J.P. Chenet Cab.Syrah 284 396 (litre)

Mauro Primitivo 244 210

Umbala 224 625

Podium Pinotage 196 869

Drosty-Hof Cape Red 195 470

Chill Out S. Cab. Sauv. 185574

Ramos Reserva 185442

Castillo de Anna 185433

Bundustar 178083

Gato Negro Cab Sauv. 177365

Sorce: sydsvenskan.se

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1 J.P. Chenet Cabernet Syrah
2 Lindemans Shiraz Cabernet
3 Doppio Passo
4 Gato Negro Cabernet Sauvignon
5 Cantina Rossa 300 cl
6 Chapelle du Bois
7 Viña Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon
8 El Copero
9 La Boiselière (without vintage)
10 Da Luca Primitivo Merlot

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review; just click on the wine.

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Quickly! Bring me a beaker of wine so that I may wet my brain and say something clever. Aristophanes

Geography provides dramatic settings in this old country seeped in history from Hesiod to Aristophanes.
Although the sophistication of Greeks of antiquity did not invent wine, they reached unprecedented levels of sophistication and quality winemaking once Egyptians taught them how to grow grapes and make wine.
Greece’s agrarian past is still vibrant and dominates the traditional ways of production and business.
In antiquity, the Mediterranean Sea from east to west was the hubbub of commercial activity, and since Greek traders travelled extensively, they introduces vitiviniculture to Romans, who in turn spread the technology throughout continental Europe and England.
Greeks called southern Italy, land of wine, (Enotria) as “terroir” was most suitable for vitiviniculture.
Greece’s “terroir” is suitable for grape growing. Agriculturally poor and well drained soil, with dry and hot summers blessed with adequate precipitation are perfect. Yields are kept low and grapes are handpicked to ensure consistent quality of the vintage.

Most of the indigenous grape varieties (there are approximately 200) have loose bunches that allow dry air to circulate around berries and prevent mould and other diseases from occurring. Greek grape farmers need very little to no chemical treatment in their vineyards.
According to archaeologists Greece has been producing and consuming wine for millennia. Over centuries, indigenous grapes have adopted to the terroir and yield acceptable, often very high quality fruit. Vintage quality is mostly constant due to even climate patterns.
For red wines, winemakers prefer – agiorgitiko, xinomavro, mandelaria, kotsifali, mavrotragano, vertzami, mavrodaphne, and limnio.
Many modern, European or American trained winemakers also use cabernet sauvignon, syrah, mourvedre, grenache, and tempranillo for varietal wines, or for blending.
For white wines, the following varieties are popular: assyrtiko, athiri, lagorthi, malagousia, savatiano, aidani, debina, muscat, vilana, moshofilero, roditis, and robola. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and others are also planted for experimental purposes, and occasionally turn up in blends or even as varietal wines.
Retsina, a resinated white wine with a particular aroma, has been revolutionized, and now may be lavender-scented and appealing, at least to some. Old-style retsina could appeal to some, but revolt others. Many wine lovers referred to retsina politely as an “acquired taste”.
Ever since Greece joined the European Union in 1981, significant amounts of research funds helped in the study of indigenous grape varieties and characteristics in an attempt to establish the best “terroir” for different varieties.
Laws have been put into effect to control quality and designations.
Region boundaries were formalized and vineyards classified.

The main grape growing regions of Greece are:
Ionian Islands (Kefalonia)
Peloponnesus (Patras, Nemea)
Macedonia (Naussa, Goumenissa)
Main Aegean Islands (Crete, Lesbos, Samos, Santorini and others)
Central Greece (Thessaly, Attic,and others)
In the last few decades, Greek wine quality improved mostly due to young, ambitious, well-educated and savvy winemakers who understand that only quality can succeed in today’s world markets. The general elevation of living standards in the country also helped a great deal for consumers to seek fine wines and to pay for quality.
The old established wineries of Achaia Claus, Tsantali, Kourtakis and others have invested significant amounts of capital in modern equipment and barrels.
New boutique wineries commissioned architects to come up with spectacular designs to attract visitors and have them sample their wines. Greece is a major tourism destination for thousands of Scandinavians, Dutch, Belgians, and Germans, just to name a few sources.
Greek wines are exported to all major markets including Germany, the United Kingdom, the U.S.A, Scandinavia, and Canada. In all these countries there are thousands of Greek-owned and operated restaurants that actively promote Greek wines and foods.
The following wineries are well respected and produce consistently fine wines.
Canava Argyrou (Santorini), Alpha Estate (Macedonia), Gaia Wines (Pelopponesus), Domaine Gerovassiliou (Epanomi), Ktima Kyr-Yianni (Naossa), Strofilia, Oenoforos, Mercouri, Parparoussis, Mantina Winery, Antonopoulos, Katogi Averoff, Domaine Konstantin Lazaridi, Tselepos Estate, Sigalas, Domaine Matsa, Ktima Voyatzis.

