by Mark Cochrane
One of the great things about wine is its diversity. Two wines can appear similar to the eye but be at opposite ends of the aroma and taste spectrum. I recently had the opportunity to compare two very different wines. The pair of wines sampled were a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand and a light Spanish wine from the Penedes region of Catalonia in Spain. The Spanish wine (Emendis) was purchased by a friend during a trip to Barcelona Spain. This particular wine is made from the Xarel Lo grape which is also one of the grape varieties used in the production of the Spanish sparkling wine Cava. The first aroma you get from the Spanish wine is citrus. Lemon and grapefruit are present but it is subtle. The New Zealand wine is at the opposite end of the aroma intensity scale. Aroma’s of cut grass or some people refer to it as canned peas or asparagus and it’s anything but subtle. It’s an aromatic blast of melon fruit mixed with a vegetal fragrance that grabs your attention.
The Spanish Xarel Lo wine is crisp but the acidity is more subdued with grapefruit and lemon flavours and almost silky texture while the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc continues to be bold with grapefruit and some residual sugar that balances out the acidity. These are two very different wines at opposite ends of the tasting spectrum but equally enjoyable.
2013 Emendis Xarel Lo – Penedes, Spain (not available in Ontario)
Unfortunately this wine is not available in Ontario but if you would like to sample a similar wine from this Spanish region, the following wine contains 40% Xarel Lo grape.
Rene Barbier Mediterranean White from Catalunya (LCBO 332767 at $9.95)
Available at Terry Fox & Campeau or Lanark LCBO
2014 Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand ($17.55 LCBO 293043 – on sale for $15.95 till April26th)
A very aromatic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a crisp finish of grapefruit pith. It’s a great summer patio wine when it’s hot outside.
Available at Stittsville or Carleton Place LCBOs
Cheers!
Mark Cochrane
Email me at markuncorked@gmail.com
Visit my website at www.markuncorked.com
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