WINE with Andy Cronshaw
RECENTLY I was invited to join renowned Kiwi wine-maker John Forrest for a dinner with matching wines at Grafene in Manchester city centre.
We sat down and once past the pleasantries my heart sank somewhat when John and his PR person announced that we would be tasting wines from the Forrest Winery’s low-alcohol range.
It was a bit like the time when Moet et Chandon invited me to a tasting at Menagerie only to foist a Champagne designed for ice cubes on me.
Except this time I was to discover that John had surpassed himself by producing immaculate wines you would never guess were three to four per cent lower in alcohol than their standard counterparts.
The wines are called the Doctors’ range; John and his wife Brigid are both qualified doctors.
They’re also sure to please your own GP at 9.5 per cent alcohol each.
And John has certainly used his scientific grasp of winemaking to realise his target.
His inspiration for the Doctor’s range arose one day when he mused over a German ‘Kabinett’ style Riesling which, depending on the sugar levels, range from 8 per cent to 11 per cent alcohol.
What if, he imagined, he could make a dry Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that wore its alcohol content as lightly as a Mosel Riesling?
The answer to this question lay not initially in the wine-making process itself but in the vineyard.
John discovered that leaves on the typical vineyard trellis are not made equal. Some are involved more fruitfully in the production of sugar in the grapes. The more sugar there is in the grape the more alcohol there is for the yeast to convert during fermentation.
Cutting away these vine leaves led to less sugar in the grapes picked for fermentation.
The first step of the process had been achieved and with further manipulation of temperatures and the use of selected yeasts John arrived at his target: classic Marlborough wines weighing in at less than 10 per cent alcohol by volume.
He now calls takes his wines on fishing trips or serves them at the family Christmas lunch so that guests don’t hit the couch immediately after pudding for a snooze.
All-in-all they hit the Zeitgeist; full of flavour, lower calorie and easier on the heart and liver. THE DOCTOR’S SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017/18 (£9 TESCO, WAITROSE, AMAZON)
A classic Marlborough Sauvignon, inset, with floral and herbal notes on the nose.
There are rounded passionfruit and tropical fruit notes on the palate and a hint of greenish apple and boiled sweets. Never at any stage does it suggest a wine that carries only 9.5 per cent alcohol. THE DOCTORS’ ROSé 2017/18 (£13 GERRARDSEEL.CO.UK AND OTHER ONLINE RETAILERS)
A beautifully balanced rosé straddling the bolder cherry fruit styles of the New World and the soda cream finesse of Provence. The bright summer berries are provide by Pinot Noir with some Arneis topping up on the aromatics. A lovely herbal quality suggesting sage add some complexity.
A surprisingly versatile food match for the excellent dishes served at Grafene including Veal loin, olive, kohlrabi, and short rib. THE DOCTORS’ PINOT NOIR 2018 (£13 BOOTHS, FROM NOVEMBER)
The crowning glory of the Doctors’ range, a Pinot with all the sensual, lifted aromas it might be feasible to ass for at this alcohol level (9.5 per cent) and none of the usual faults; the greenish tinge and overly sweet, flat fruit. Incredible matched to Grafene chef Ben Mounsey’s wonderful cep consommé with truffle and shimeji and again more than a worthy match for the standout veal.
Be sure to snap this up when it arrives in the shops.