Alcohol: Units & Calories

Wines of Interest is committed to the Public Health Responsibility Deal in relation to the consumption of alcohol.  To this extent we have issued this information leaflet on alcoholic units, how to calculate them and the associated calorific values.  Please note however that we are Wine Merchants and not doctors nor scientists.  If you require more detailed information or a necessarily medically precise list, you would do well to consult your GP.

Wine, of course, is designed to accompany food and we would suggest it is best consumed that way.

How many units of alcohol can I drink?

Current government guidelines (source: Drinkaware website) are that men should not drink more than 3-4 units a day and women should not drink more than 2-3 units a day.  It is interesting that the government now choose to express this “per day” since in the past the guidelines have been expressed as units per week (28 for men, 21 for women, although 21 and 14 respectively have also been mentioned).

Recent suggestions have been made that a couple of alcohol free days each week are also recommended which, based on the “per day” guidelines, produce figures closer to the lower weekly totals.  The main point here though is to give your body a rest from alcohol on a regular basis and never to drink too much in a single session.

 How many units are there in a glass of wine?

This depends on the strength of the wine and the size of the glass.  A small (125ml) glass of a light German white wine might typically contain less that one unit of alcohol whilst a large glass of Australian red might contain as many as 3½ units.

 How can I work out the number of units then?

Take the strength of the drink as a percentage of alcohol by volume (this will be on the bottle), multiply it by the volume of your glass (in millilitres) and divide by 1000. 

Here is an example for a 175ml glass of wine at 13.5% abv strength.

13.5 x 175 = 2,362.5. 

Divide that by 1,000 for the answer that this glass contains 2.3625 units of alcohol.

 Can I drink alcohol every day?

It’s a free country and there is no law that says you can’t do this, but the question is not whether you can, but rather whether you should.  Alcohol consumed in large, and frequent quantities is not good for you, so giving your body a rest occasionally makes sense.

 Why do wines seem to be getting stronger?

Several reasons, probably led initially by the misunderstanding that stronger equals better.  This is emphatically not the case.  Wine is about balance, but alcohol is currently the only factor measured and stated on the label, so it’s the one that most people take the most notice of.  Our climate is certainly changing and stronger wines are one of the consequences, but harvests vary from year to year with some producing higher alcoholic levels than others.  Good winemakers will take a non-intervention approach and let nature do its work.  Some producers are being encouraged (by the large retailers) to take steps to reduce the strength of their wines but we are not in favour of tinkering with a natural product to this extent as the balance of the wine will be disturbed.  We say let nature do her work and, if your alcohol intake worries you, have a glass of water for your thirst and the wine for the flavour.

 How can I consume less alcohol without affecting my enjoyment of wine?

The Wines of Interest suggestion of “Don’t drink more, drink better” is a good place to start.  There is a wealth of wines out there waiting for you which cram more flavour and enjoyment in a bottle than so much of the mass-produced so-called “deals”.  If your aim is simply to get sloshed then clearly any old wampo will do, but in our experience people who drink wine don’t do it to get drunk, they do it because they like wine, so why not treat yourself to one special bottle every so often instead of spending the same amount on 2 or 3 bottles that leave you with no lasting impression of enjoyment?

 Will it help if I give up alcohol for January?  Or Lent? Or at any other time?

Giving up alcohol in January (which is shorter than Lent since you ask) is something that we are aware a few people do.  But it’s probably important to first ask yourself why you want to do this.  Is it because you think you’re drinking too much because if it is, what’s to stop you doing the same again once your period of abstinence is over?  Giving your body a rest from alcohol is good, whether it’s for a month or more, a week, or just a couple of days.  Two days a week, every week, is better for you than nothing for a month and then no breaks for the next 11 months.

 Do the health benefits attributed to red wine also apply to white wine?

The health benefits claimed on behalf of red wine are mostly down to Resveratrol, a phenol found in the skins of red grapes and apparently not present in the skins of white grapes.  Even if drinking red wine has all the benefits it claims it is still the booze that you have to watch.  Wine certainly isn’t horribly unhealthy, as long as you don’t overdo it. 

Alcohol in general can be both good, and bad for your health. Here’s what Drinkaware say about the health benefits of alcohol:

• overall, alcohol only gives you benefits if you drink within the government's daily unit guidelines
• any protective benefits on the heart generally only work over the age of 45  
• beyond the recommended limits, alcohol’s potential benefits on the heart are outweighed by its risks of getting other illnesses, such as liver disease or cancer
• any benefits on the heart depend on your overall consumption and general pattern of drinking (how much and how often).

Diet also matters of course, any health benefits will soon be eroded by a poor diet and no exercise.

How do I work out how many calories there are in a glass of wine?

