Tasting Wines from Unusual Grape Varieties

Most of us are familiar with wines made from such grapes as cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and chardonnay. But the real fun of wine exploration begins once you separate from these "comfort grapes", and give a try to some varietals that are much less common around the world. Some real joys and surprises await. Let's sample a couple of unusual varietals here.

Carmenere is a less-well-known red varietal when made into a stand-alone wine. Often you see it as part of a blend. The Santa Ema Barrel Select Carmenere is sourced from grapes in the Puemo area of the Chachapoal Valley of Chile.

In the glass, this carmenere is medium deep blood red. Aroma is bright with purple, plumy fruit - one of the most plumy aromas I've encountered yet. Somehow almost seems to have a rubbery smell - like when I was pumping up my bicycle tires as kid.

On the palate, that rubber balloon sensation hits in the middle-mouth, very round and filling. Acids support the blackberry-style fruit, and bring the flavors along your cheeks for a modest, clean finish. Two stars on the Spirit of Wine scale, with a plus for its overall vibrancy. Feels like a wine to enjoy over the next couple of years, not to lay down for a rest. Decent value at modest price.

Paucca's Lacrima di Morro d'Alba Superiore is a local wine from central Italy near the well-known center of Verdicchio production. The name of the grape is actually Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, certainly not widely recognized in the new world. This is NOT from the Alba region of Piedmont, despite the similar name. The Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is housed in a syrah-shape bottle. The label is gorgeous, colorful and entirely in Italian. We're enjoying the 2007 vintage - a new one indeed - with family dinner.

The color is deep indeed. Inky and intense. Purply overtones but completely opaque to within a half-inch of the edge of the glass. Aromas are incredibly fresh and fruity and even a bit flowery - if your eyes were closed, you might almost think this was a deeply perfumed white wine.

The fresh fruit - somewhat akin to vintage beaujolais - bursts across the palate. It comes in a burst of heat too, accompanied as it is with 15% alcohol. But incredible lightness still for such a level of alcohol. A deeper tannin undertone follows the flashy fruit along.

Wonderfully rich and texturous finish. Three stars with a plus for its awesomely unique character.

A rough translation - courtesy of Google translate - from the label is as follows: "Lacrima di Morro d"Alba: Vine precious, so rare in quality as unique in taste, fruity and dry at the same time. It is obtained from aromatic red grape with the skin which, when ripe, splits and leaves "tears" as the juice, hence the name, "Lacrima". It is said that it was particularly appreciated by Barbarossa during the siege of Ancona."Try a wine you have never heard of before - it may open your taste buds to a new regional treat.spiritofwine.blogspot.com