tlll•ir doings on hack-labels. Tht' ma kt' learning about wine any easier. but wint' is
this map [in their original spelling!. lhc \\ holt• world starlt'd to want. L'H'r prcst•nl dangt'r of a global dllage. of course. naturally compk•x and all the belle r for it.
f
15
T 111: \ I \ E
iTllE \l'\E
The Vine
PES1'S, DISEASES, AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE VINE
·~·.·. -.e-~.
It is an exlrnordinary fact lhal this especial\~ \'or lhc purpose. Frcclancl' labour was .\s •I \'inc grows oldt•r. its principal root~
wonderfully rnried and evocative drink wc call hired for the \'intage: it was too dangt•rous to risk penetrate deeper into the ground in ~earch of • ~_· __-A_ ·_ . • ·~
wine is the fermented juice of.i single fruit, your own sla\es. waler and nutrients. In very ).(cnernl terms. the
,._·]~·'uf:-> i'.: .. _·.. -·.
the grape. Evt'I') drop ol'wirll' we drink is made ~1odcrn vines. of course. arc nol allowed to youn!(er the \'inc, lhe lighter and less subtle the
from rain (and in hotter regions irrig•llion water) waste their precious enerb'Yon being "vigorous" wine although vines can prndul.'e delicious
r...,. •
rerovercd from the ground by the mcrhanism of making long. leaf\ branches however much they fruit in their first year or two. when yields
·~
the plant that bears grapes. the vine. and in lhc may lry (sec p.25). Helter-quality )!rapes grow in arc naturally low and the available fla\'our
presence of sunlight com·crtcd by photos) nlhcsis moderate I~ fertile soil on a \'ine that is pruned in is eonrenlraled into rclali\·cly few grapes.
into fcrnwnlahle sugar. with a lil\k hdp from '-\'illll'r and rq~ularly cut back \11 a \Cr~ limited Somewhere between three and six years after
The phylloxera louse eats vine Trunk diseases are increas.ngly Leafroll virus s a complex of Fungal diseases such as downy
nutrients in the soil. number of buds. being planted. the vine stahilizcs. filling the
leaves and tendnls as well as affecting vines all over the world. different 111ruses which turns v111e and powdery mildew as well as
For the J'irsl two or three years of its life. a Like most other plants. \'ines \\ill reproduce space allotted to it abo\'e !(round. rt produces roots. Native to North America. 1t A range of diseases such as esca, leaves a deep red and causes them various sorts of rot are the v111e's
young vine is too busy creating a root system and from Sl•t•d, but the seeds rarely turn out like their increasing!~ l'lm·ourful grape~ and Lhercl'orc reached Europe on the botanical eutypa dreback. and black dead arm to curl downwards. While the vrnes chief enemies except in the most
building a strong woody trunk to hear more than parents. Instead, \'iliculturists propagate vines more and more concentrated wine. This is specimens collected by Victorians, IBDAI can fatally damage the wood are often gloriously photogenic, the and climates. The most effective
a few grapes. Thereafter. ll'l'L lo nature. it would asexually by Laking cuttings so that they c:.111 he presumably thanks to an inl'J'l'asingly complex on steamships able to cross of the v111e trunk (see esca-affected wines are seriously lean because weapon 111 thev1gneron·s armoury
the Atlantic fast enough for 1t to trunk above!. The frrst symptoms the disease slows the whole 1s spraying vines with fungicides
rampage away. bearing some fruit but spending sure that the offspring arc the s<11m: as the mother root syslt'111 that regulates the suppl~ of waler survive the iourney American v111es are strange colours and patterns on ripening process. and 1t tends to based on copper. trad1t1onally
much more of its energy on making nt'\\' shoots \'inc. l'ip:; arc used only for experimenting with and nutrients. are resistant to 1t. and grafting vine leaves and wood. Vrnes can die reduce yields by up to 50%. Leafroll copper sulphate, which is known as
and pulling•n1t long. \\antleringbranches oflca~ nc\\ cn»;scs between different n1rit'lies. Yields typit:all~ start lo decline after 25 or 30 European v111es onto American roots soon after. Research into the causes virus .s present all over the world Bordeaux mixture. The copper can
wood. ideally seeking out a tree to climb. until it For planting a nl'\\'\'incyard, cuttings arc either years (or lht• \·ine succumbs lo diseast• or is of an 1s the only effective defence. and a cure is a top priority but has been a particular problem 111 leave the vines this alarming bright
South Africa blue colour.