Right – another maths lesson then…

1g of alcohol contains about 7 calories and 1ml of alcohol weighs 0.8g.  So we first need to multiply the abv (alcohol by volume) percentage of the drink by the amount of liquid to find the amount of alcohol. 

 Let’s use our 175ml glass of 13.5% abv wine we had earlier, this contains 23.625ml of alcohol since:

175ml x 13.5%abv = 23.625ml (of alcohol). 

23.625ml of alcohol is then multiplied by 0.8 to give 18.9g of alcohol which, multiplied by 7, is 132.3 calories

 Had you chosen a 125ml glass of 12%abv wine you would have saved yourself about 48 calories since:

125ml x 12%abv = 15ml of alcohol which, multiplied by 0.8 gives 12g of alcohol which, multiplied by 7 is 84 calories.

OK.  I want to cut down my alcohol consumption, what should I do?

Start small so you don’t set yourself an unrealistic target.  It’s good to have a couple of alcohol free days each week so, if you’re not already doing that, pick a couple of days to not drink at all.  If you need further advice and an easy-to-use system to achieve this we recommend a booklet by Dr Chris Williams from the “Living Life To The Full” series. 

The title sucks because it’s called “Fix Your Drinking Problem In 2 Days” which implies that you have a problem before you’ve even started when you might just want to cut down a bit but need a system to help you. 

This is a good system and the book will cost you £2.50 (or less).  ISBN: 978-1-906564-93-3

 How can Wines of Interest help me enjoy wine more and do so in a responsible way that won’t harm my health?

It’s back to our “don’t drink more, drink better” suggestion really.  Take what you spend on wine and spread it over fewer bottles thus increasing the quality of what you drink and simultaneously reducing your alcohol consumption.  You’ll get more enjoyment out of a better bottle of wine that’s for sure. 

 We have heaps to choose from, and we don’t try and con you with “too-good-to-be-true” deals; we’re not the cheapest, but nor are we expensive either.  What we can promise is good value wines to savour and enjoy to suit every budget and taste.

 Why have Wines of Interest bothered to write this leaflet?

We have signed up to the Department of Health Public Health Responsibility Deal and made a specific commitment to try to raise awareness of the importance of enjoying alcohol responsibly.  For further information on the Responsibility Deal click here. 

 Wines of Interest has always encouraged the responsible enjoyment of alcohol and aim to assist customers in exploring the fantastic variety of quality wines available through such schemes as our Sampling Club and winetastings.  At the same time we anticipate that those who believe that alcohol is one of our society’s big problems would recognise the difference between those suppliers who promote alcohol in an irresponsible way with idiotic offers at the bottom end of the market to consumers who drink simply to get drunk, and specialist retailers like Wines of Interest who supply individually selected, quality, hand-crafted drinks simply as a civilised adjunct to enjoyable and healthy living.

Anything else?

Yes.  Much of this is a message to the consumer (you) from the Government and its associated health advisors (them) via the people on the front line who sell the stuff (us).  The advice is sound but it would be unreasonable to leave this one-way communication in such an unbalanced way, so here is a message from “us” to “them”.  We hope “you” agree.

 When he was Chancellor, Alistair Darling introduced something called the Excise Duty Escalator which automatically increases this tax by 2% above inflation each year.  This enables subsequent Chancellors to stand up and announce “no additional increases on alcohol” at Budget-time thus suggesting that the tax on your favourite tipple is unchanged, and blaming any increase on everyone else, but don’t be fooled since this sneaky little tax has increased by 35% over the last 3 years (and you pay VAT on it too).  Clearly the Government need the money (so “do they really want us to drink less then” you may ask?) but the effect of this has been to hugely raise the proportion of tax in a bottle of wine at the cheaper end of the market.  Clearly something has to give to maintain the critical price points and sadly that “something” is quality.  Government taxation policy isn’t encouraging us to drink less, it’s encouraging us to drink rubbish; whether or not we buy better wine the Excise Duty paid to HMRC is the same.  The missing piece of the jigsaw of course is minimum pricing and if the Government really wanted us to drink less they would embrace it fully by removing at a stroke the irresponsible deals so frequently seen in both the supermarkets and the on-trade.  We will all take the health points seriously, of course, but it really is about time that we saw some responsible action from the Government as well which is designed to support their advice.

January Sampling Club Wines

Here are the details of our January Sampling Club Wines – The Sampling Club is a great way to try new wines since members receive a bottle of two wines each month at half price.  Membership costs £30 per year.   Half price samples must be collected from our Ipswich shop during the appropriate month.  For more details on the club, click here.