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Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2006.

The Domaine du Vieux Lazaret is the largest estate in Chateauneuf du Pape and covers over 250 acres (1.0 km2) in 35 different parcels, with consequent complexity of soil types. Modern winemaking techniques, along with rigorous selection, are employed in this area to produce wine. The Quiot family has owned vineyards in this region for over 200 years.

It is still a round and good wine, with great distinctive fruity taste and medium body. We still miss a little more structure in the wine, but all over it is a pleasant acquaintance.

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review in our wine guide
Winesworld.

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Bordeaux is one of the wine world’s natural wonders, exciting connoisseurs with its elegant, refined, and complex wines. This is the largest high-quality wine-producing region in the world and has been exporting its legendary wines for centuries, all over the world, but particularly to the United Kingdom due to history and vigorous marketing of English wine merchants.
Bordeaux classified chateaux (there are 65 out of some 12 000) are the best known and most written about, but there are thousands of others that make fine wines at reasonable cost. The world famous chateau production is at most five per cent of the total, and correspondingly very expensive pending the quality of vintage and economic condition in its important markets, i.e the United Kingdom, the U.S.A, and Japan.
Bordeaux is best known for its fragrant, refined, medium- to full bodied red wines, but also produces huge amounts of dry white wine and appreciable amounts of sweet libations that are capable of aging for decades.
The officially sanctioned major grape varieties for red wines are: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, petit verdot, and carmenere, and for whites sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle.
Cabernet sauvingon is dark-skinned, yields wines that smell of cassis and raspberries, are elegant, and age well.
Cabernet franc offers floral smells, and provides spice in a blend. It prefers cool inland climates, ripens early, and in St. Emilion is preferred to cabernet sauvignon.
Merlot smells of black cherries, plums and herbs. It contains less tannins and generally blended with cabernet sauvignon to soften it.
Petit verdot is used in very small quantities to provide depth and colour.
Malbec contributes to colour and texture. Now many estates use very little or none of it in their blends.
Practically all Bordeaux wines are blended to achieve flavour, depth, textural elegance and balance.

Sauvignon blanc offers grassy and green fruit flavours, adding zest to semillon.
Semilloon has a “fat” mouthful and smooth texture with superb fruitiness. Generally blended with sauvignon blanc and occasionally with muscadelle.
Muscadelle is extremely fruity and offers muscat flavours.
In Bordeaux the 2005 vintage was very successful, and yielded powerful, balanced, cellar worthy wines that could be excellent investments, but only if judiciously chosen.
Classified chateaux wines are expensive and the worldwide financial crisis has contributed to decreasing sales.
Below find some lesser known, but very fine chateaux wines you can try:
Chateau de Pez, 2005, St. Estephe
Firm berry flavours and other fruit aromas dominate. Should be cellared for four to five years for optimal drinking.
717389 $ 63.95

Château Loudenne, 2001, Medoc
A fine wine from a well-managed property. Medium-bodied, fruity and well-balanced.
087718 $ 38.95

La Dame de Malescot, 2005, Margaux
This is the second label of the respected Chateau Malescot St. Exubery. The wine represents good value, is well balanced, and particularly well suited for grilled lamb chops or roast leg of lamb.
079269 $ 51.95

Chateau La Couronne, 2005, St. Emilion
Blackberry aromas waft out of the glass. In the mouth, vanilla and dark chocolate flavours are noticeable. Full bodied and still somewhat tannic, this wien would benefit from two to three years of cellaring.
606640 $ 29.95

Chateau de Roques Merlot, 2005, Premier Cotes de Bordeaux
This “right bank” Bordeaux offers great value, flavour, and balance. The property (Chateau Lezongras) is well managed and produces consistently fine wines at reasonable cost.
087726 $ 17.95

Guest Writer – Hrayr Berberoglu E-mail or interested in his books?.

Niepoort Vinhos Redoma 2002

Redoma was the first Douro table wine from Niepoort and the first release was back in 1991. Redoma is like the Douro “extreme and with a rigorous character”. Old north facing vineyards from Quinta de Napoles and Pinhão Valley are the base for Redoma. The main varieties are Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca.

