On Saturday I attended the Roberson wine school tasting (www.roberson.com/tastings).  Remi (who took the class) introduced us to Part three: The who? of wine.   The 2 hour tasting focused on the viticulture – from looking at budbreak, to flowering, fruit set and veraison.  Remi discussed the factors that need to be taken when planting a vineyard, the types of pruning, ploughing, canopy management, spraying and then harvesting.

Remi highlighted the work that then needs to be done in the cellar (after the harvest), the fermentation process and the choice of maturation in barrel or bottle.  Although I know quite a bit about wine, it was good to refresh the memory and remind myself of all the work that goes into making wine, it is an agricultural product which people tend to forget.  So the next time you hesitate over spending more than 4.50 on a bottle, think about the hard work that goes into every bottle.

The focus for the two Pinot Grigios was industrustrial vs artisanal production:                2010 Pinot Grigio, Vignale, £4.99  – This delivers at this price point.  Apples and citrusy aromas on the nose follow through with similar flavours on the palate.  Great for a sunny summer or spring day, not to be taken too seriously.

2006 Pinot Grigio, Dario Princic, £32.95 – This is a natural wine – produced with no extra sugar, acidity or foreign yeasts, only a little bit of sulphur is added before bottling to preserve the wine. The Pinot Grigio grape has a slight pink tinge to it and as the white wine has been fermented on its skins, (plus 4 years old) the wine has an orange colour to it.  On the nose there are hints of cranberries, apricots, peaches and slight savoury note to it.  High acidity, with some depth to it with similar flavours to the nose.  This is an interesting wine, but not to everyone’s tastes.

The second flight focused on non oak versus oak ageing:                                                      2010 Sauvignon Blanc; Isabel, Marlborough, New Zealand  £15.95 The nose has NZ SB all over it – I love the smell.  Aromas of gooseberries, asparagus, passion fruit, guava – so much going on in the glass!  The palate is clean with refreshing acidity, citrusy aromas, passion fruit with a slight sweetness to it which comes from the residual sugar.  Ideal with grilled chicken with asparagus.

2007 Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand, £29.00 – On the nose you can smell the aromas of oak – the vanilla and smoke.  On the palate the creamyness and vanilla are obvious with aromas of honey and a slight freshness to it.  The fruit may come through in a further 6 months but it was interesting to taste an oaked Sauvignon Blanc.  Ideal with roast pork and roast potatoes.

The third and final flight analysed the traditional wine making versus the modern wine making style:                                                                                                                               2005 Rioja Reserva; Marques de Murrieta, Rioja £16.95 – You can tell it’s older by the bricky red hue at the edge of the glass.  Aromas of coconut and vanilla mean that it was aged in American oak.  Hints of strawberries, spice and christmas cake give many layers of flavour in this glass.  Raisins, cherries and raspberries with a hint of spice follow through on the palate.  Ideal with steak or beef wellington.

2007 Predicador, Benjamin Romeron, Rioja,  £26.95 – The purple hue signifies its youth although it looks younger than it is.  The darker colour signifies smaller yields in the vineyard which gives the wine more concentration of flavours.  On the nose aromas of savoury notes and strawberries abound while on the palate there’s black fruit, hint of oak and bacon aromas.  With the grippy tannins, this wine could stand up to quite a few meals I can think of but I recommend roast beef and roast pork.