Before Christmas we added a fresh face from Rioja to the list and put it on at our tasting in November. It was the best seller out of more than fifty lines and deserves to be shared with a wider audience. Step forward Bodegas Classica’s Tempranillo Roble, one of a small range of wines that they market under their Hacienda Lopez de Haro label, named after the founder of Bilbao. The winery has been excavated into the side of a mountain which is brilliant for temperature control, as well as allowing the grapes to enter the press house by gravity - the least harsh way of moving the fruit. The grape variety is Tempranillo and, while they use other permitted varieties in their Crianza, this is 100% the former and shows its character beautifully. It works well with slow-roasted pork belly and is a Spanish favourite with lamb - try it with a rich, savoury Lancashire hotpot.

Your January white has been a sample before but not for two years. It has been relegated to the seemingly humble status of Vino de Tavola - simple table wine - but only because it breaks The Rules rather than being inferior in some way, which it certainly is not. The authorities require that this particular grape in this particular part of Italy must be vinified into a sweet sparkling wine in order to qualify for its guarantee of origin. However, this producer has decided that he likes it better still and dry; he makes a delicious wine but forfeits the right to show any details - even the vintage - beyond the generic description above. It may be dangerous for us to reveal all, but we’ll risk it: the grape is Moscato (Muscat), the region is Piemonte and the vintage is 2010. It is a charming dry white of scent and originality to enjoy with light hors d’oeuvres, salads and as an excellent aperitif. When the asparagus season starts, remember this wine for it is delicious with this hard-to-match vegetable.

RED: 2010 Hacienda Lopez de Haro, Rioja, Tempranillo Roble, Bodegas Classica,

Price per bottle: £6.95 (sealed case price: £6.60)

Half price for one sample £3.48 (club members only)

Full of youthful vigour with bright, young fruit and a nip of tannin which makes it so good with food. This is a real winner and a bargain by the standards of the region.

WHITE: Alasia Sec nv, Vino de Tavola, Italy

Price per bottle: £6.95 (sealed case price: £6.60)

Half price for one sample £3.47 (club members only)

Dry without being sharp and possessed of a pretty bouquet with scents of freshly picked Muscat grapes and a blossomy note of elderflower.

JANUARY OFFERS

Williamson is threatening to invent some more Mystery Six packs, so watch out for those in due course. The bins by the office steps will be returned to their regular job of displaying bin ends, so please feel free to have a ferret about in these as well.

SAMPLING CLUB SUBSCRIPTIONS

Sampling Club membership subs are due by the end of January. The cost is £30 which is the same price as the last three years, despite all the increases to which the trade has been subjected. If you wish to renew, the simplest way to do this is to add your subscription payment when you come into the shop to collect your samples. As last year all members who renew before 31st January will receive a £5 voucher to spend during February or March. We look forward to seeing you soon.

We thank all Sampling Club members for your support in 2011 and send our best wishes for a healthy, peaceful and prosperous 2012.

Villa Il Poggiolo, Carmignano, Tuscany (26/9/2011)

The town of Carmignano lies to the north-west of Firenze (Florence) and is actually in the Chianti Moltalbano region.  However, the grape growers here decided to relinquish their entitlement to make Chianti and instead obtained their own DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) of Carmignano.  Inevitably, the rules for Carmignano are different (hey! This is Italy after all) and require a minimum of 60% and a maximum of 90% Sangiovese in the wines which must also contain some Cabernet Sauvignon; someone obviously twigged to the need to beef up the more northerly grown Sangiovese with a bit of something else that I mentioned in the last article.

The spectacular view from Villa Il Poggiolo

Villa Il Poggiolo is on the top of a hill on the edge of the town of Carmignano.  Access is via a steep winding road with plenty of hairpins and not for the faint-hearted.  In the distance Florence is visible and the views all round are spectacular.  Here they make a white wine, a rose, 4 reds and a Vin Santo.  The reds are Rosso dei Colli Della Toscana Centrale (catchy name eh?) Barco Reale (a DO for younger or declassified Carmignano) a Carmignano and a Carmignano Riserva.  Villa Il Poggiolo have about 20 hectares of vines and make about 100,000 bottles of wine each year.  Their oldest vines are 40 years old and all the grapes have to be hand-picked because the grape varieties are mixed plantings throughout the vineyards and all ripen at different times.  Il Poggiolo wines are aged in old large oak casks which have a gentle toasting.  They do not use new oak barriques, believing them to be too aggressive for their wines.

Old casks at Villa Il Poggiolo

We tasted the following wines in the winery:  The 2010 Carmignano is 75% Sangiovese and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and is very fresh and fruity with youthful tannins.  It has notes of concentrated chocolate and cherry and,with still 9 months to go in cask, will fill out and soften.  The 2009 has 70% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Canaiolo and is gamey, rich and shows more oak; full, grippy,warming.  The 2008 Carmignano Riserva  is really quite big and grippy with rich fruitcake notes and hints of cherry.  A super wine already but will get better still.  There was a tremendous depth and concentration to these wines.

