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I hear a Symphony Considering the enduring history and strong traditions that uphold the world of wine, where most of the "noble" grape varieties go back to medieval times and some to the ancient Greeks and Romans, it's a rare and interesting thing to find a grape of real quality and interest that dates only to the middle of the last century. So say hello to today's featured grape, Symphony, a modern variety developed in California in 1948. Symphony is one of dozens of new grapes bred by Dr. Harold Paul Olmo, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California (Davis), which is arguably the center of wine and grape technology in the U.S. Olmo, who served the university for more than 40 years and turned 93 last year, was recently presented the California State Fair's Grape and Gourmet Lifetime Achievement Award. A white grape, Symphony is a cross between two French vinifera varieties: Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. In today's featured wine, from Ironstone Vineyards, the aromatic Muscat character shows in perfumed yet delicate fruit and flower aromas and a pleasant hint of bitterness; its white Grenache parentage seems evident in a degree of structure and snappy acidity that's not common in pure Muscat. According to California's Baywood Cellars, another Symphony producer, the name was endowed by a wine scientist who tasted one of the first finished wines made from the new grape and declared that it showed "a Symphony of aromas and flavors." Symphony is grown here and there in California, but not in great amounts, and only a few producers are currently making it as a varietal wine, although it may turn up as an anonymous component in some blends. Today's wine, which bears the producer's proprietary name "Obsession," is made from grapes grown in Lodi, in California's hot Central Valley. It's a crisp, slightly sweet and very refreshing white, just the thing for casual sipping as spring spreads its balmy days over the Northern Hemisphere. 
Ironstone Vineyards 2001 "Obsession" California Symphony ($7.99)
Very pale straw color with a greenish tinge. Fresh and pleasant fruit aromas blend melon, grapefruit and a hint of peach with light grace notes of herbs and wildflowers, unusually complex for a modest white. Clean and refreshing flavor, with a slight prickliness on the tongue. Off-dry, but its fresh-fruit sweetness is well balanced by cleansing acidity and a distinct, pleasant bitter-almond quality in the finish. Best served fairly cold, as its careful balance of tart, bitter and sweet seems to fall apart somewhat as the wine warms toward room temperature in the glass. Excellent spring or summer aperitif, though, at a very attractive price. (April 1, 2003) FOOD MATCH: Good aperitif, and went very well with a Caesar-style salad topped with grilled chicken. VALUE: Excellent value if you can find it at this under-$10 price. WHEN TO DRINK: Fresh and fruity, this wine is meant for drinking young; but for the record, the winery says the Symphony grape "shows an unusual resistance to oxidation" and claims that it will last, if not improve, for a decade or more at cellar temperature.
WEB LINK: Ironstone Vineyards' Website is Wine Lovers' Voting Booth: How far would you go? In the event you haven't gotten around to casting your virtual ballot in this week's Wine Lovers' Voting Booth, here's another invitation to take part. This week we're sampling the lengths to which wine lovers might go to acquire a special bottle as we ask, "How far would you go to get a special bottle of wine?"
To cast your ballot and see the results, click to the Voting Booth, To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Wednesday, April 2, 2003 |