co\'cred as much as an acre (nearly half a hectare) plan led to take root on their 0\\11 or graf'lcd onto unfashionable ~rape \·aricty). when\ ines tend to
of ground. with new root systems forming a rootstock: a rooted cuttin!( of another species be pulled oul as uneconomic. \,\'inc from vines
wherever the branches touched tht• soil. spccially:ielel'led l'orthcsoil type or resistance lo older than this generally command a premium
This natural form of reproduction. known drought or nematodes (tinywor111s), for i nstancc. and may be labelled the produet• of old vines
in Frt•nch ••s prol'ignage. was used lo make a Nurserymen should lry lo takl• cuttings only l'ieilles 1•i.q11es in French. PESTS AND DISEASES THE SPREAD OF PHYLLOXERA
vineyard in ancient times. To prevent the grapes from plan ls that arc healthy and freeofdrus. The Tht· best soils (sec pp.22-2:{) drain quickly Tht• European\ ine famil). c<1lkd 1•inifera. or examplt•s) ha\'C yet to experience this predatory
rottin!( or the mice get Ling them. since the~ lay lilt le gralkd "slips" arc plan led out for a season and often deeply, somelimt·s drawing the roots "wine bearing". has countless enemies. the aphid. and so happily plant their \ inift•ra 1863 Phylloxera louse discovered 1n
on the ground. little props \\'ert• pu:;hcd under until they form roots. If there is any danger of dtm n to great depths to find a stable hut not worst oflht•rn dbcascs and pesls introduced far \ ines di redly as ungrafted cuttings. In Oregon southern England.
the stems to support each hunch. If the vine \irus infection. tissue-cultured \irws. grown loo-generous water supply .• \L the same time. Loo ren•nlly (mosll~ from America) for it to have and :\cw Zealand. howe\·cr. this lrns prm·ed a
1866 Found in the southern Rhone Valley and
grew near trees. il used its tendrils lo climb from on!~· the \'irus-frcc growing-lip. have to be the \inc tonslantly grows nc\I' feeder roots de\·eloped any natural re;.islance. 1n the 19th shorl-LL'flll stratagem. and in the l98Us \'inc
the Languedoc, France.
them to dizzy heights. The Homans plan led elms nurtured in a laboratory to become [I rooted plunl. near lhl· surface. century. first powdt·r~· milde\I (oidium) and then growers in northern California learnt to their
dmrn~ mildt•\\ (peronospern) attacked Europe's cost th;1t rootstocks have lo be \Cr~ tarc!'ully 1869 Phylloxera reaches Bordeaux.
\'ines and \'iniJ'cni \ incs plan led in the ~cw chost·n ii' Lht•y are to offer reliable resistance
\\'arid. Laborious rcml•dies were dbcm·t•rt•d for to ph~·Jloxcra. I lundreds or Lhou:;ands of acres 1871 Discovered in Portugal and Turkey.
HE VINE THROUGH THE GROWING SEASON
the"e two fungal disea,es. though both still need there had to ht• replanted\\ ilh more suitable, 1872 Phylloxera found in Austria.
treatment by regular sprayin!(. . \not her rnmrnon tnil~ ph~ lloxera-resbtant roots tocks. and strict
BUDS DEVELOP LEAVES FLOWERING BEGINS rea~on for the pnsi,tcnt drone of trattors quarantine rules are in force in man~ \\int• rt•gions 1874 The louse spreads to Switzerland
SEPARATE spraying\ irwyartb. in the growing season is rol. to keep phylloxt•ra oul.
As early as March 1n Northern Europe Between 6 and 13 weeks spccilicall)' the malign form ofbotrytis fungus The p;irts of the \'inc that gro\\ aboH· ground 1875 Phylloxera found in Italy and also as far
ahnedm Sisepphteerme,b tehre i nb uthdes sleofut tahfetrenr Wbu1dth b1rne 1a0k ,d laeyasv oesf start aflfotwere briundg borfe athke. tvhinee c bruecgiianls (as opposed to the benevolent form. whi<.:h can arc on the menu for a whole menagerie. loo. Red aofri eeladr lays 1 V87ic6to. ria. Australia, in late 1875
winter pruning start to swell and to separate from the bud with the emergence of llny produte such t'Xteptional sweet whilt' wirws as spiders. tlw grubs of the cochylb and eudernis
the first signs of and embryonic tendrils caps of fused petals. These tl10sc described on p.96). This botrytis hunch rot. moths. \'ariou:; sorts of hectics. bugs. and mites 1878 Phylloxera reaches Spain Grafting of
green can be seen begin to be visible. and look very like miniature also called gn·~ rot. can impart a fatally mould) find \irws nutritious. The latest t•nem~ lo vines onto resistant American rootstocks
emer9in9 from are all too vulnerable versions of the grapes that taste lo gr;t)ll's. and is incrcasin).(I~ resistant lo \'iticullure is tht•. \.sian lady beetle. whic.:h releases begins 111 France.