Over what was described as a “light lunch” (of local breads; proscuitto; chicken liver pate; cold dressed tripe; cured pigs cheeks on bruschetta with honey and rosemary; a salad of lamb’s lettuce, pine nuts, mint and anchovies; pumpkin risotto; pasta with beef shreds; rare roast rib of beef followed by a dessert made from the recently harvested grapes) we tasted the white, the rose and a couple of reds and then finished with the Vin Santo. 

The end of our "light lunch".
Just in time for our evening flight back....

Despite the obvious distraction on the table I managed to scribble a few notes which reveal the white – the 2010 Lacrima di Cantine Bianco – to be a 50/50 mix of Vermentino and Trebbiano which is unoaked, clean, fresh and herbaceous with good fresh fruit and zippy acidity.  It was perhaps a little short on the finish but otherwise sound enough.  The 2010 Rosato – a mix of Sangiovese and Canaiolo which varies depending on the vintage – is really quite dark for a rose with orange hints on the rim.  The nose is of pure strawberries leading to savoury notes in the mouth.  Wholesome stuff but perhaps a bit pricey in the light of the competition on our shelves back home.  The 2008 Barco Reale is 70% Sangiovese and 15% each Canaiolo and Cab.Sauv. all of which spend 6 months in cask and then 6 months in steel tank.  It’s round, savoury and has gentle leathery notes.  My notes record that I was relatively unmoved by this though.  The 2008 Carmignano is 70% Sangiovese with 20% Cab.Sauv. and 10% Canaiolo which is soft, fruity and easy on the palate.  It does look a bit on the expensive side though at the best part of £20 retail in the UK.  Though not currently available in the UK, the wines of Villa Il Poggiolo may become so if some work can be done on the prices.

We finished with the 2001 Vin Santo which is 80% Trebbiano and 10% Malvasia with the remaining 10% a mix of San Colombaro, Canaiolo Bianco and Vermentino.  A great wine to sign off with, this has notes of dried fig with a hint of liquorice and dried orange peel.  Again there is the almost sherry-like nuttiness on the nose as well.  In the mouth this is roundly sweet and rich with fresh sultana and citrus flavours with super cleansing acidity and a long finish.

Please do not hesitate to ask about the availability of any of the wines featured in this series of blogs from Tuscany.  Not all make it as far as the UK, none are cheap, but many are great value for what they are given the level of care and attention that goes into making them and the experiences they bring.  Almost all need food but they provide a perfect illustration of the spiritual heart of Italy as far as wine is concerned.  You will not be disappointed!

Casa Emma, Chianti Classico, Tuscany (25/9/2011)

Towards the western edge of the Chianti Classico region, just south of the village of San Donato (which is about halfway between Poggibonsi and Greve in Chianti if you’re really that interested) lies the Casa Emma estate.  Casa Emma was bought by the Bucalossi family back in 1970 from the Fiorentine noblewoman Emma Bizzarri (hence the name) and sits amidst 34 hectares of land of which 21 hectares are vineyard.  They grow mainly Sangiovese here (surprise, surprise) but also have about 3 hectares of Merlot and smaller plantings of Malvasia Nera and Canaiolo.  There are the inevitable olive groves but also 5 hectares of botanical park where a Quercus Pubescens wood (or “oak” if you prefer to keep it simple – “downy oak” if you want to get more technical, but I’m stopping there…) is interspersed with plantings of cistus, broom, honeysuckle, privet, juniper shrubs and several species of wild rose and other herbaceous plantings.  Rose syrup, rose dressing and rose jam are produced here too.

Casa Emma

Casa Emma use the traditional grape blend for Chianti Classico of 80% Sangiovese with the remainder made up of Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera.  Fermentation usually takes about 20 days on the skins with the fermenting juice pumped over the “cap” to keep the maceration going.  The malo-lactic fermentation (the conversion of the harsher Malic Acid into the softer Lactic Acid which is encouraged in wine) takes about 6 months.  Once complete, the wine is moved to casks of French oak.  A combination of 225 litre (barrique) and 500 litre casks is used.  Casa Emma keep their barrels for 3 years using 1 and 2 year old casks for Riserva wines and the older ones for straight Chianti Chassico.

The 2010 Chianti Classico (tasted from cask) is clearly very young, but has good fruit and nice tannins underneath.  There is a hint of smoke from the oak and it promises well for the future.  A straight Merlot from 2007 was really showing unexpected youth for a wine that was already 4 years old while the 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva was full, rich and showed evident oak.  No doubt it promises well, but I found myself engaged in a bout of chin-stroking over the enthusiastic oak, wondering whether the fruit would be energetic enough to keep up. 

