Tuesday 15 February 2011

Does exactly what it says...

Wine descriptions on wine bottle labels can often sound quite twee and samey. "Chief winemaker xyz has crafted a wine that evokes xyz's local terroir...fruit driven...picked at optimum ripeness...ideal with cheese and pork scratchings." (I made the last bit up.)

I'll save you my amateurish description of the following wine, not just because it has been covered elsewhere (I concur with the final comment at the bottom of this post, by the way), but because the label does my job for me.

I'll translate instead:

Weingut Ziereisen, Steingrüble 2009, Baden
"Fully ripened, hand-picked grapes from 25-year-old Gutedel (Chasselas) vines were spontaneously fermented in a large wooden vat, using the grapes' own yeasts. The wine was bottled after being left on its lees for 11 months. Flinty notes with ripe, elegant acidity and minerally hints on the palate."

2 comments:

  1. I share your high opinion of Ziereisen's wine descriptions. They are commendably accurate and understated, which makes them stand out a mile from the, excuse me, unmitigated bullshit usually on display.
    I find it to be a bad sign, for example, when a bogus food matching recommendation is followed up by something along the lines of ..."or simply with friends and good cheer".

    Take care,
    Julian

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  2. [Sorry, delayed response..]
    I know what you mean, Julian. The Spätburgunders from a large vintners' cooperative down here always seem to "go well with venison", regardless of whether they are actually any good or taste of "Cola-Rot".
    Best,
    Simon

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