WINE
philosophies to come up with a new brighter and more fragrant, elegant style of Malbec which in many cases are delicious.
She is especially impressed with wine from the northern province in Salta where the area of Cafayate is producing stunning Malbec, Tannat and a refreshing aromatic white wine made of the indigenous variety Torrontes. Says Sydbeck, “Some of the world’s highest vineyards lies here at over 3000 metre above sea level, resulting in an incredible purity of fruit and perfume.”
Evans stays closer to home and zooms in on the Languedoc region for elegant and characterful wines by favourite producers from Pic Saint Loup such as Chemin des Reves and Chateau Lancyre. Azzopardi is having a bit of a ‘thing’ for the Spanish that dates back to 2014.He is partial to producers Alvaro Palacios who make excellent wines for as little as €25 per bottle. He says, “I have recently discovered some beautiful barrel-aged ‘Viura’ wines (white) such as ‘Placet Valtomelloso’, and the results are a lovely mix of cream, butter, melon and floral flavours, superbly wonderful and complex. I’m curious to see how these whites can age, so I’m storing a few cases in my cellar and I cannot wait to open them in a few years’ time.”
and spirit education such as tastings with producers, gin or mixology evenings. No 12 provide WSET wine courses in Mallorca and Malta; find more details on their Facebook page. Corkers is now offering a free worldwide delivery for all wine orders over 3,000 euros (T&C apply).
Azzopardi at No 12 notes a new trend in food for nose to tail cooking, where chefs use as much of an animal as possible. He’s a big fan of the ‘waste not want not’ art of food preparation, but it’s not easy to pair with a wine. He says, “Generally speaking, these parts of the animal are often fatty and served with fruit, pickled sauces or have complex tastes. I usually opt for an easy drinking new world Pinot Noir when paired with these foods.” But if the dish has more umami flavours, he would swap the New world for a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. “One can also play on the serving temperature of the Pinot Noir, whereby cooling it slightly would make the wines lighter and more refreshing. Such a beautiful and versatile grape!” he adds.
With this new found, knowledge we can soak it up in little sips and save it for the season ahead. But will our experts be drinking at the end of their working days? Evans at Onshore Cellars admits
Sheffield’s hot spot is Yarra Valley, Australia where producers are making a refined pinot noir which thrives in a climate that’s only slightly warmer than its original home, Burgundy. He recommends Oakridge 864 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley 2012 with fruit from the Hickory Downs Vineyard, which has been producing quality wine since 1978. At an altitude of 180 metres, the vineyard sits on an old alluvial bed which naturally produces small crops. The wine is made by gently de-stemming and fermenting 100% whole berries without the aid of added yeast, pumping, plunging or cooling. The fermentation lasts for 15 days before pressing, settling and racking to 500 litre French oak barrels: “It is a structured, layered wine with a fine tannin backbone and tremendous length and depth,” he says.
Particularly interior yacht crew looking to have an edge this season would do well to wise up on their wines. And those looking for a professional leg up the ladder and investment in their career have a variety of options: Both Riviera Wine and Offshore Cellars offer Level 2 and Level WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trustwine courses) that offer an internationally recognised qualification. Riviera Wine has trained around 400 crew members since it started in 2007 this year it has launched the first wine book for yachting, The Yacht Cru Wine Guide. The Ebook is available free of charge from the website,
www.rivierawine.wine
Master of Wine Rod Smith at Offshore Cellars has trained over 500 crew. The company also offers bespoke wine training specific to each yacht. These courses can be held in the Antibes shop or on board the yacht. The Antibes shop also does events for wine
being a sweet wine girl through and through! She loves a good Sauternes or another favourite, Klein Constantia Vin De Constance from South Africa. Wines from Montrachet are current favourites for Andrew Azzopardi at No 12; “I have a special bond with the elegant Joseph Drouhin style.” Meanwhile, we know Mike Shore at Berba likes his German Rieslings but he is also partial do a spot of sherry, which he says a lot of people are rediscovering thanks to the recent popularity of tapas bars. “A beautiful Oloroso or Palo Cortado from a top producer like Lustau is amazing, and also great value. These can also be easily paired with a wide array of foods…an Oloroso or cream sherry with dessert is fabulous … but even fish and other light meats pair very well with lighter sherries such as a Fino or Amontillado,” says Mike.
Louise Sydbeck MW at Riviera Wine can’t put her finger on a favourite wine of all time; it depends on her mood, the occasion and much more. “But,” she says, “All the top wines I have tasted that move my heart and soul come from classical regions from the old world. Sometimes a wine can be such a glorious expression of art that I even get tears in my eyes, it’s like it all goes quiet inside and it becomes a somewhat spiritual experience. It’s like the wine speaks to you, or whispers to you in a soft and loving secretive voice! But it’s quite rare, last time it was with Cristal rosé 1996 and Pichon Comtesse 1982. And I have a soft spot for bold Zinfandels from a more hedonistic point of view!”
So, the whispering wines are waiting to tell their stories again this year and all we have to do is take the expert advice from our oenologists, find a place to sit, and then just listen….
ONBOARD | SPRING 2018 | 95
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