The 2009 Riserva, though really quite tannic, showed a little better I thought, while the 2009 straight Chianti Classico was slightly smokey and meaty on the nose compared to the others and on the lighter side in the mouth.  I suspect that this is nothing more than a common accusation levelled at Sangiovese though; I will explain.  If you’re far enough south in Tuscany in, say, Montalcino, Montepulciano or Orcia, you have less trouble getting your grapes nicely ripe and, in turn, produce fuller and more complete wines than it is possible to make in Chianti, which is that bit further north (different soil too) without the addition of other varieties to help the wine along.  Sangiovese is sometimes accused of seeming a little “hollow” somehow so the addition of other varieties makes perfect sense in some areas.  Sangiovese has plenty of flavour that’s for sure, but perhaps is sometimes in need of a bit body-building.  Some varieties do this better than others; Rietine use Merlot which works well, Casa Emma use Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera which tweaks the style a little in a lighter, some would say elegant, direction.  It’s all very subjective of course, but I generally found the Casa Emma style was less appealing.

We then tasted the 2007 Riserva and hit a problem.  Some were not happy and suspected a fault, but not one of the obvious ones, so a second bottle was brought forward.  The second bottle was better in the mouth but still had the same issue on the nose.  It was one of those frustrating experiences where the wine didn’t shine and no-one could quite put their finger on why.  The 2006 Riserva was a completely different experience, it had bigger fruit and was rounder and richer than the 2007.  The tannins were nicely ripe and there was a pleasant vanilla oak finish.  The 2005 Riserva again got us all quite animated.  It was savoury on the nose with a slightly cooked element (some spotted the prickle of sulphur) but in the mouth it was wholesome enough.

Casa Emma also make a Super Tuscan (see previous blog for definition) called Soloio.  It’s 100% Merlot.  The 2006 is much more New World in style and has a huge nose with rich plum fruit and a hint of smoke.  It’s quite round and grippy in the mouth with plenty of body and depth but, like so many such wines, it carries an overly-optimistic price tag and would be in the region of £40 a bottle in the UK.  Sorry chaps, nice wine, wrong price.  The 2005 Soloio showed evident age and had an odd nose, not faulty, but oddly whiffy in a meaty way.  Strange stuff.

Casa Emma make about 800 litres of Vin Santo a year made from air-dried Trebbiano and Malvasia picked in mid-October, once the main harvest is in.   The wine is aged in chestnut and cherry casks for 8 years before release.  We tasted the 2000 which has toffee and marmalade notes on the nose; a sort of Amontillado-meets-Rutherglen Muscat.  Fresh and fruity in the mouth it’s clean, pure and has good acidity to balance the concentrated sweetness.

The Casa Emma vineyards, just showing a hint of autumn.

A bit of a mixed bag here then.  Some nice wines, but also some that didn’t float my boat particularly.  The winery itself is modern and well presented, as are the staff with their Casa Emma shirts, and maybe this formulaic approach works for others, but as someone who has become accustomed to tasting in damp cellars the polished nature of the presentation seemed better suited to visiting tourists somehow.  Maybe Soloio works well for the Transatlantic market where mouthfilling oaky reds have a more immediate appeal, and where the preferences of Robert Parker seem to release many wine drinkers of the courage to formulate their own opinions, and the 2006 is good but I know we couldn’t sell it for £40 back home in Ipswich.  The Chiantis really come down to a preference in style and, of the two Classico estates we visited, Rietine get the nod as far as I’m concerned; Rietine’s wines are still elegant, but they have a bit more going on in the glass…

We can obtain the following wines from Casa Emma should you be interested – please contact us for details:

2006 Chianti Classico  £15.95

1998 Chianti Classico Riserva  £24.00

2000 Chianti Classico Riserva  £24.50

2001 Chianti Classico Riserva  £25.00

2004 Chianti Classico Riserva  £28.50

2005 Chianti Classico Riserva  £31.00

Vintages and prices correct as at 15^th November 2011

Christmas Wine Ideas...

Well then, what are you eating at Christmas?  Traditional turkey, goose, beef perhaps or venison, maybe you’re a veggie or a fish fan; you can already see that wine recommendations need to cover a lot of ground.  Oh, and what’s your budget?  We’re always happy to advise customers individually according to menu and price but, realistically, we might not get the chance, so here are a few ideas to enjoy with your seasonal feasting.