Tthhei sg hnaaprlpeedn ws owohde.n tmo ifdr-oNsto. vwehmicbhe cr a11n1 c sotroilkeer adiss ltaritcet as so fm tihde-M noaryt hoerr n wthiell cbaep fso framlle, de xhpeorsei nogn cthe e stigmas so that anti rot d1emrcals (see pp.:N 25 for alternath·e a body fluid that eH·n in tiny amounts lain ls the 1881 Presence of phylloxera confirmed 111
temperatures reach and southern hemispheres, respectively. Late they can be fertilized by pollen to create strategies). Fungal dist•ases are a particular wine. l\losl of thl'sl' pests can be controlled by German vineyards.
about 50°F I 10°CI. pruning of the vine can delay bud break. the berries. problem in damp climates or \dwrt• the vine's the \'arious chemical sprays to\\ hi ch so man~
lea\'l's art• partinrlarl~· dense. \'ines are suhjcl'led throughout tht• sumnwr. 1885 The louse 1s discovered in Algeria.
Towards the end of the 19th ccnlur~. soon af'lcr :\Tcanwhik'. the ).(rO\\·ing band of organic and
a cure for Lht• two mildews had het•n dcH•loped. hiodynarnic vint• growers arc experimenting 1897 Phylloxera found in Dalmatia ICroat1al.
a far more dangerous scourge was obst·n·t·d and. \\ilh mon· natural mt'lhods ~uch as predators. 1898 Spreads to Greece.
FULL RIPENESS VE RAISON FLOWERING EFFECTS e\'entuall~. idt•ntilie<l. The ph~·lloxer:i louse feasts pht'ronwncs. and biopest icides. Tt•as made
on the roots of the \'ine and e1·entually kills il. It from plants sul'h as hnrsl'lail ma\ ht• used 1980s Phylloxera-affected vines found in
Measuring ripeness -and in particular The place of such buds as escape frost and The size of the eventual crop depends on the almost tkstroyl·d lhc t•ntire European dncyard. prophylactitally against fungal diseases. northern Cal1forn1a
deciding what constitutes perfect ripeness - rain is la ken by hard, green baby grapes in success of pollination. Poor weather during until it was d istm't·red that naliH·, \nwrican \'in es Pierce's Disl·ase is spread by a ll'alhopper. the
has been the focus of much recent research. June/December. These grapes swell during the 10-to 14·day flowering can result 1n 1990s Diseased vines discovered in Oregon and
Dark-skinned varieties should certainly the summer, and 1n August/February undergo couture, whereby the stalks of an excessive (phylloxcr:i came J'rnrn .\merica) are immunl'. glassy-wingt·d sharpsl10oter. whose ability to fly 1n New Zealand.
have uniformly deep vera1son, whereby they number of very small berries \'irtuall~· e\'cry' int· in Europe had Lo be replaced long tlisL;met•s has put a wide range of i\nwrican
coloured skins. but soften and turn reddish shrivel. causing them to drop with a 1·iniJ'cra rutting grafted onto a rooled \ incyards at risk. \'incs dil' within !ht• years of 2006 Phylloxera found rn Victoria's Yarra Valley,
stems and stalks or yellow The ripening off, and also millerandage: cutting from an .\merit-an \·ine. a ph~ lloxera first sutcurnbing lo this bacterial db;case. showing Australia
should start to lignify process begins and different-sized berries on
lturn woody! and grape sugars start to build the same bunch. resistant roobt0<.:k. first as demi spn\s un \he lcm·es. which L'\'l'nllmlly
seeds should show no rapidly inside the grape. Soml' oftlw world's newer wine rel(ions (Chile fall off. ~o grape \arit'lit•s arc resistant and there
sign of greenness. and parb of \ustralia being the most oln ious is no kno\\ n t·u rt•.
16 17
I '\ TE H \ \ I' IO'\ \I. <.II \ I' ES I \TEii\ \TIO\ \I. C.H \l'ES
International Grapes PINOTNOIR SYRAH/SHIRAZ MERL OT
Cherry, raspberry, violets, game, mid-ruby Black pepper. dark chocolate. notable tannin Plump, soft, and plummy
This me ..,s v< grape rs r at1ve1y <arty-r penrng In it~ nort.iern Rhone Va ey h ime, Syrah most Cabernet Sauv1gnon·s trad1l1onal. slightly paler,
,ind extremely seris1t1ve to terro1r Planted famously makes great dark. long-lived Herm1tilge fleshier blending partner. especially in Bordeaux.