Even in a little week vintage we do love Niepoort Vinhos. This wine is robust, full-bodied, fruity and rustic. It fits perfect for heavy food and we have it gladly to some pork.

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review in our wine guide
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This narrow valley stretching from the San Francisco Bay north to Calistoga is today dotted with vineyards and wineries. Some are on the valley floor, but most are on the west and east slopes. The north of the valley is hotter than the south due to the climatic influence of the bay. Here (Carneros) pinot noir, and chardonnay grow better and yield finer wines than cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and zinfandel. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel grow much better around Oakville and Calistoga.

Napa Valley’s worldwide fame came when Stephen Spurrier, and Englishman, who at the time had a wine school and shop in Paris, decided to stage a blind tasting of French, (mainly Bordeaux and Burgundy) and Napa Valley wines to be judged by French experts. He travelled to Napa valley and visited many wineries tasting their best products. After selecting the best, he retunes to Paris and orchestrated the tasting.

Blind tastings are always tricky affairs. Experts, or those who claim to be experts, can be fooled relatively easily when the source and names of the wines are unknown. At the end of the well-publicized tasting, a few Napa Valley wines edged world famous Bordeaux and Burgundy products by a slim margin, which was enough for the Time magazine to report the success at length. Needless to say major national American TV networks reported the results as well and Napa Valley wines gained unprecedented prominence in the minds of consumers.

Since then, hundreds of new wineries opened in the Napa Valley, and today tourist traffic exceeds 500 000 annually. Many come from San Francisco in limousines and stop at Robert Mondavi’s Oakville Winery, Niebaum-Coppola, Chandon Napa, Grgich Hills, Beringer, and Beaulieu to name just a few, for tastings. Robert Mondavi’s Winery in Oakville attracts 300 000 paying visitors, who are expertly guided through the impeccably maintained winery. The visit finishes with a formal tasting of six wines. Visitors can buy special releases in the boutique. But beyond famous wineries along the Highway 29 that runs through the region there are a few that produce only a few thousand cases of super premium wines dubbed cult wines. These wineries are closed to the public. They are located high in the mountains, small and sell only to their clients on their mailing lists. They don’t have to go through wholesalers and retailers and enjoy an excellent reputation due to their famous and consistent quality wines. In poor vintages they do not release any wine, but sell the production in bulk to other wineries.

Most produce one wine they are focused and strive for the best possible wines. Needless to say, they are expensive. Some at release cost $ 200.00 and more. But then, in auctions, well-heeled consumers pay much more for older vintages.
These wines are brilliant, dark red in colour, exude ripe fruit aromas, show an excellent balance, depth, and have superbly long aftertastes. They are cellar worthy. In fact they should be aged pending on vintage for at least four to ten years, but can be enjoyed after purchase with rich food.

Generally, the North American public wants enjoy wine rather young. There are caveats in drinking such wines before they reach their peak. These wines hide their intrinsic qualities and the consumer is short-changed.
The following cult wineries are famous for their cult wines:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Silver Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon, Dominus Estate
Opus One
Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard, Araujo
Cabernet Sauvignon, Bryant Family
Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch, Aberau
Merlot, Pahlmayer
Old Vines Zinfandel, Turley
Artesa Reserve, Harlan Estates
Cabernet Sauvignon Screaming Eagle
Insignia, J. Phelps

Vintages are not listed for reasons stated above.

If you want to experience the very best Napa Valley red wines, try to get on the mailing list of one of these wineries or attend auctions such the annual auctions of the L C B O arranged each November in Toronto.

Guest Writer – Hrayr Berberoglu E-mail or interested in his books?.

Vina San Pedro – Gato Negro Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

I must say that I was surprised when I tasted this vintage; we have tasted this before and given the wine dice 2. This vintage is different! The wine is good all the way with taste of red berries and with a smooth finish. It is easy to like and easy to drink.

With the price of this wine in Norway and Sweden it is a good alternative for a table wine. It is not a culinary experience, but that is not the point either.

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review in our wine guide
Winesworld.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Morten – E-mail

Tenuta il Sogno Nebbio06 Tenuta il Sogno 2006.

This is again a very good wine from Tenuta Il Sogno. This is their first attempt with the nebbiolo grape and the result is as I put it very successful. The wine is full bodied with taste of fresh red berries. The finish has hints of spices and is a little dry.
We do recommend some food to this wine, but it can work alone with some for instance chips.

See all wine from Tenuta il Sogno.

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When it comes to sales of red wine, Italy is at the top. The sales boost up with 17% compared with 2007. Never before has it been sold so much red wine from Norway in a year.

