Other Red Varietals & Blends (including Mediterranean varieties)
Where do you stand on Japanese barrel-aged reds? It’s a serious question – and one that gets to the heart of what this part of SWA is all about.
All manner of grape varieties, countries and wine styles get scooped up in this catch-all category. We had everything from Touriga from Western Australia to Argentine Criolla; Pais to Petit Sirah, Tempranillo to Tannat. And don’t even get us started on the blends. They ranged from classic to unusual to borderline delusional.
This, in other words, is a fascinating place to come looking. It’s like spending an hour in a rickety second-hand bookshop, with everything from well-priced gems and surprise rare editions to utter tat.
The big question for our judges all the way through here was ‘do you like this wine enough to want to hand-sell it’? These wines aren’t going to fly off a list, so they needed to offer something interesting that the somm can get behind – and overdeliver for the price.
Well worth having an explore, in other words.
From The Tasting Teams
‘It’s interesting to taste a flight with so many stylistic differences, and overall the quality was good. Some were really distinctive and different, showing that New World winemakers are not afraid to do fresher styles.’ Charlie Young, team leader
‘Really interesting, unusual wines. For me the Chinese wine stood out, and tasting menus give the chance to throw in something odd and unexpected.’ Stephanie Robertson, RA Group
‘These are developing in quality and showing more value for money. We weren’t seeing excessive oak, but rather fresh styles, with more acidity. I thought the prices were really good too.’ Marco Marcuzzo, Zuma Rome
‘A fun flight to taste - super fun as an enthusiast. Commercially it’s difficult to know where these wines will sit and how they will sell. It might be a beautiful wine at £30, but will Janet from Leeds know what it is?’ Harry Crowther, Grape Times UK
‘There was a nice wine from Japan at £32. It was superb in terms of fruit character, like Beaujolais but with more complexity, light, refreshing. But how can you justify such a high price for a wine from a country without a well-established wine presence?’ Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche
‘Some gems, but this was a difficult category. Many didn’t stand out, and I don’t know why I would pay for that.’ James Fryer, Woodhead 17
‘A very good flight, showing some good potential. The prices were good too.’ Elisa Soggia, Trivet
‘We were unanimous [on the Stargazer]. In a restaurant it would be £100 – but if people did order and pay for it they would think it is good value.’ Oliver Zelenczuk, London Shell Co
‘Some very good examples of modern winemaking here. There was good fruit and they weren’t too heavy, so could even work with fish dishes.’ Vivienne Franks, Aspects of Wine