Wine with Leslie: Passing the love for wine down the generations
Pic: Istock
More news about the worldwide fall in wine consumption came to my attention this week.
I fear it will be up to our generation to pass on our love of this civilised and civilising liquid to the next.
Thankfully in wine-growing countries, the oenology schools are still attracting plenty of students.
I had a brilliant chat with a young South African winemaker Alex McFarlane in September last, and it gave me hope.
Alex doesn’t have her own vineyards, but has patiently built relationships with growers of old-vine heritage South African varieties (Cinsault, Pinotage, Chenin) in Stellenbosch and nearby wine regions.
It has taken patience, but she has coaxed farmers to sell grapes to her, rather than the local co-ops (who pay less but make things easier).
All Alex’s contracts are based on an old school handshake, so things have not always been easy — she found out from a video in a winemaker WhatsApp group that the old vine Cinsault vineyard that supplied her best fruit was being ripped up to grow Bordeaux varieties to supply a bulk producer.
Alex’s wines are sustainably and thoughtfully made and very tasty.
She is imported by Eamon Fitzgerald of WineSpark.com, Eamon takes a tiny mark-up on the wines he imports and uses a subscription model to cover most running costs.
Three wines from South Africa to try, Alex’s gorgeous floral Cinsault that clocks in at just 12% and is not unlike a village Burgundy.
Also below is another wine containing Cinsault from wild child winemaker Pieter Walser. Walsar similarly seeks out old vines and forgotten plantings and makes dozens of different wines, sadly only a few of which make it to Ireland.
Finally a bargain wine from Delheim who are larger and longer established but no less noteworthy.
Delheim is owned by the Sperling family and their wines are consistently good (and good value).
This is on special (reduced from €20), as is Delheim’s Chardonnay Sur Lie (€24).
Wild yeast fermentation creates extra layers and textures — tropical tinged citrus fruit aromas, a touch of smoke, ripe peach fruits, textured, complex and taut.
Alex McFarlane is part of the new young generation of South African winemakers — she visited Dublin in September.
Her Chenin and Pinotage are fab but I particularly loved her old vine Cinsault which has rose-petal and herbal aromas with bright red fruits that follow through on the palate, supple and juicy with a dried berry finish.
An eclectic blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Roussanne from different sub-regions, made with spontaneous fermentation and packed with bright fresh red fruits and a pleasing suppleness, ideally serve a little cool. BB’s sister wine ‘Moment of Silence’ white is also recommended.
Made by Liam McDonnell who manages the family apple farm just outside Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
This is widely available and very tasty. Made with Elstar, Bramley and Michelin apples (an eater, a cooker and a cider apple).
Aromas of bruised pear and apple pie, textured and complex with a good balance between ripe soft fruits, a nutty rounded palate and a crisp finish.