DAN’S WINE BLOG

2024-04-26

This week a couple of exciting emerging varieties celebrate their “International Day”

Kicking off with today being International VIOGNIER Day.

This native French white varietal had almost disappeared by the 1960’s when the #condrieu region of the Rhone Valley stepped up to the plate, producing some amazing wines and eventually making it the only white variety permissible in their AOC.

It is also used in small proportions (1-5%) to make the now famous Shiraz Viognier blend, as exemplified by the superb, class leading Canberra based Clonakilla Wines Shiraz Viognier

On the strength of the wines of Condrieu, #viognier has spread across the globe, and here in Australia it found its champion in Yalumba Wines . Not only were they early adopters of this exciting variety, they have become the leading light producing several different versions of it from the “entry level” Y series Viognier through to the sensationally complex and sophisticated Eden Valley Virgilius and even a sticky in the FSW Botrytis Viognier- which is truly divine!!

Even these days, when one thinks of Viognier one automatically thinks Yalumba- yes there are other people producing great Viognier but none are a omnipresent and enthusiastic as Yalumba.

So if you haven’t tried this exciting variety as yet, go out and grab a bottle of Yalumba Viognier and you won’t be disappointed.

Check these lovely wines out – along with their Shiraz Viognier and the rest of their excellent wines at www.yalumba.com

Then we go to:

MARSELAN

Tomorrow the world (well in China at least) Celebrates the 7th International Marselan Day. The official date is April 27, the birthday of Paul Truel, the noted ampelographer who created this Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache cross in 1961.

In the short time since it’s creation #marselan has been planted in over 20 countries headed by France, China, Uruguay, Bulgaria Serbia and a small planting in the Napa Valley USA.

Almost nobody in Australia has heard of this emerging variety, as it is not, to the best of my knowledge been planted here as yet. However, in China it is THE big thing, with plantings growing rapidly so that it will soon- if not already be the third most planted red variety after the ubiquitous “Bordeaux” Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s side-kick Merlot.

In 2019 I attended the inaugural World Bulk Wine Exhibition in Yantai, where one of the Masterclasses was on Marselan. See my article in Australia's Wine Business Magazine (WBM) July-August 2019 “A New Dawn Rising” The session was packed out and was very informative with a presentation by a university research winery from near Penglai City, which presented a number of trial wines from three vintages.

The upshot is that Marselan makes a very attractive wine which, I am sure will have a bright future here in Australia when some intrepid souls’ source some and plant it. I can envisage that in the fairly near future Marselan could become for China what Malbec is for Argentina and Shiraz is for Australia- the flagship red variety.

If you hear of any Marselan wine available here in Australia, be it Chinese, French or Uruguayan, please let me know as I would be very keen to try it. Thanks

Have a great week, stay safe and remember to #ChooseAustralianWine and when possible enjoy #emergingvarieties

CheersDan T