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A Taste of Australian Wine
'Muscats and Tokays of the Rutherglen Region'
by Gavin Trott

I must begin by stating a bias, these wines are absolutely individual, world class and at their best, ASTONISHING. I make no attempt at being unbiased when describing them. If I get even close to their unique style, incredible complexity and great age, if I make you want to run out and buy some, then I have accomplished my goal! The complex flavours, the length, the age and the mouthfilling qualities of these wines put Bordeaux, Burgundy, indeed most other wines other than perhaps Vintage Ports and Madeira to shame.

So how are these astonishing wines made, and what are they made from?
The answer to both questions is deceptively simple. Each wine is a style not a variety and each is made from a different grape. Muscat is made from a brown coloured type of the grape Muscat a Petits Grains known locally as Brown Muscat, and Tokay is made from Muscadelle, a grape better known for a small role in the sweet wines of Bordeaux. In both cases the grapes are grown in this hot sun drenched region and allowed to hang on the vine long after the table grapes are ripe, soaking up that heat, turning it into sugar, and then concentrating this sugar and the acid as the grape shrivels. In this way the grapes often reach 16-20 degrees Baume (each degree Baume roughly equates to one % alcohol after fermentation) quite naturally which means the resultant wine will be both sweet and rich.

The grapes are then picked and crushed. This in itself is a difficult job due to the raisined grapes and intense sugar levels. Next comes the fermentation, the use of yeast to turn the sugar into alcohol. Many makers, Chambers included, do not even start fermenting some wines (Tokay) or in very ripe years. Either way, the short fermentation is stopped rather like Port by the addition of high quality brandy spirit which kills the yeast leaving all that rich sugary sweetness and flavour.

The next step involves time and patience. The young wine is cleaned then put into oak barrels of varying sizes to age and develop. No new oak is used for this process as the added flavour would not work with the wine, in fact, most of the makers feel that the older the oak the better. Most of these wineries are full of a myriad of barrels of varying sizes and some of great age. The rest of the process is time.

What happens now is controlled oxidation. Over time, lots of time, small amounts of air get in through the oak to affect the wine, and through these same very small openings tiny amounts of the wines evaporate (locally this evaporated liquid is known as the "angel's share"). The effect is three fold:

Colour
The oxidation causes colour and flavour changes in the wine. Muscat when young is reddish brown but time and oxygen turns it brown, then eventually olive green, particularly on the rim. Tokay starts out lighter with golden tints but follows the same pattern with very old Muscat and Tokay looking quite similar.

Texture
Given the loss through evaporation both wines become noticeably thicker, even oily. In fact, very old wines, and there are some as old as 100 years and more, look and have the texture of Treacle or Molasses.

Flavour
Time adds to the complexity of the wines with older wines showing many aromas and flavours that were not present in the young wines. Most noticeable among these is 'rancio', a term much used with Sherries and Ports and which means, at least as well as I can explain it, a mixture of volatility and other substances (aldehydes for the chemists amongst us) which stop the sweet wine from smelling and tasting over sweet or cloying. In fact, all the flavours concentrate and intensify until older wines are quite literally explosive in the mouth.

So what can I expect from Muscat and Tokay?
Muscat has an aroma that can be described as fruity, with smells of grape, raisins, orange peel, rancio brandy spirit and more plus a palate including incredibly intense sweetness, and many other flavours that I can't find words for.
Tokay has all of these plus a characteristic flavour and aroma from the Muscadelle grape that has been described as cold tea, fish oil, or malt extract, all right, but all wrong ... you'll need to try the wine to know what I mean.

Producers to watch for
Chambers Rosewood
Morris
Stanton and Killeen
Baileys
Campbells
Brown Brothers
All Saints

Wines to try
Chambers Liqueur Muscat and Tokay (younger)Very Old Liqueur Muscat and Tokay (very special, very, very old)
Morris Canister Series (younger) or Old Premium Liqueur (older)
Stanton and Killeen Special Old Liqueur
Baileys Warby and Founder Range (younger) and Winemakers Selection (older)
Campbells Merchant Prince
Brown Brothers
All Saints Lyrebird Range

I once was privileged enough to try some 100 year old Muscat from Chambers. It was so dark and thick you almost could not pour it! It looked like treacle and in the mouth was explosive, almost searing in its intensity and the flavour stayed with me for ages, longer than any other wine experience. It is this wine, when blended in with medium and fresher wine, that makes these old blends so sensational to try.