somewhere hot. rt will ripen too fast and fail and Cote-Rolle (where 1t 1s traditionally perfumed where its earlier ripening makes Mertot so much
to develop any of the many fascinating flavour with a lrttle V1ognierl. It 1s now planted all over easier to grow that 1t 1s the most planted grape
Ifj .{t'Oj.{raph) determines the nuanl'es of ho\\ ........,N OF A PINOT MOIR GRAPE TOWARDS THE END OF compounds its relatively thrn skins can harbour southern France, where 1t 1s commonly used 1n there Easier to ripen than Cabernet Sauv1gnon tn
a ''inc taste:.. lht' ra\\ mall'rial is the grape 1'111 •PENIN8 PROCESS Pinet No1r's perfect place on earth 1s Burgundy·s blends. Syrah tastes quite different rn Australia. cooler vintages. 1l 1s more alcoholic tn warmer ones
\ ariet) on·arict it•<, that j.{o into tl1c \\ine. Sinc l' Cote d'Or where, 1f the clones. vine-growing. and where, called Shiraz. 1l 1s the country·s most planted Its bigger berries and thinner skins mean generally
thl' mid-:!Oth t'l'lllur~. \'ariclit•s have played an w1nemak ng techniques are right, 11 can convey red grape. making dense. rich. potent wines 1n less lann1c. more opulent wines that can be enioyed
int-rt•asingly import;rnl roll• in tht• languaj.{e of Brush What remains intricate differences of terrotr So haunting are plilces as warm as Barossa, though 1t can still have il sooner Merlo! also has an independent existence
attached to the stem when great red burgundy"s charms that growers all over hint of black pepper rn the cooler reaches of Victoria as a varietal. particularly in the USA, where 1t rs
winl'. Today far fe\n•r wine drinkt·rs know Lhl' Stem (or stalk! As grapes -----------4. grapes arc destemmed the world try to emulate them, with the greatest Today growers all over the world are experrmenllng regarded as easier to drink (11 more d1fficull to
nanw Chablis, for inslann". lhan kncm the n;imc reach full physiological at lhe winery, or knocked success so far in Germany. New Zealand, Oregon. with 1h1s easy-to-love grape whose wrnes, however adm1rel than Cabernet. and in northeast Italy,
oftht• grape from whil'h wines in this northern ripeness. stems turn from off the bunch during and the coolest corners of Cat1forn1a and Australia. ripe. always have a savoury kick at the end. ll 1s where 1t 1s easier lo ripen. It reaches its apogee tn
Fn•nch appellation art• made: Chardonnay. It is green and fleshy to brown Mechanical harvesting. Pinot No1r 1s rarely blended for still wine. but with 1ncreasrngly important and revered 1n Chile. South Pomerol, where 11 can result tn voluptuous, velvety
Chardonnay and its cousin Ptnot Meunier rt is part of Alma, New Zealand, and Washington Stale, and ts essences 1l 1s widely grown 1n Chile. where 1t was
mueh t•asicr to gt•t lo ).(rips \\·ith a lwndful of well and woody. Stems can the standard recipe for champagne. widely planted in Argentina, too. long confused with Carmenere.
knm\ n ).(rape namt·s than to knm\ ;111 Lhe pos~ihll' make a wrne taste tart
and astringent
plal't' nanll's that could lw found on wine laheb.
which is wh~ "\aril'lal labelling" has hecomt•
so popular. That said. hll'nds of' two or more
,·aril'ties arc hct·oming inrreasingl~ n1mmon at
the l'\(ll'11't of mo nm~ 1ril'l<1I wrnl's .
•\ passin).( acquaintann with tht particularly
\\l'll-tran•llcd niril'lit•s dt•scribcd on these pages
would prm ide a j.{ood start lo anyone's wine
cdul'alion. At least sollll' of the mw,L olH iou,;
charal'tt•rist it·s ou LI i nt·d hclcrn l'al'h grape
name slwuld ht• mon• or ll'ss j.{Uarantt•t·d in any
rnriet ally labelled hot t It• which i nl'l udes the
Pip (or seed) The
J.{rc;1l majority of wirll' produced mrtsidt• Europe number, s.ze. and shape
and an inl'n•asing proportion of Europt•an. c,·en of pips ts d11ferent for
French.'' int•. different grape varieties.
All pips release bitter
But to progress in lt•rms of winl' knowledge.
tannins rf crushed Pulp (or flesh! This 1s Skin The most important
lo start to undl•rstand most of the j.(ood and ).(real wine ma•n ngredient 1ngred1ent in red wines.
wines of' Europe and lo undt•rstand llw suhtleties by v01ume, containing containing a high
ofw im•s madt• elst'\\ lwn'. you nel'd lo satisfy some grape sugars, acids. and, concentration of tannins.
