Sips From The South

Already this summer, I’ve been to New Zealand, Chile and South Africa. And I haven’t even taken the Lear jet out of the hangar.

Some people call this armchair travel. I call it globetrotting by the glass.

Drinking wines from these up-and-coming wine-producing regions gives you the chance to drag out the old atlas and get a mental picture of where this stuff comes from.

South Africa is said to be one of the world’s most beautiful wine countries, stretching from the coastal region north of Cape Town to the dramatic mountains in the Breede River Valley. Using mostly French varietals and winemaking techniques, the South African wine industry has been fermenting grape juice for more than 300 years.

It’s only been since apartheid was abolished that South African wine started trickling into this country. And as their product moved into the world market, the vintners there made some adjustments to appeal to the finicky consumer. (Before the changes, many of the whites and even the reds were sweet.)

One grape that’s unique to that part of the world is pinotage, a cross between pinot noir and cinsault, a blending grape from southern France. I recently tried a pinotage from Red Hill ($10) and thought it had more muscle than pinot, but still with nice black cherry and raspberry flavors to balance that extra oomph. It reminded me of an upper-end beaujolais. Also look for pinotage from Cheetah Valley, Backberg or Springbok.

I was impressed with a cabernet from Cathedral Cellars. It tasted like blackberry and dark chocolate and went down really smooth. It sells for around $15.

Wines from Chile have always been a great buy at $5 and under, but the quality has been questionable. Recently, though, there have been major improvements.

European and California winemakers have discovered this is an ideal place to grow grapes. Many of the vineyards are hundreds of years old. (Fruit from old vines makes wines with more character.)

One of the most influential people in the wine industry, Robert Drouhin, signed on as a consultant to one of the most promising producers. And the wine from Los Boldos, south of Santiago, has made a dramatic turnaround.

When you can find a cabernet and a chardonnay that have varietal character for $6 or $7, snap them up. These two releases from Los Boldos are real gems. The chardonnay is especially lovely, with a lemony bite and a bit of spiciness.

They’re skiing in New Zealand ‘bout now, with the ‘97 vintage all picked and processed back in February. But their lean whites sure sip well on warm summer evenings.

For years, affordable Australian wines got all the attention, but these days, it’s the Kiwis who are producing some of the most sought-after wines.

An elegant sauvignon blanc from Cloudy Bay winery was a huge success story a few years ago after receiving raves in national wine magazines. These days, that wine is nearly impossible to find and comes with a hefty price tag.

But the sauvignon blanc from Stoneleigh, another New Zealand offering that just recently became available in this country, is a real eye-opener. Many producers have softened that varietal’s bold, herbal character by aging in it wood or fermenting it so it’s fruity. Not so with the uncompromising Stoneleigh, which is bone dry and lip-smacking crisp. That healthy dose of acidity makes it a good match for grilled meats and pasta with light creamy sauces. It sells for about $10.

Summer sipping

Fresh and fruity makes a lot of sense on these warm summer nights.

And I’m sweet on a couple of Northwest chenin blancs, and a riesling from Oregon, which one wine writer called the best riesling produced in the U.S.A.

Try the chenin from Columbia, a great buy at around $6. It’s loaded with melon and peach flavors but has enough edge to balance the fruit.

Other nice chenins come from Kiona and Hogue Cellars.

The dry riesling from Argyle was picked by syndicated columnist Matt Kramer as tops in this country among that hard-to-sell varietal.

It does taste an awful lot like a great German riesling, with gorgeous apple and apricot qualities. And it’s crisp and clean, a perfect companion for grilled chicken or fish. It’s priced higher than most Northwest rieslings at $10, but you can taste the quality.

Grapevine is a monthly feature of IN Food. Write to: Grapevine, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5486, fax 459-5098 or e-mail to lesliek@spokesman.com

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Leslie Kelly The Spokesman-Review