Before the meal, why not have a glass of bubbles?  If it must be Champagne avoid the big brands - the shelf price reclaims such a whack of marketing expense that they are seldom good value.  Lallier Grand Cru, Reserve Brut, Ay at £26.50, is made only from Grand Cru vineyards, showing real class and more than enough flavour to match a tray of canapés.  Super value at less than half that is Mayerling Brut, Cremant d’Alsace at £12.95, made entirely from Pinot Blanc grapes.  It is brisk and cleansing with fresh fruit - a perfect appetiser.

Fish needs care: what goes well with shellfish may not work with smoked mackerel or salmon as the oil in them clashes with the acidity of a deliberately sharp wine like Muscadet, which is perfect with mussels.  For richer and smoked fish recipes, try 2010 Macon-Solutré, Domaine Denuziller at £11.25, a smooth, dry but ripe, entirely oak-free White Burgundy, boxing above its weight.  For a crisper, zestier option go for 2010 False Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa at £7.25 with the grape’s leafy freshness and zippy palate.

If turkey is on the menu a gentler red works well if it can stand up to stuffings and sauces without overpowering the meat.  2008 Herringbone Hills Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand at £10.95 offers just the right balance of flavour with freshness, but without clobbering alcohol.  It will take on rich gravy and traditional trimmings, but won’t send you to sleep in front of the queen who, obviously, deserves your full attention.

Richer meats demand bigger wines though available space allows just one or two ideas.  So, full enough to match beef, with sufficient edge to cut through the richness of goose and with a savoury character to compliment game - it’s time to visit Italy.  2005 Malintoppo, Azienda Agricola Simonelli-Santi, Orcia, Tuscany at £12.25 comes from a valley sandwiched between Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, yet is about half the price of the Vino Nobile and one third of the price of Brunello and cracking value relatively speaking. 

If a less high-falutin’, general purpose red is wanted, consider 2009 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Roble, Rioja, Bodegas Classica.  At £6.95 it won’t break the bank and at a quality above its price it won’t let the side down.  It is bursting with soft, ripe Tempranillo fruit with just a kiss of background oak spice, it will drink beautifully with red and white meats and it is perfect for entertaining a crowd.

For pud, one grape in two variants.  For palate refreshing zip try 2010 Moscato Frizzante, Cantine Volpi, Piemonte @ £8.60, sweet and grapey with a half-sparkle and at just 5.5% abv, it won’t frighten the vicar.  So fresh, so clean.  2009 Late Harvest Muscat, Tabali Estate, Limari Valley, Chile @ £6.50 per half bottle is stickier, richer and bubble-free with barley-sugar intensity.  Both will ease down a mince pie delightfully.

Cheese is a vital part of the Christmas table and traditionally this is accompanied by a glass or two of Port.  Here is a rich, lusciously fruity, fleshy example of generosity and warmth to put with your Stilton: it is Rio Torto, Reserva, Krohn, normally £12.50 but reduced to £10.50 until December 31^st.

Rietine, Chianti Classico, Tuscany (25/9/2011)

This history of Chianti is long and complex and today the region of production is divided into several sub-regions with the Chianti Classico region – considered the best of them, and where it all began – at its heart sitting neatly between Firenze in the north and Siena in the south.  Early attempts to define what the make up of the wine should be resulted in too great a proportion of white grapes being permitted but this has, over time, been corrected to the point in 2006 where the use of white varieties in Chianti Classico was outlawed.  The traditional white varieties are still permitted (up to certain levels) in the surrounding regions of Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Colli Pisane, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Montalbano and Chianti Rufina but Chianti Classico wines now have a distinctive character all of their own, and are much the better for it.

Mario and Galina Lazarides own and run Rietine (pronounces Re-ee-tine-ay) a winery in the south of the Chianti Classico region, about 8km as the crow flies south east of the town of Radda in Chianti.  It feels like about 20km by road because you don’t go anywhere quickly in Tuscany. The undulating hills, sweeping valleys and mix of vineyards, olive groves and forest somehow always seem to be in the way and it’s one of the easiest, but nicest, places on the planet to get lost!

Mario & Galina in their cellar at Rietine

Mario explains that he has 12 hectares in total of which 7 hectares are vineyards.  There is an approximate mix of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot as well as a few small plantings of other varieties.  He aims to make about 5,000 litres per hectare as long as he has no vines missing, and many vineyards in Chianti Classico are missing vines – mostly white varieties that were grubbed up following the 2006 ruling.  Indeed some producers still make 5,000 litres per hectare even when their vineyards are missing vines which obviously has an effect on concentration. The Consorzio are now checking vineyards for missing vines and adjusting permitted yields accordingly.  “About time too!” says Mario.

Each vine is expected to yield 6 or 7 bunches of grapes, though vines destined for Chianti Classico Riserva production will be reduced to 4 or 5 bunches in about June to encourage concentration.   In August some leaves are removed from the vines to aid ripening and the grapes, once ripe, are hand-harvested enabling close inspection and selection of each bunch.  2011 is a good vintage but quantity is down by about 30%.