)!eographkal niriosity .• \hook like thb t'<lll hl'lp to mainly, water The flesh of colouring matter, and SAUVIGNON BLANC RIESLING SEMILLON
almost alt wine grapes 1s compounds which
explain mon· than any ot lwr\\hy 1l crrnila)!t' tastes this grey colour. determine the eventual Grass, green fruits, razor-sharp, rarely oaked Aromatic, delicate, racy, expressive, rarely oaked Frgs, citrus. lanolin. full-bodied, rich
different from anolhl'r" illl' made from the same wrne's flavour
Piercingly aromatic. extremely refreshing, and, Riesling is to white wine what Cabernet Sauv1gnon Sem11 Lon s .nLluded here on the ,trength of the
).(rape. Syrah, ).(rmrn 30 mi ks (-J.8k111) upsln·am on unlike most of the grapes on these pages. best 1s to red - it can make entirely different wines excephonal quality of the sweet wine produced from
the diffcrl·nlly angled slopl'' of Cotc-Hiilit'. drunk relatively young. Sauv1gnon Blanc's original in different places and can age magn1f1cently rt. particularly in Sauternes and Barsac, where 1t
home in France ts the Loire, particularly 1n and Mispronounced ht 1s Reesslrng"l. underruted. and is trad1t1onally blended 4: 1 with Sauv1gnon Blanc.
around Sancerre and Pou1lly-sur-Lo1re for Pou1lly under pr iced for most of the late 20th century, Riesling together with a lrltle Muscadelle. lls relatively thin
Fume. where 1t can vary considerably according 1s slowly becoming more fashionable. The wine skrns make Sem1llon (Sem1tton outside France!
to vintage. Grown 1n too warm a climate 11 can lends lo be powerfully scented, reflecting minerals. highly susceptible to the botryl1s mould that can
CABERNET SAUVIGNON CHARDONNAY lboes eto tol sh cehaavrya icnt meruiscthic o afr Coamliafo arnndia a ac1ndd1 Aly uasntdra claian sflwoweeetrnse. slism, ea,n da nadg eh.o Rneieys dlienpge mndaiknegs o gnr retast pbrootvreynt1asnecde . mrn itrhaec urilgohuts lcyo wndi1tht 1noonsb lceo rnocte. nItt rtsa tteh eth me ogsrta ppelasn ted
Blackcurrant, cedar, high tannin Broad, versatile, inoffensive - unless over-oaked Provided the vines tendency to excessive vigour 1s wines 1n its homeland, Germany, but thanks to global white grape in Bordeaux. where 1t 1s also responsible
tamed by canopy management, Sauv1gnon Blanc warming 11 now makes fine. firm dry wines there, loo, fat some frne oaked, dry wines. especially in Graves.
Synonymous with serious red wrne capable of- The white burgundy grape, but so much more does particularly welt 1n New Zealand. notably as well as tighter, sweeter styles in between these Austral1a·s Hunter Valley also has a speCtal aff1n11y
ageing into subtle splendour For this reason versatile than Prnot Noir. Chardonnay can be grown Marlborough, as well as rn cooler parts of South two extremes. Riesling ts still the noblest grape of with 11 making tong-lived. complex. unusually lrght
Cabernet Sauv1gnon 1s also the best-travelled and ripened without ditr.culty almost everywhere Afr 1ca In Bordeaux 1t 1s traditionally blended with Germany and Alsace and does part1cutarlywcll in bodied dry wrnes from early-picked grapes. South
red wine variety, but since rt is a relatively late except at the extremes of the wrne world (rts early Sem1llon for both dry and luscious sweet wrnes Austral .i, Austria, New York State, and M1Ch1gan Africa has some venerable Sem1llon vines
ripener 1t rs viable only in warmish budding can put 1t at risk of spring
climates. Some years rt may not frost damage). It became the
ripen fully even in tis homeland. world's best-known white wine
the Medoc/Graves. But when 11 grape. perhaps because (unlike
does. the colour, flavour, and R1eslrng. for example) 1t does not
tannrns packed rnto the thick • have a particularly strong flavour
skrns of its tiny, dark·blue of rls own. which is one reason
berries can be remarkable. why 1t responds so well to barrel
With careful w1nemak1ng and fermentation and/or oak-ageing
barrel ·ageing, 11 can produce It routinely takes on whatever
some of the longesl·l1ving and character the winemaker
most intriguing reds of all. desires. v1vac1ous and sparkling.
In Bordeaux. and increasingly refreshingly unoaked. rich and
elsewhere, 11 1s blended wrth Merlot buttery, or even sweet. It can
and Cabernet Franc. although 11 can make steely, crrsp wine like
make del1c1ous unblended wine ti grown Chabtrs and is particularly valued
somewhere as warm as Chile or northern as an 1ngred1ent in champagne
Cal1forn1a, its second home and other s1m1lar wines.
