Around the World: Part 1

Around the World: Part 1

Directions

Come fly with me

Just for a minute, let’s all forget the C word. Let’s not think about Iso, border closures and travel restrictions. Let’s instead turn our wanderlustful eyes to the endlessly fascinating World of Wine. No passport, no luggage, no queues, and no bad news. We’re VIRTUALLY there…

World of Wine part 1: Assyrtiko to Himbertscha


Assyrtiko 

The impossibly gorgeous bucket-list island of Santorini is also the birthplace of GREECE’s most striking white wine - Assyrtiko. After a day of exploring, we’ll fall into its crisp, lemon and apple flavours while watching the sunset turn the turquoise Aegean tangerine. Then we’ll wend our way down to the taverna for fresh charred octopus and… perhaps another Assyrtiko?

Bastardo 

Actually, this violet-scented red wine variety is more legitimately known as Trousseau, and its home is cool-climate Jura in the east of France. (So far east that it’s almost Switzerland). But in sunny PORTUGAL – in the colourful waterfront Fado bars and the steep, cobbled alleys of Porto – it’s known simply, and affectionately, as Bastardo, one of the key wines in Portugal’s delectable, eponymous fortifieds. Tired but happy, we’ll match a glass up with some Queijo da Serrarich – the famously smooth and smoky sheep’s milk cheese, before turning in. Felicidades, companheiro!

Crljenak Kaštelanski

CROATIA’s stunning Dalmatian Coast boasts nearly 6,000kms of shimmering coastline, and more than 1,000 sun-soaked islands. Looking landward, there are countless ancient villages, castles, and fortifications. One of them, Kaštela, is the birthplace of Crljenak Kaštelanski - which regular readers will undoubtedly recognise as the Original Zin. After a hard day’s Dalmatian exploration on our Croatian vacation (sorry – couldn’t decide) we’ll kick back with a delicious glass of spicy, berried Crljenak Kaštelanski.  

Dimyat

Tucked into the Balkan Mountains and stretching to the turquoise waters of the Black Sea, BULGARIA is a fabulous cultural melting pot - rich with Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian influences. It’s even said that Dimyat – Bulgaria’s softly perfumed easy-drinking white wine – arrived from Egypt with the Crusaders. The story may be apocryphal, but it’s something to ponder while we sip an afternoon Dimyat on a pristine, white sand Bulgarian beach.

Emir

Fascinating, transcontinental TURKEY! Mostly Western Asian, but still a little bit European (the bit that borders Bulgaria). Indigenous to Anatolia in central Turkey, Emir is one of the country’s most important white wine grapes. Light and soft, with a delicate nose of citrus and freesias; a palate of lemon and melon with hints of regional rose petal, and - wait for it - a refreshing touch of spearmint on the finish. We should probably get the Meze, yeah? And let’s do the Grand Bazaar tomorrow.

Fetească Neagră

Hello ROMANIA! Home to Transylvania, Vlad the Impaler, and Fetească Neagră (meaning black maiden). This delightful deep ruby red (what - not blood red??) wine is Romania’s premier variety, known for its characteristic blackberry flavours with notes of dark cherry, plum and chocolate. Goes gangbusters, apparently, with Blood Sausage. Um… you first.

Grüner Veltliner

AUSTRIA’s great gift to the world (if you don’t count schnitzel with noodles) is this spicily aromatic white with a hint of edelweiss on the nose. Tangy, zesty citrus and apple flavours while young; honeyed and toasty with age - it’s the perfect tipple to enjoy after a day climbing ev’ry mountain.

Himbertscha

With its soaring alps, glacier-fed lakes, rivers, waterfalls and gorges; its Alpine villages, cosmopolitan cities, the Red Cross and the UN; Swiss watches, army knives, chocolate and cheeses, it is hard to imagine that SWITZERLAND has any capacity at all for wine. Yet, here it is: Himbertscha - a rare straw-coloured varietal, that boasts aromas of spring herbs, wild garlic, dandelion, hazelnut, and lemon – and flavours of lemon, moss, and Brazil nuts. Yodeladeyhoo! Last one down the Matterhorn’s a rotten egg!