The vineyards of Chianti Classico

Mario has several different varieties on oak casks in his cellar, all French but from different oaks (Allier, Troncais, Limousin, Nevers and Vosges) each barrique is marked with a letter to denote its origin.  Chianti Classico Riserva and Rietine’s “Super Tuscan” (Tiziano) see 24 months in oak.  New casks are toasted gently for 45 mins before use.  Mario is quite particular about which oak variety is used for what.

Rietine’s 2007 Chianti Classico is 80% Sangiovese (which is must be by law) and 20% Merlot.  It is poised, balanced and fine with fresh cherry fruit on the nose expanding in the mouth to hints of damson.  The flavours are focussed and pure.  Mario explains that he is not 100% happy with the 2008 Chianti Classico which will be sold off as declassified wine.  This is honourable in my book and demonstrates Mario’s adherence to strict quality standards for his wines.  His 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva is 100% Sangiovese and is much more concentrated than the straight Classico; rich yet elegant, not simply bigger and oakier which many other Riserva can so often be.  The use of oak is very gentle adding, correctly, a seasoning to the wine to lift and enhance the natural fruit flavours and balance rather than dominating the palate.  There are complexities here which flesh out the finish.

Tiziano is Rietine’s “Super Tuscan”.  Super Tuscan wines are those which do not stick to the local rules (for example they include non-permitted varieties which prohibit the wine from being called Chianti).  Originally many had to be simply labelled as table wines because no other classification existed which produced the anomaly of “Vino da Tavola” selling for higher prices than much Chianti, but the introduction of the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) classification now gives them a more suitable “home” as far as labelling is concerned.  Tiziano is 90% Merlot and 10% Ancelotta the latter of which I never knew was a grape variety until this visit (I thought he used to be the Chelsea Manager…).  The 2004 Tiziano is ripe, plummy and rich.  It shows more evident vanilla oak than the Chiantis, but has the structure to take it.  The finish is long and rich with an almost sweet note at the end balanced by a nip of grape skin astringency.   The 2007 Tiziano is the same blend and has a more obvious note of Merlot on the nose, a youthful appearance and very pink edges.  It smells full ripe and rich with the oak bringing an almost sweet element.  In the mouth is a rich mouthful of chewy fruit with a gentle savoury edge.  It clearly needs a few years yet to reach its full potential.

From tank we tasted the 2009 Chianti Classico which Mario was due to bottle on 11^th October.  It’s a super wine with lots of fruit and concentration and still some way to go to reach its full potential.  The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva (again from tank) seems even better than the 2009 but it could be that it’s just more approachable.  Again Rietine’s well-judged use of oak is evident with ripe almost raisin-like notes on the finish.  The Riserva 2008 was due to be bottled on 20^th October 2011.  The 2008 Tiziano is also a big wine, full rich and concentrated, almost difficult to taste because it’s so young.

Before we depart we are treated to a taste of the 1997 Vin Santo which reminded me of sherry in a sort of Oloroso-meets-PX way. The grapes for this are harvested late so are already very ripe when they leave the vines (in about October).  They are then dried over the winter and crushed in late January.  Normally you might expect to get 75 litres of juice from 100kg of grapes, but by the time these are dried 100kg of grapes will produce about 22 litres.  The wine is then aged in casks for over 10 years. It is wonderfully rich and concentrated.  Someone else said “Twiglets” which may seem like an odd flavour for a sweet wine, but I know exactly what they mean!  The Rietine Grappa di Chianti Classico is clean and pure and reminded me of some of the French Eaux de Vie de Fruits with its purely fruity nose.  We were able to compare it with the same Grappa which had seen 2 years in oak which was drier, fuller and just as elegant.  The group was split 50/50 on which they preferred.

The whole experience at Rietine was fascinating.  The wines are skilfully hand-crafted and Mario and Galina utterly charming.  They insisted we took a glass or two of Chianti Classico before we departed!  My final note records that this visit was like looking at Chianti through a microscope in terms of the level of detail, the elegance of the wines and the definition of the myriad of flavours.