The sale are reduced for the next 3 countries on the list
- France, Spain and Australia.

- Chile has increased the sales for the first time in 8 years.

The sale went up 2.8% in 2008.

This is the increase/decrease in 2008 with the most selling countries at the top:
.

Italy 17,1%
Franche -2,3%
Spain -1,3%
Australia -7,7%
Chile 12,5%
Portugal -7,4%
Argentina -4,8%
South-Africa 12%
USA 2,8%
Hungary -17,3%
Other -23,9%

source: Vinmonopolet.no

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Vinmonopolet’s focuses in January are wines from U.S.A.

Source Vinmonopolet:

Among the news in January 2009, it is the U.S.A that will be the main focus area. The United States is not the focus because it is different, but because it made good wine there! We know that it has made a major effort to adapt the grape to the soil and climate, and we hope it also will be the impression for this presentation.

The wine production in the U.S. actually takes place in all states, but in the first instance we will focus on wines from California and Oregon. California set NOK class in terms of volume and diversity. 98 percent of the export from the United States is California wine. There are about 100 AVA regions in the state, which all offer different geological and climatic conditions for grape cultivation, and this is one of the most important aspects of the focus area. For quality wine is also important Oregon, where we find the familiar area Willamette Valley. It is a young estate, and it was first producing wine in the early 1970s. Pinot Noir is by far the most important grape for the industry in Oregon, which has been well positioned for growth in the last decade. That commitment is also sustainable, often organic methods.

We’ve added many of the new wines in our database and they are search able with the dice roll from the Norwegian newspapers. The database will be updated daily in the days to come. The selection of American wines in Norway has been very poor in recent years so we hope now that it will improve and we look forward to try out several wines from the United States.

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Read more about the wines on Winesworld by clicking the link:

Tenuta Il Falchetto Barbera d`asti Pian Scorrone 2007
Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa 2006
Allegrini Valpolicella Classico 2007
Il Rubino Ca` De Santi Ghemme 2001
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG riserva Montefico 1999

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(you will get one backlink for every wine review you add.)

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Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres Vendimia Seleccionada 2004

This wine is almost a winner every time for the Norwegian people. The vintage 2004 tastes of good fruits, middle body, tannins and length. And with a comfortably spicy/oaky finish.

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Tenuta Il Sogno Barbera d`asti Terre Degli Amici 2006

This is absolutely the best vintage so far. It is a beautiful Barbera wine that has a great structure. It is pure, simple and fruity, while it has strength all the way. It beats us that it has the same power from start to finish. And it is a vintage with good length something we have missed in previous years.

More wine from Tenuta il Sogno.

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This recipe is one of 3-4 traditional Norwegian Christmas dinners. Here are the recipes and some tips on matching red wine:

Ingredients:
500g of ribs pr. Person, Salt, pepper and water.

The Recipes
Saw through the bone so the ribs can be pulled apart for serving. Score the rind. Rub with salt and pepper 1 or 2 days before roasting. Pour 2 dl (3/4 cup) water into the roasting dish, and cover the ribs with foil. Roast in the middle of the oven at 230°C for 30 – 40 minutes. Remove the foil and lower to 200°. Roast spare ribs for a further 1 1/2 hours and midribs for a further 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Leave for 20 minutes before carving.
Serve with pork sausage patties, Christmas sausages, the juice, sauerkraut, cranberries and any other family favorites.

Here are 4 wines that we have tried out:

1. Masi Passo Doble Malbec Corvina 2006 for about 130.- NKr.

2. Château Ferran 2003 for about 170.- NKr.

3. Bodegas Lan Gran Reserva 1996 for about 189.- NKr.

4. Niepoort Vinhos Batuta Tinto 2004 for about 499.- NKr.

Click on the wines to read more about them and to see how we liked them.

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Wine Shack Bunker Bay Pinot Noir 2004.

This wine is fruity and tastes is fresh young with red berries, spices and vanilla together with some oak. It lack a little in body and has a little sharp finish.

So it ended up like most wines from Australia we have tasted with dice 3.

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Ca` Montini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2005.

The Pizzolo family intends to maintain the excellent reputation of the Ca’ Montini brand name, a traditional quality wine maker. Ca’ Montini wines are well known throughout the world, and are served in the most exclusive restaurants. Located in Marano di Valpolicella (Verona), in the heart of the’ Amarone Classico’ production area.

This is a great vintage for this producer and wine. It tastes of dark red berries, spices, a litter bitter and some oak in the finish. It fits good with typical rustic food like steak and potatoes.

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