Lesser Known Grape Varietals You Should Try

When The Rooftop Wine Bar @ 70N opened, Dale (our bow-tie donning, marathon running front-of-house gem!) emailed me a list of wines we might carry. As an ABC state (Alcoholic Beverage Control), New Hampshire consumers have access to not only a large wine selection but also a well-organized, user friendly online database (to help us know exactly which NH Liquor & Wine Outlets have which bottles in stock).

At 70 North, we decided to offer our guests something different -- lesser known varietals & blends that are not available through the state liquor store. Part of what keeps running (and dining at) a restaurant fun & interesting is learning and discovering new ingredients, products, & techniques. Carrying unique but approachable (and affordable!) wines gives us the opportunity to not only try new wines but also to take our guests and neighbors along with us in the process.

Prior to developing the Wine List at 70N, I was somewhat familiar with the mainstream varietals . . . Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Chardonnay. I also had some experience with grapes that might be a bit less familiar such as Riesling, Barolo, Gewurztraminer, Syrah. But working with Dale and our 2 local distributors, Crush Distributors and Vinilandia, has really expanded my palette & appreciation.

Check out some of our favorite lesser known varietals. You might like them!

Where might you be able to pick up a bottles? Check out Skål Fine Wines in Meredith or Wines on Main in Concord.

Picpoul de Pinet

pronunciation: <Pick pool - duh - Pi nay, with a short i sound>

Similar to vihno verde, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio, picpoul is a refreshing, dry white wine with a zingy acidity. It's even knick-named "lip zinger." Made from an AOC (protected designation of origin) grape from southern France, it has a citrusy dose of minerality reminiscent of its oceanfront, Mediterranean locale. A picpoul pairs wonderfully on a warm summer night with seafood, especially oysters, & vegetable-forward cuisine.

Oyster on bed of ice with lemon & cocktail sauce

Bottle & glass of white wine

Zucchini, Peppers, Tomatoes, & Thyme

Xarel-Lo

pronunciation: < zah-REL-lo >, < shah-REL-lo >, or < hah-REL-lo >, depending on English, Catalan, or Spanish

Xarel-Lo is a light grape from the Catalan region of Spain. It is one of the principle grapes used to make Cava wine, the Spanish version of Champagne. The grape produces wines with notes of flowers, melon, pear, & citrus. Although generally not sweet, Cava is produced from extra dry/brut to sweet. It is aged a minimum of 9 months. However, with longer aging, notes of smoke, yeast, or almond become apparent.

Compared to Champagne, Xarel-Lo Cava is at a much more affordable price point. Whereas Champagne's process, from hand-harvesting to non-mechanized bottling, is labor intensive, Cava production is automated. By using technology, Cava can be produced more consistently & quickly (and therefore, more cheaply) than its French counterpart.

A Xarel-Lo Cava pairs well with fish, especially shellfish, tapas & paella, aged cheeses, fajitas, and woody green vegetables like asparagus & artichokes.

Dornfelder

pronunciation: < Dorn-fell-der >

For our German Prix Fixe dinner, I wanted to pair with German wines. The second course was a Beef Roulade which would pair wonderfully with a pinot noir. But we only had a dry riesling in inventory, & Germany isn't really known for its wines, much less its red wines.

Thanks to New Hampshire's Liquor Outlet website, I discovered the state carries a German Pinot Noir but only had a few pricey bottles available on the seacoast. And I didn’t have time to make the trip. Filtering the state’s wine inventory for just German vintages, I found a red wine from Valckenberg Wines, made from Dornfelder grapes. What!? Never heard of it. A little Googling revealed that Dornfelder is a respectable substitute for Pinot Noir. At half the price of the German Pinot (and being in a pinch with dinner service starting in just a few hours - yikes!), I grabbed six bottles & prayed it would be decent. Fortunately, my personal experience is that price is a rather poor indicator of if a wine is "good" according to any given person, so don't be afraid to be frugal with wine!

Oh, wow. When we opened the bottle to test it, we all lit up. This grape is so different. It is very interesting with a moderately sweet finish, medium-bodied, with notes of cherry & blackberry. It is also very smooth with a velvety mouthfeel, thanks to its thick skins. Through my research, I learned that Dornfelder is a hybrid, developed in the early half of the 20th century, as an attempt to add a darker color to the usually pale Germany wines. Plantings were slow to take root, and this grape only started to take off in the 1980s. But it is is a sturdy, hearty grape & vine, making it possible for the grapes grow longer, larger, juicier (especially in the harsher German climate), & therefore sweeter.

Perusing some Reddit posts about Dornfelder, it seems that Germans themselves might consider Dornfelder a cheap, lower-class wine, maybe similar to what we think of a "box of wine." It also seemed that it is not a wine Germany exports much, which might be the main reason I and so many other Americans have never heard of it. Next time you are in a liquor store, check if they carry a Dornfelder. You might love it or hate it -- but it'll definitely be different & won't break the bank!