Hear ye! Hear ye! This is an official meeting of the ABC, the Anything But Chardonnay Club. It is a new membership drive designed to convert those reactionaries who will never stray away from their beloved, tried and true, warm and cozy chardonnay and to other wonderful white wines currently are in the marketplace. Actually, all of this should be delivered from a pulpit with a choir behind us for emphasis.
As with any wine-related subject, there must be a history. Chardonnay became the world’s most popular white wine centuries ago because it was the most prolific white grape variety in France. There were some other white wine grapes around, the riesling of Germany, the pinot grigio of Italy or the sauvignon blanc of Bordeaux, but none so high and mighty as the chardonnay. Tucked away in small enclaves in France were other white grapes being grown and made into wine, but they remained mostly in the hinterlands.
The hero of our tale (and there always must be a hero) is a Hungarian count, Agoston Haraszthy, who came to California in the 1850s armed with every conceivable European wine grape vine he could lay his hands on. The good count is even credited with introducing the zinfandel into this country. Just as a historical note, after he finished setting up his vineyard in California, he headed for the Central American jungle and was never heard from again, where it was rumored that he had been eaten by an alligator.
We will begin with one of our personal favorites, viognier, which was, at one time, the world’s rarest and most expensive white wine. Until just several years ago, the viognier grape was endangered. In its native land of France, less than 35 acres of the shy-growing, mildew-sensitive variety were under cultivation. Not only was the growing area minuscule, but the soil the vines grew in was poor and, therefore, the production of grapes was very small. Called condrieu, the wine that these grapes produced were ethereal. While the variety is difficult to grow in France, it has found a new home in California, where modern farming techniques and a friendly climate has lead to resurgence in plantings and the production of outstanding wines from this sometimes temperamental grape.
Roussanne is another one of those grape varieties that has lost interest in France but is gaining popularity in this country. A native of the lower Rhone Valley, this grape was often used in the mishmash of grape varieties that make up the wine known as chateauneuf-du-pape, but rarely was it presented as a single variety.
Very much like the viognier, the color of a roussanne is light gold, which is its least impressive feature; from there, it goes straight to superlatives. The aroma is big, open and very obvious, displaying pineapple, bosc pear and Fuji apple. Tropical fruits dominate the flavor and continue on to an incredibly long and, for a white wine, super fruity finish. Some American vintners are beginning to plant this very flavorful variety, and while the wines are a little difficult to find, the hunt will prove to be well worth it.
Chenin blanc grapes have for years been one of the major constituents of the inexpensive, nondescript white wines made in California. However, in the hands of dedicated winemakers such as Dry Creek Vineyard, a dry chenin blanc emerges as a wine that is simply terrific.
Another superb source of very affordable dry chenin blanc wines come from South Africa, where the wine is known as steen.
While we are on the subject of Dry Creek, they also make a fume blanc, which is a sauvignon blanc that has been given some wood aging to mellow it and allow it to pick up some extra oak and vanilla flavoring, making for a really nice wine.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
