Obscure Wines
Despite the contentions of certain fanatics, obscure wines are not necessarily preferable to the better-known types. Their scarcity can make them frustrating to source and even harder to find again, although the Internet and specialist merchants improve the odds. More crucially, the appeal of esoteric wines is not always in their taste; sometimes, they generate desire by the mere fact that they play hard to get, while their taste is middling or even disorientating.
Disclaimers aside, novel grapes and regions that actually make delicious wine can be dazzlingly revelatory and economical. If you agree with Ernest Hemingway’s recommendation of “life intoxicated by the romance of the unusual,” then the following novel wine types will send you off buzzed with the thrill of discovery (in alphabetical order):
AGIORGITIKO (AH-YOR-YEE-TE-KO, A GRAPE VARIETY, GREECE)
Dark Greek red redolent of spicy blackberry and plum, sometimes with a smoky dimension; medium bodied, but occasionally plumper; you’ll earn a vinous black belt comes by pronouncing it correctly.
FREISA (FRAY-ZUH, A GRAPE VARIETY, ITALY)
Light-colored, sometimes fizzy, medium-bodied red that resonates with wild strawberry; from Italy’s Piemonte region and often from the Langhe region therein; has a crush on semi-hard cheese and house-cured meats.
GRIGNOLINO (GREE-NYOH-LEE-NOH, A GRAPE VARIETY, ITALY)
Simple but joyous feathery red quaff; often juicily acidic and lightly bitter on the finish; from Italy’s Piemonte region, but California’s Cab-famous Heitz Cellars has long made a rosé from it; priced to move; cools down spicy food.
KERNER (A GRAPE VARIETY, ITALY AND GERMANY)
Vaguely militaristic sounding white primarily from Italy’s Alto-Adige region; fresh and floral, like a grapefruit-y Riesling; possible notes of peach or orange peel; mineral-laced finish; high quality, complex, and priced like it.
PICPOUL DE PINET (PICK-POOL DE PIN-AYE, FRANCE)
Not Run DMC lyrics or an Austin Powers nemesis but a fantastic oyster-loving white from France’s southerly Languedoc-Roussillon; delicate, simple, and lemony; comes in tall, slim, green bottles; priced for the pauper in all of us.
PICOLIT (PEEK-OH-LEET, A GRAPE, ITALY)
Luscious dessert wine prized in its native Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy; near-narcotic burst of apricots, honey, white flowers; my favorite gift for connoisseurs who think they’ve tasted it all; expensive and locating it may necessitate a K-9 unit.
REDS FROM VALLE D’AOSTA (VAHL-LAY DAY-OH-STAH, A REGION IN ITALY)
Edgily crisp, floral, airy reds from a tiny region tucked in the far northwestern corner of Italy, hard by France and Switzerland; often comprised of Gamay or intriguing local grapes.
RIBEIRA SACRA (REE-BEAR-AH SACK-RAH, A REGION IN SPAIN)
A rediscovered district of northwestern Spain making svelte, intriguing, juicy reds; from the Mencía grape, which also appears in the better-known wines of Bierzo; so far in short supply but could expand its presence.
RIBOLLA GIALLA (REE-BOHL-LAH JAHL-LAH, GRAPE A FROM ITALY)
Respected, indigenous grape from northeastern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as Slovenia and a few from the United States; golden hued, medium bodied, with apple and lemony character but can shade to apricot-y with a round mouthfeel; the grape used in some of the most famous “orange wines” (i.e., white wines fermented on their skins like a red, such as Gravner’s Ribolla Gialla).
ZIERFANDLER (ZEER-FAND-LUH, A GRAPE FROM AUSTRIA)
Not a Ben Stiller flick but a rare, indigenous grape that makes a charming, middleweight white; whiffs of yellow pear, apricot, or other tropical fruit; sometimes a buttery finish; microscopic bottle runs necessitate a thorough search.
ALSO CONSIDER
CHAMPAGNE USING FORGOTTEN GRAPES
Though most Champagne is made from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, with sometimes a bit of Pinot Meunier blended in, some smaller Champagne producers push the boundaries by making surprisingly delicious all–Pinot Meunier bottlings. These include Egly-Ouriet, Loriot, Laherte, Jérôme, and Prévost. Even more rare are the brave Champagne houses that make use of the other four ancient grapes that even dedicated bubbleheads don’t know are allowed in Champagne: Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. Houses embracing ancient grapes include Agrapart, Aspasie, Bérèche, Laherte, and Tarlant. If you can find them, you are in for a Champagne experience like no other.
UNCONVENTIONAL CALIFORNIAN WINES
A new generation of Cali winemakers is experimenting with lesser-known grapes such as Mouvèdre, Sémillon, and Trousseau, as well as nontraditional winemaking techniques. The fruits of these efforts are sometimes successful, sometimes not, but are rarely boring. Produced in small lots and thus difficult to find, these wines tend to be made in a more European, moderate-alcohol style than the hyper-ripe Californian style made famous a generation ago. These so-called new Californian wines encompass a wide array of wineries, including A Tribute to Grace, RPM, Dirty Rowdy, Lieu Dit, Rhys, and Soliste.