Wine Atlas

Why try to develop fruit characteristics in wine when you can make wine of the real thing, asks organic fruit winemaker Malcolm Hadlum.

"You hear wine experts say they love the raspberry taste of a pinot or the plum flavour in a cabernet," he says. "That may be so, but have they ever considered trying wine made of the real fruit."

Hadlum, who makes wine from plums, apples, feijoas and ginger, as well as cider from apples and mead from honey, at his winery beside Lake Horowhenua, has a thought- provoking view of winemaking.

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Hunter Martin, a retired former oil executive in Houston, for years was unable to enjoy one of his favorite wines at home - a chardonnay from the Peter Michael Winery in Sonoma County. That's because he lived in Texas, which banned out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to its residents, and he couldn't find the prized chardonnay in local wine shops.

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Don't miss: Panarroz 2004 Jumilla, Spain $10

Style: Full-flavored, hedonistic, with tons of dark berry fruit. An easy entree into the stunning values of Spain.

"Panarroz" is a brand name for this Monastrell blend (aka Mourvèdre, in France). It's made at Bodegas Olivares, a large facility in Jumilla (hoo-MEE-yah), a growing region in Spain's arid southeast. Jumilla's vineyards are at very high elevations; the huge swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures help preserve the grapes' acidity. The wine contains a good portion of Garnacha (France's Grenache) and Syrah, as well as a little Tempranillo. It's un-oaked, made and aged in neutral vats. This accentuates the intense dark berry fruit. The nose is a hedonistic delight, with violet scents. The palate is fruity and tannic, big but not clumsy.

Monastrell reigns in the southeastern regions of Jumilla and Yecla. It is usually dry-farmed (unirrigated) and produces reds with a spectacular deep color and dense texture. In southern French blends, as "Mourvèdre," it gives alcohol, color and "meatiness." Young-minded Spanish winemakers are playing with Monastrell-Cabernet and Monastrell-Syrah blends.

Where to purchase: Metro Detroit wine shops. It's imported by Handpicked Selections. If you can't find it, contact Wines of Distinction by e-mail: kornvino@earthlink.net.

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Proving that this city's out of the doldrums and back to its leading position as restaurant capital of Asia, good things are happening around town. A surge of investment and confidence in Hong Kong's restaurant and bar scene has also seen the introduction of some super wines. The most notable come from Spain, South and Western Australia and the grape-growing gem of South Africa: Stellenboch.

First of the snazzy venues to dazzle diners on Kowloon side is undoubtedly Spoon at the Intercontinental in Tsim Sha Tsui. The brain-child of Spoon's very accomplished sommelier Thomas Scheidt, the regular wine menu already reads like a wine connoisseur's dream, and his latest way of encouraging wine enjoyment is just brilliant: the Wine Explorer Tasting Corner.

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By Shelley Mann Staff Writer shelley.mann@gwinnettdailypost.com

There’s no shame in not knowing the difference between merlot and cabernet. Wine aficionados and novices alike can learn everything they ever wanted to know about wine at the Wine South festival, which returns to the Gwinnett Center on Saturday and Sunday with lots of open-air wine seminars and demonstrations on cooking with wine, said festival founder Dan Thompson.

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Abramovich rumoured to be considering buying a vineyard (ANSA) - Spoleto, September 18 - The Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich could be planning to extend his business interests from soccer and oil into wine, according to reports from this central Italian town .

Abramovich, best known as the boss of British soccer champions Chelsea, has stopped at several of Italy's top wine cellars during a visit in recent days .

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New Zealand wines have scooped 15 gold medals in the prestigious International Wine Challenge.

The awards are run by the Wine International magazine and involve more than 9000 wines from around the world.

Spokesperson for New Zealand Winegrowers Chris Yorke said local wines won twice as many awards this year than last with eight of the golds going to red wines.

Yorke said two New Zealand wines also received trophies, the Sileni Estates Cellar Selection for the best sauvignon blanc and the St Clair Doctors Creek for best pinot noir.

New Zealand was the only still wine producing country to increase its gold medal count at this years event, Yorke said.