We can obtain the following wines from Rietine should you be interested – please contact us for details:

2007 Chianti Classico, Rietine  £15.95

1998 Chianti Classico Riserva Rietine  £18.95

2000 Chianti Classico Riserva Rietine  £19.95

Vintages and prices correct as at 4^th November 2011 

Azienda Agricola Simonelli-Santi, Orcia, Tuscany (24/9/2011)

The regions of production of two of Tuscany’s finest wines – Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montpulciano – are separated by a strip of land where the River Orcia flows.  You can stand in the main town - San Quirico d’Orcia - and see the hill of Montalcino to the west while over the hills to the east, across the next valley, sits Montepulciano.  Sangiovese is the dominant variety everywhere which makes wines like Simonelli-Santi’s Malintoppo (100% Sangiovese) cracking value when compared to its more famous neighbours; a few kilometres east and you could easily double the price.  Move a few kilometres west and you ought probably to triple it.  It is interesting to note that producers in Orcia often receive approaches from growers of Brunello di Montalcino for their “surplus production” when their own vines leave them short of wine.  It is perfectly legal for Brunello producers to buy from Orcia, but they are only allowed include Orcia production in Rosso di Montalcino and not Brunello.  ‘Nuff said…(ahem).

The entrance to the old town of
San Quirico d'Orcia

The Simonelli-Santi winery sits on the outskirts of San Quirico d’Orcia.  They make two red wines here:  Malintoppo is 100% Sangiovese made from a 4 hectare plot about 400m above sea level.  The wine sees about 3 months in oak.  Antonio is 80% Sangiovese with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and sees about 8 months in oak.  Grapes for Antonio come from just 1 hectare of vines.

Simonelli-Santi

In the winery we were guided through several vintages of Malintoppo by Ilaria Simonelli who makes the wine as well as being a busy wife and mum.  Her energy and enthusiasm for her products (she makes Vin Santo, Grappa and olive oil as well) is infectious!  As I write we are on the last few bottles of the fantastic 2004 Malintoppo here in the shop and about to move to 2005 which is also good, a little fresher and fruitier and perhaps less savoury.  Younger vintages, already queuing up to follow on when the time is right, are looking good!

Tasting several vintages of Malintoppo

The 2006 is delicious with lovely richness in the mouth.  There was disagreement amongst the group on when to drink it though; some thought it needed longer to settle down and soften some of its grippier character, while others thought it ready now.  Personally, though approachable now, I’d prefer to see it in a year’s time.  At least there is plenty of 2005 to be going on with!  If anything the 2007 is even better.  It has a purer and more characteristic Sangiovese character and a balance that perhaps gives it the edge on the 2006.  The 2008 is much deeper and darker and, though the tannins are ripe, they need time to integrate.  The alcohol is quite evident here and we notice a rise from the 2004 (13%abv) through the 2005 (14%abv) to the 2006 and 2007 (both 14.5%abv) to 15%abv in the 2008 (yeah, I know - more on this in a bit).  The 2009 is enormous with notes of liquorice, chocolate and tobacco.  It will be wonderful, but not for a few years yet.

Ilaria

Many of our number report comments from customers that alcohol levels in wine generally are on the rise.  Ilaria agrees, but explains that winemakers have a choice to make about whether to interfere with nature or not to address this.  Her approach is simply to let nature get on with it and riper grapes (and as a result higher alcohol levels) are the result of the current climate.  How much rain falls and (perhaps even more critically) when it falls has a direct influence on final alcohol levels.  It is possible to irrigate of course, encouraging the vines to take up water that might not have otherwise been available, which will proportionately reduce sugar (and therefore alcohol) but the resulting wines may lack concentration and depth.  “You could always add the water to the final wine!” suggests one of our number.  Ilaria’s wry smile suggests that this may be an option employed by other, less scrupulous, producers!  Hot climates are getting hotter and the message here is that we either we poke up with higher alcohol, or we buy different wines because it’s more important to producers like Ilaria that her wines are as natural as possible.  As a customer, you might not like that, but it is an approach worthy of respect.

Our tasting at the winery concentrated solely on vintages of Malintoppo (vin santo, grappa and olive oil) but bottles of Antonio 2005 were attacked without mercy at several points during our time in Tuscany.  Antonio is a more modern style with the addition of the Cab.Sauv.  It’s still leathery and savoury with underlying black fruit and is fuller and richer but the critical thing here is that although the Cabernet fills out the Sangiovese in a modern way, the wine firmly maintains its Italian identity.  If you don’t know what I mean, just buy a bottle or two…

Ilaria hands out the 2003 Vin Santo

The 2003 Vin Santo is made from a blend of 20% Trebbiano and 80% Malvasia.  The grapes are picked before the main harvest and then dried until late February.  The wine is matured for 5-6 years in oak casks after which time only 30% remains of its original volume (can you imagine the concentration)!  It is raisiny and rich with a soft, velvet feel in the mouth.  Utterly captivating!

We can obtain the following wines from Simonell-Santi should you be interested – please contact us for details:

2005 Malintoppo  £12.25 (already on the list)

2005 Antonio  £16.50 (shortly to be added)!

2003 Vin Santo  £29.00 per 50cl

Vintages and prices correct as at 25^th October 2011