18 111-:CIO'\ \I. c;n \PE~ lll·:c;1()'\.\L c;11 \l'ES 19
Regional Grapes
ZINFANDEL GEWURZTRAMINER
Warm berry flavours, alcohol, sweetness Lychees, roses, heady, high alcohol, deep-coloured
Zinfandel wa5 regarded as California sown grape for Gewurztraminer is a dPv1l to spell -and often loses
a century. until it was established that, as Prim1t1vo, its Umlaut -but a dream to recognize Its d1stinct1ve
11w as known on the heel of Italy at least as early as aroma, so strong that It earned the grape the prefix
Tlw J.!rape varil'ties foaturccl here and on the lkT<llM' 111<111\' (though by n1) llll'an" all) hybrids l n\ irollllll'lllal l'XI reml's: early· rip1·11ing. and so the 18th century. DNA analysis has now e5tablished Gewurz. or -spiced .. , •n German, can easily be tiring.
previous page arc some of I he best-known prodt1t'l' inferior wine lhl'~ havl' at tinws lll'l'll otl. Cn>wer" rna~ choose a parlieuhtr clone or mix its origins as Croatian. The vine ripens unevenly but e5pec1ally 1f combined with high residual sugar in the
some berries build almost unparalleled sugars so wine. But the best examples of Gewurztram1ner from
varil'I ic•s oft lw Eu ro1w:111 vin(fcra s1w<'ics of sc:orm·d. and in Europl' arl' nftici;dly outlawl'd. of donl's, or may makl' a masssdcl'l i1rn ofc ul lings that -zin-can be as strong as 17% alcohol. Old v1ne5 Alsace. where 1115 most revered. have an undertow
the \'ilis genus, which also indudcs .\mcrican \!any European ,·im• hrel'lk-rs ha\l' rnnct•ntratcd from many difli:n·nl plants. can make great reds but 111s more commonly grown of body and nerve. as well as a savoury finish, which
and .\sian \in<' s11ccies. and \'irJ,!inia creeper. on lTOssinj.( \arious vin1fna n1ril'lic:s to rl'spond '\ot all vines conw \I ith labels attaehl•d. The to produce much less intense wine 1n California ·5 stops them from cloying Suff1c1ent ac1d1ty is the
111 parts of the L'S,\. wine is mad<· from lo a particular lll'l'd or l'm·irnnml'nl. \llilll·r Sl°il'nce or\ inl' itil-ntifirntioll hy ollSl'J"\0illiOll Cerotral Valley. much of 1t stripped of colour. key. Some fine examples have also emerged from
flavoured with aromatic Muscat or Riesling. and New Zealand·s east coast. Chile. British Columbia.
.\merit-an Yinl'S. which ar<' usdully resbtant Thurgau. for l'Xilmpk. \las an l'arl)· cros,in!-( of prl'l·isL' Yariat i<!l1' in grapt• and ll'ar sh;qll'.
sold as (pale-pink) "White Zmfandel .. Oregon. and Alto Ad1ge
tO lllill1Y of lhl' fu11g:tl disl':ISCS that l'Olllllltlnly dc:\·clopl·d spt'l"ifically to ripen in sites" lll'rl' 1·olour. and so un. is kno\\11 as ampl'lugraphy. It
al lad. vi1ws (tntllined un p.IS). hut specks such Hil'slingwnuld nut. has l"l'H'all'd \artous fa:-tinaling n·lationsh1ps
as /ul>rusca han· ;1 parlintlarly stron).t ··rm;y·· Growl' rs need todl'cidc more than which\ aril'ly hl'IWl'l'n varieties. hut nrnwquiteso radical as till' MALBEC CHEN IN BLANC
lla\t>Ur (lharal"ll'ristic of Conrnrd ).tr:i1w jl'lly) and roohtoek to plant. Thl' life of a\ illl' is usually recent discm·c:rics 1•11abled by 1):-0:. \analysis. This Spicy and rich in Argentina, gamey in Cahors Extremely versatile; honey, damp straw
which non locals find off puttinj.!. \mcrican and about :w wars Cdlhou!-(h in fasllit-n l'Onse1ous l'Xact sl'lt'nl'l' has shown that Cahcrnl'l Fntnl' and
Malbec is a conundrum It has long been a blending Chenm Blanc s the grape of the middle Loire,
\sia 11 \I Ill's l'<t 11. IH>\I l'\ l'f.11l' extrl'llll'ly usl'fll I for rL·gions thl' 1aril'ly is sonll'limt·s ehangl•d h~ S:nt\ignon Hlant'. for t·xampk•. arl' till' p:trl'nls grape all over Southwest France. 1nclud1ng sandwiched between the Melon de Bourgogne of
hre<•ding; Ill'\\ \<ll'il'lics for partinilarcond1tions. simpl) lopping olT the plant abo\'l' ground and ofCnlwrnd Sau\ig;non. and that Chardonnay. Bordeaux. but is the dominant grape only 1n Ca hors. Muscadet and the Sauv1gnon Blanc of the Upper Loire.