Gavin is the manager of the Australian Wine Centre (a large collection of affordable, rare and cult Australian wines) and hosts the very popular Auswine Forum (An online discussion forum about Australian wine) . You may reprint this article either on a website or in print but you must maintain this resource section naming the author. Please email the author with details on where you intend to use it. You can obtain the latest version of this article and more free wine content for your website from www.freesticky.com

The "Other" White Wine

By Scott Campanella

Pinot Gris (or Tokay Pinot Gris) is a white wine grape of species Vitis Vinifera related to Pinot Noir which goes by a lot of other names:

Pinot Grigio (Italy)
Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France)
Rul�nder (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet)
Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry)
Grauklevner (Germany)
Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland)
Tokay d'Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU regulations)
Auxerrois Gris (Alsace)
Fromentau (Langudoc, France)
Fromentot (France)
Fauvet (France)
Gris Cordelier (France)
Grauer M�nch (Germany)
Monemrasia
Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia)
Sivi Pinot (Slovenia)
Sz�rkebar�t (Hungary)

"Pinot" means "pinecone" in French, and "gris" means gray. The grapes grow in small clusters (hence the pinecone shape), and upon ripening, often display a pinkish-gray hue, although the colors can vary from blue-gray to pinkish-brown.

Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio in Italy, and the grape is grown in many regions, although, arguably, most successfully in Alsace (France), Italy, Germany, and Oregon. In the United States, Pinot Gris has recently supplanted Sauvignon Blanc as the most popular white wine grape next to Chardonnay. In fact, Pinot Gris is often referred to as "the other white wine".

Pinot Gris produces wines that are generally fruity in aroma, with flavors of honey, apple, pear, vanilla, oak, and citrus. The flavors can vary from region to region, but a good Pinot Gris will display crisp acidity, balanced with silky sweetness, resulting in a complex array of flavors on the pallet. Pinot gris goes well with foods typically associated with white wines, including fish, seafood, chicken, pork, and Asian cuisine.

Pinot Gris is thought to have originated in the Burgundy region of France, and was planted in Northern Europe for many years before making its way to Oregon in the 1960's. The grape is presently grown in many different areas, but prefers the relatively cool climate of places like France, Germany, Italy and Oregon, where the long (but not too hot) summer days mingled with cool autumn weather bring the grapes into perfect ripeness.

Pinot Gris grapes grown in Italy (Pinot Grigio) usually produce a somewhat wanting, light-colored wine with crisp acidity. German Pinot Gris tends to be medium-bodied, with good balance between sugar and acidity. Grapes grown in Oregon tend to produce a wine that is medium-bodied, exhibiting strong fruit flavors and aromas and superb crispness. Pinot Gris produced from grapes grown in the Alsace region of France has proven to show full-bodied, floral flavors, and a deep viscosity with a long-lasting finish.

Pinot Gris made from grapes grown in other regions can also be delicious, but generally don't deliver the same excellent qualities that people have come to expect from wines made in the regions listed above. California is one area where Pinot Gris is grown, but the wines made there tend to be flabby, losing their complexity due to the warmer weather. In fact, Pinot Gris produced in California is often called Pinot Grigio because of the similarity in style to the wines from Italy.

Pinot Gris can be found in many places, from restaurants to tasting rooms to supermarkets. Listed below are some of the places you can purchase Pinot Gris, and what it might cost you.

Restaurants - Easily the most expensive place to buy wine, the restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere, sometimes knowledgeable waiters, and comprehensive wine list. For a decent bottle of Pinot Gris, be prepared to pay 30 to 40 dollars or more, depending on how fancy the establishment is. One idea for frugal restaurant dining is to call beforehand and ask if you can bring in your own delicious bottle of Pinot Gris. The restaurant will charge you a nominal "pouring fee", but you won't have to shell out the big bucks.

Supermarkets - Probably the least expensive place to purchase wine, your neighborhood Safeway or Albertsons offers a variety of Pinot Gris at prices ranging from $7 to $20. Just don't expect too much help from the stockboy when deciding which Pinot Gris would go best with osso buco.

Tasting Rooms - Many wineries have their own tasting rooms with dramatic views and enchanting music geared to put the consumer into a wine buying-trance. If you buy Pinot Gris from the tasting room, however, you are usually buying directly from the winery, and won't get the big discounts that the stores receive. Expect to pay somewhere between 15 to 30 dollars for a good bottle of Pinot Gris.

The Internet - A great place to shop for wine in general, the web offers you some super deals. The upside of web shopping is that you can browse the wine shoppe at 3 AM if you desire. The downside is that every state has their own particular wine laws, and you may have to shop for awhile before you can find someone to ship Pinot Gris to your state. Oh, and you have to pay the shipping costs, and the wine may be exposed to all kinds of elements and hazards on its way to your door.

Wine Festivals - If you live in a reasonably populated area, chances are that you have an annual wine festival within 20 miles or so. These are great places to try a variety of wines by the glass, and mingle amongst large crowds. You will probably be paying close to Tasting Room prices, though, so a bottle of Pinot Gris will run you 12 to 25 dollars.

Wine Shops - Most wine shops have prices that are competitive with those found in the supermarkets. Wine shops also carry a nice variety of wines, but best of all, the owners or workers will often possess valuable knowledge that they will share with you most whole-heartedly if you promise to buy a bottle or two.

About the author: Scott has worked at an Oregon winery for the last four years, and has learned an awful lot about wine, especially Pinot Gris, during that time.

Visit the Pinot Gris Blog at http://www.pinotgris.biz