While European grapes rule the wine world, they can also express themselves quite favorably when grown in climes other than home ground: those portions of the southern hemisphere that are, weather-wise, somewhat equivalent to Europe (roughly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina). These areas excel at producing those same varietals, albeit with unique expressions based on varying terroir and winemaking tradition.
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In the memorable 2004 movie Sideways, Miles Raymond uttered a line that forever changed the way we think of wine. Throughout the film Miles waxes rhapsodic over his favorite grape varietal, Pinot Noir, while denigrating Merlot. This culminates in an exchange between Miles and Jack, Miles’s friend and travelling buddy. Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we’re drinking Merlot. Recently I wrote about wines tasted during the grand opening of Colorado’s Winery Row, a conglomeration of several local tasting rooms and production facilities in Denver (see Colorado Wines). Last week I was invited by the Colorado Wine Board to tour wineries and vineyards on Colorado’s Western Slope, where most of the grapes that end up in these bottles come from. A couple of months ago I did a column on Cabernet Sauvignon (see Cabernet Sauvignon for the People). About a month ago I penned one on non-California wines (see Wines From Places Other Than California). So, in the spirit of Pablo Picasso, who is reputed to have said that good artists borrow while great ones steal, I now give you Cabernet Sauvignon that is not from California. |
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