Why you should try Verdelho

Winemakers tale 1

I was at a wine show in Melbourne earlier this year researching alternative varieties. Chatting to winemakers and their reps on the stalls is the most enjoyable part of developing this site.

I was talking to the guy at a stall for a small Western Australian winery about wine varieties and why they are chosen in particular cases. He turned out to be the son of the vineyard owners and he explained why they chose to grow Verdelho along with the classic wine varieties of Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot noir. Verdelho is not rare in WA, but it is not quite mainstream either.

The story went something like this. Some ground had been prepared for planting to Pinot noir, but a mix up with the nursery had meant that the Pinot noir rootlings that had been ordered were sold to someone else.

Meanwhile some friends had bought a bottle of Verdelho over for dinner. The bottle was accidentally broken in the dining room, and so the lovely bouquet of Verdelho as prominent for the next few days.

The ground was ready for vines but there were no Pinot rootlings. Thus the suggestion was made:

"This stuff smells OK so why don't we plant Verdelho".

Fortunately some Verdelho rootlings were available. The winery is now successfully marketing its own varietal Verdelho. Thus the happy ending to the Tale of the Broken Bottle of Verdelho is another producer of this fine wine.

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