Nouveau in the County

Little nudges in the history of marriage, trade and marketing go a long way in explaining the whys and wherefores of the wine industry.

Bordeaux is a case in point. The region celebrates oenological ties with England, thanks to the marriage between Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. Not only did Henry gain an empire, but the English acquired a taste for wine from this region—despite some little disagreements, like the Hundred Years War (Some grudge!). Enter the Dutch traders, who settled and married into the area in order to export the wine to Holland. They brought their talents to bear in draining the Médoc marshlands in order to plant vines. The area is now home to such august houses as Chateau Palmer, Chateau Kirwan, and Chateau Margaux, to name but a few.

Bordeaux also needed these traders’ connections to get the wine to market before it spoiled, as its shelf life was limited. The wine they initially exported was a dark translucent rosé, hence the term Claret. This was likely because it had minimal contact with the skins during fermentation, and varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon were not grown in the area until the early 19th century.

Moving to the Beaujolais region, the importance of marketing becomes apparent in the approach of another wine celebration— the release of Beaujolais Nouveau. The first release of this year’s wine is traditionally sent to market on the third Thursday of November. Criticized for lacking depth and best served slightly chilled, Beaujolais Nouveau still has a loyal following who enjoy this wine for its freshness and sheer exuberance. It is the ultimate expression of fresh young wine, meant to be consumed as a fun beverage.

It is also a tribute to the skills of marketing companies, as its celebration was initially very local to the Beaujolais region. It all changed in the mid 1960s, when the Mad Men of the day created the hype and desire for this fresh wine. The Duboeuf wine house, for example, always creates special labels for their line of Beaujolais Nouveau releases. In keeping with this new tradition, several County wineries produce and market a vin nouveau that can be enjoyed during our Wassail festival.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
In my unique way, I stumbled across a delightful County sparkling wine made by Rosehall Run Vineyards and christened Indigo. It is made in the charmat method, which forces a secondary fermentation in a stainless steel tank prior to bottling. As opposed to the traditional méthode champenoise, this style works wonders for sparkling wines that will be consumed young and fresh. It is also referred to as the Italian method, as it is used extensively in the production of Prosecco sparkling wine.

This nose-tingling treat is made primarily from estate-grown Muscat fruit, and has no residual sugar—making it a celebratory or food-friendly wine. I was thrilled to see a friendly 10.7 per cent alcohol level, and happier yet to pay a fair price of $24.95. It is available at Rosehall Run’s tasting room, located on Greer Rd.