Expanding Your Palate: Five varietals you may not be drinking and the Huskies want to know “WHY?”

Let me guess the last 5 wines you drank (in no order): Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah. If you’re like most people, you tend to stick with these Big Five varietals that are abundant in almost every wine market. These wines are generally what people order at restaurants, bring to wine dinners and share with friends. Perhaps many of you are thinking “he’s way off…” since you’re last five wines were Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Nebiolo, Grenache, Riesling? But again, these are abundant and although great wines, you’ve had them time and time again.

So, how many of you have heard of or tried the following: Albariño, Verdicchio, Charbono, Gamay, Touriga Franca? I’m willing to bet most of you haven’t had (or perhaps even heard) of these varietals. Well it’s time to expand your palates everyone!

Step out of the box for a few minutes while I introduce to you 5 wine grape varietals you aren’t currently drinking. I offer a few suggestions of wines that I feel exemplify each varietal and encourage you to get out there and try these (and other new wines!). *Select wine terms defined at the end.

Whites Wine Varietals:

Albariño: This white grape varietal is found primarily in Northern Spain where it makes highly aromatic wines with flavors including peaches, almonds, citrus, fresh cut grass and floral notes. Albariño wines have great acidity, making them great wines for spring and summer, as well as an ideal pairing for grilled seafood. The Albariño grape is also used in making the crisp, dry white wines of Vinho Verde (”Green Wine”), in Portugal. There the grape is called Albarinho and is generally blended with Avesso, Loureiro, Avesso and Trajadura (among other varietals) providing the aromas and acidity behind the name Vinho Verde (green in the sense of crisp and fresh).
Albariño wines to try (available at wine shops in Baltimore): 2005 Albariño Nora, 2006 do Ferreiro Albariño Rias Baixas, 2006 Muros Antigos Alvarinho Vinho Verde

Verdicchio: A major white wine grape in central Italy, the Verdiccio grape makes medium bodied white wines with crisp acidity and pronounced flavors. The wines themselves are traditionally called Verdicchio and are often single varietals containing only the yellowish-green Verdicchio grapes. That’s not to say other grapes aren’t allowed in wines called Verdicchio- up to 15% of the wine may be made from other varietals including Malvasia and Trebbiano (two other often looked-over but quality grapes). Verdicchio will pair well with a variety of seafood, especially shellfish. Three to try: 2004 Conte Giovanni Baldeschi Baleani Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Donna Ginevra, 2005 Moncaro Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico, 2005 Terre Cortesi Moncaro Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Le Vele

Red Wine Varietals

Charbono: Thought by many to be the same as the Bonardo grape (second most planted in Argentina), Charbono is a thick skinned red wine grape that has a good character and when done right can be a lot of fun. I’ve had 10 different Charbono’s recently , all from the 87 acres of California that are home to the only Charbono plantings in the United States. These wines are ink-dark in color and display aromas of black and red fruits, herbs and spice. They have interesting flavor profiles unlike any wine I’ve ever had that can best be described as “eclectic”.
Two to try: 2006 Summers Estate Charbono ($18), Chameleon Cellars Charbono ($20)

Gamay: The sole grape of the wines in the famous Beaujolais, Gamay is a dark colored grape that has been around for around 650 years. Flavors include cherry, strawberry, and the trademark cranberry, as well as light notes of spice and earth. Gamay is light in style which may be attributed to its origins from the Pinot Noir grape. I’ve had a few American-grown Gamays, some were good, some weren’t so good.
A few to try: 2005 Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques ($15), 2005 Domaine du Vissoux / Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Poncié ($20), 2004 Edmunds St. John Gamay Noir Bone-Jolly ($18)

Touriga Franca: This Portuguese grape varietal is one of my all-time favorites when it comes to lesser known varietals. The wines made with Touriga Franca are bright red in color and display lovely aroma’s and flavors of flowers, red fruits, and light spice. Often used as a blending grape (you may have had it without knowing it in wines from the Alentejo region in Portugal), Touriga Franca can be outstanding on its own. Wines consisting of Touriga Franca will pair with almost any meat, poultry or game.
Three to try: 2004 Quinta de Ventozelo Touriga Franca ($18), 2004 Symington Altano (blend- $16), 2004 Encostas de Estremoz Touriga Franca (single varietal - $15)

Wine Terms Used Above In Plain English:

Acidity: When you are drinking a white wine and you feel a tingling on your tongue, that’s the acidity. Wines high in acidity will make your mouth water for a few seconds after taking a sip.
Aromatic: A characteristic of the smell of the wine. Highly aromatic wines are wines that have big and complex aromas.
Beaujolais: Area in France’s Burgundy region that has a climate similar to the Rhone. The region is home for the famous Beaujolais-Nouveau, which is a wine (100% Gamay) that is fermented for only weeks and released on the third Thursday of each November (fun to try once, but generally not that good!).
Rhone: Area in Southern France known for outstanding wines. There is a Northern Rhone, which is primarily Sryah-based wines, and a Southern Rhone, which is Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and bunch of other wines. Southern Rhone is most famous for Chateauneuf du Pape.
Single Varietal: A wine consisting 100% of a single type of wine grape
Varietal: Meaning “a type of grape”