DAN'S WINE BLOG- THIS WEEK'S WINE REVIEW

THIS WEEK’S WINE REVIEW:

This week I am actually reviewing two exciting new wines made from a rarely heard of grape variety. That variety is PECORINO – yes, yes, like the cheese!

Last year I wrote an article (see link below – “Pass The Pecorino Please!”) for Australian Wine Showcase Magazine, about a handful of producers around the country who had just released their first ever vintage of this delightful cheese – I mean wine!

Since then I have discovered that the number of PECORINO wine producers in Australia has risen to over ten.

Here are two of the latest exciting new Aussie PECORINO’s:

?MATRIARCH & ROGUE 2022 ADELAIDE HILLS ‘ROGUES of the RESISTANCE’ PECORINO (Vegan friendly): Wizard winemaker, Marnie Roberts, has created a ripper Aussie version of this Italian white variety. The bouquet is redolent with stone fruit, florals and a hint freshly mown grass. The palate is bigger than the Italians. It is superb, rich, round with ripe fruit flavours, some savoury characters and crisp acidity – beautifully balanced with a refreshing finish. Sensational as an aperitif or accompanying an Antipasto or Mezze spread. OUTSTANDING!

?PARACOMBE 2022 ADELAIDE HILLS PECORINO: The Drogemuller’s have done a sensational job with this, their third vintage. The attractive bouquet has nectarines, peaches and a dash of pepper on it. The palate is quite flinty with stacks of citrus flavours, mainly limes, and a zingy, crisp, refreshing finish. A TOP DROP!

Two different, but equally delightful expressions of a fantastic, new, emerging grape variety that will be seen significantly more around the traps as more and more winemakers get excited and jump on the bandwagon.

Although hard to find at this moment in its infancy, I can assure you that PECORINO (wine) is well worth the effort of seeking it out. It will only get even better and more complex in years to come as the winemakers become more accomplished with the variety and the vines grow more mature.

Incidentally, knowing the small minded way the Italian wine Industry thinks, it probably won’t be long before they start a case in the World Court to stop us from calling it PECORINO, as it doesn’t come from that region, even though that is the name of the variety. Just like they changed the name of the Prosecco grape to Glera and are in the process of stopping us from using the name Prosecco (because it doesn’t come from there – which translates to, we are too successful at competing with them). They are already trying to do this with Pecorino cheese, saying that Pecorino is the region rather than the style and so nobody else can use that name.

Well, that’s it for another week. Stay safe and try not to upset the Italian wine industry by naming your wine by its current – but soon to be changed, Italian varietal name. #emergingvarieties

Cheers, Dan T.

Links:

www.wineassist.com.au/dans-articles/pass-the-pecorino-please

www.matriarchandrogue.com.au

www.paracombewines.com.au