11 undrcds of hy hrids ha\'l' bc·cn bred by crossing g;rafting un a Ill'\\. more dL·sirahll' \aril'ty) . .Just \liJ.(oll'. the Hl'aUjolais grape c;amay. lhl' where. known as Cot or Auxerro1s, 11 has typically Much misunderstood. 1t makes sometimes ordinary
tlwm with Europl'an \·inifera ,·aril'l ks. notably su as important can lw lhl' choiel' of clonc(s) of I Ill' t.. I uscadl'l grape \klon de Bouq.(oj.!nl·. ,\uxcrrois, made rustic. sometimes rather animal wines dry wine 1n both California and South Africa. where 1t
I hat they will ripen in rl'gio11S\1 it h short gnm in)! 1:1rnu rl'll variety. '.'II urscr~'llll'n haw hm).( olN·rn•d. and m<tny otlwrs arc all lhl' progeny of Pi not :-O:oir s1tu tiota Abrlgee fnotri noan.l yw mheerdei umm M teenrdmo zaag e11i nwga.s E smo 1cglreea5r ltyo ok visin weisd ecalyn p blaen mteadr,v beullot Cusa.p Ien C thhee rLnoni rfero. mtoo o. l1d1 cbauns hm ake
seasons and or \I ilhsland arctic winters. Some sdcctcd. and propagated particular planb '' ilh and the obscure hut historil' grape (;ouais Blanc. at home that 1t has become the country's most nervy, age-worthy, d1stmct1ve wines of all stages of
;\longolian "Pl'l"il·s. for l'Xampll•. l·an be W«'d to spl'l·ial dwrattcrisliL·s: high or consistt'nl ~ il•ld: l'inot Sl'l'llts to lw a great grandparl'nl ofS~Tah. popular red grape and makes gloriously velvety. sweetness. Bolryllsed Chen ms such as Vouvray can
hrL•ed vinl'S rc:-istant lo mid. good resislancl' lo \arious pests. disl'aSl's. and and \!erlol is doscly rL•latl'd to \lalbet (C1il). concentrated, lively wines. high in alcohol and be great, long-lived. sweet whites. but 1n the Loire.
extract. Amb1t1ous Ca hors producers take Mendoza·s Chenin also makes tightly honeyed. dry. still wines.
best Malbecs as their model. and some characterful sparkling Saumur and Vouvray.
GRENACHE NOIR TEMPRANILLO
Pale, sweet, ripe, useful for rose Tobacco leaves, spice. leather TOURIGA NACIONAL VIOGNIER
Grenache 1s widely planted round the Mediterranean Spain s most famous grape. As Tinto Fino or Tinto del Tannie. fireworks, occasionally porty Heady, full-bodied, hawthorn blossom, apricots
and 1s the most planted grape of the southern Pais 1t provides the backbone of Ribera del Duero·s Portugal's most famous port grape. although JUSI Fashionable. d1st1nct1ve variety that ha5 now travelled
Rhone. where 111s often blended with Mourvedre, dark. deep-flavoured reds. In R1oia. 1t 1s blended one of a wide range of d1st1nct1ve grapes grown in from its home m Condrieu 1n the northern Rhone
Syrah. and Cinsault. It 1s also widely grown m with Garnacha. In Catatunya. 1t 1s known as Ull de the Douro Valley, such as the unrelated Tounga to virtually all corners of the wine world. Unless
Rouss1llon where. with Grenache Blanc and Llebre; in Valdepei\as. Cencibel. In Navarra, 1t 1s often Franca. Tinta Barroca. Tinto Cao. and Tinto Roriz fully ripe. its d1stmctively seductive aroma does
Grenache Gris, Its high alcohol levels are useful blended with Bordeaux grapes. As T1nta Rom 1t has ITempranilloJ. Floral in youth. 1t is increasingly not develop, which means that mo51 memorable
for the regions V1ns Doux Naturets (see p.1381 As long been used for port and 1s increasingly re5pected bottled as a varietal wine throughout Portugal. examples are relatively alcoholic: the trick is to
Garnacha 111s the most planted red grape m Spain, as a table wine grape in Portugal. where 1n the and 1s an increasingly important 1ngred1ent m Dao. keep the ac1d1ty, too. California and Au5tralia have
often as old bush-vines offering great value. As Alenteio it is known as Aragones. Its early budding It 1s also likely to be planted much more widely managed 1t. Best drunk young. 1t 1s mcreasmgly
Cannonau in Corsica. and a5 Grenache n Cal1forn1a makes 1t vulnerable to spring frost5, its Ihm skm5 to throughout the wine world for 1t is by no means short blended with the other Rhone white grapes: nervy but
or Austral.a. 1t is increa5ingly revered rot. but 1t 1s valued internationally for fine wine of cla5s and personality. Touriga Nac1onal 1s always aromatic Roussanne and big. almondy Marsanne
extremely high in tannin. alcohol. and colour. not especially in southern France. V1ogrner 1s sometimes
least because 1t 1s naturally unproductive. fermented with Syrah/Sh1raz to stabilize 1t.
SANGIOVESE MOURVEDRE
Tangy, lively, variable: from prunes to farmyard Animal. blackberries. alcoholic, tannic
CARMEN ERE MUSCAT BLANC
Italy's most planted grape, in its many form5, and This 15 a grape that needs considerable sunshine
particularly common in Central Italy. most gloriously to ripen and 15 by far the most important grape 1n Firm, Bordeaux-like, can be slightly green Grapey, relatively simple, often sweet
in Ch1ant1 Class1co. Montalcino las Brunellol. and Bandol. Provence's most noble wine. although 1t has li•ston . very late-ripening Bordeaux variety which This 1s the finest sort of Muscat and has small berries
Montepulc1ano las Prugnolo Gentile!. The least lo be aged with care. Throughout southern France, is rare in Bordeaux today. but 1s common in Chile lpe/1ts grams in French I that are round rather than
noble Sang1ovese clones. overproduced. make l1ghl, and South Australia. 1t adds flesh to Grenache and where pre-phylloxera cuttings were introduced oval like those of the le ;s noble Muscat of Alexandria
tart red wine - oceans of 1t in Emilia-Romagna. The Syrah blends 1n particular In Spairt. as Monastrell. 1n the 18505. For long. Carmenere wa5 confused (Gordo Blanco or Lex1a in Australia. where this lesser
trad1t1onal Chianti recipe d1min1shed 1t with the it is the country s second most planted red grape with Merlo! but 1t has now been d1stingu1shed in variety is grown for the table I As Moscato Bianco in
white grape Trebb1ano as well as the local Cana1olo and s associated more with heft than quality. It was the vineyard. The grapes have to be fully ripe 1f the taly. the finer Muscat is responsible for Ast1 and many
and a bit of deep Colorino. Today. Tuscany's many known. and somewhat overlooked. as Ma taro in resulting wines, which are very deep 1n colour. are fine. light fizzes. It also makes great sweet wines in
amb1t1ous producers coax maximum colour and both Cal1forn1a and Australia until being renamed to avoid a green. tomato-leaf character. and many southern France and Greece. Auslral1a·s 5lrong, sweet.
flavour from 11. Sang1ovese 1s increasingly planted Mourvedre and enioying a new lease of life with growers think Carmenere is best blended with other sticky Muscats are made from a dark-skinned version.
elsewhere n the world glamorously Gallic associations. Bordeaux varieties. It 1s also found 1n northeastern Brown Muscat. Spam·s Moscatel 1s usually Muscat of
Italy and, as Cabernet Gern1scht, 1n China Alexandria. Muscat Ottonel 1s different and lighter.
CABERNET FRANC NEBBIOLO
Leafily aromatic. refreshing. rarely heavy Tar, roses, violets, orange with black tints PINOTGRIS MARSANNE
Full, golden, smoky, pungent Almond, marzipan aromas. very full-bodied
The less intense. softer progenitor of Cabernet P1emonte·s an5wer to Pmot No1r In Baroto and
Sauv1gnon. Becau5e 11 ripens earlier, Cabernet Barbaresco. 11 responds to every nuance of aspect This fashionable grape has its power base 1n Alsace Along with Roussanne this >S the characteristic
Franc 1s widely planted m the Loire and on the and elevation. It will ripen only on the most favoured where, with Riesling. Gewurztraminer. and Muscat. grape variety of white Hermitage in the northern
cooler, damper soils of St-Em1Uon. where 1t 1s of 5ites. When fully ripe it 1s exceptionally high 1n ti is regarded as a noble grape, responsible for some Rhone It 1s now planted throughout the southern
often blended with Merlo!. In the Medoc/Graves tannin~ and acids. 1f not pigments. but long cask of the reg1on·s most powerful. 1f quite soft. wines. Rhone as well as in Australia. especially m Victoria
t 1s planted a· an insurance aga1n5t Cabernet and bottle-ageing can result in hauntingly seductive This pink-skinned mutation of Pinot No1r is a cousin In 5outhern France and in California. particularly
Sauv1gnon·s failure to ripen. Much more resistant wines Nebb1olo makes a wide range of other. of Chardonnay. In Italy, 1t 1s known as P1not Grig10 and the Central Coa5t, Marsanne 1s often blended with
to cold winters than Merlot. 1t can make appet1Z1ng usually lesser wines in northwest Italy lin Valtell1na ran produce both characterful and decidedly dull dry var1et1es such as Rous5anne. RolleNermentino.
wines in New Zealand. Long l5land. and Washington and Gattinara, for example). but like P1not No1r 11 has whites. Growers elsewhere dither between calling 1t Grenache Blanc. and V1ogn1er Its wines tend to be
State In northeast Italy 1t can taste pos1t1vely grassy, shown a reluctance to travel. Some American5 and Gris or Gng10 without any 51gn1f1cance for style. It 1s a deep golden. heady. and alcoholic Marsanne is also
and reaches its silky apogee in Ch1non. Australians keep trying to prove otherwise. spec1al1ty 1n Oregon, New Zealand, and Australia. grown to a l1m1ted extent in Switzerland.