Grape expectations a world apart

Sep 4 2008 By Laurence McCoy

THE prospects for a bumper crop of grapes in England this year have been well and truly dampened by a miserable summer.

But as winegrowers all across Europe begin swinging into action to get in their harvest, it seems we are not alone in coping with the vagaries of the weather.

Although there are lots of regional variations, the French harvest is predicted to be a relatively poor one. Italians, however, are smiling, with crop levels showing a healthy rise.

The 2008 wines will not be on sale for at least six months – if you don’t count the Beaujolais nouveau – but it may be a little confusing to see 2008 wines from the southern hemisphere already appearing on the shelves.

Down Under, and in South America and South Africa, of course, our springtime is their autumn harvest-time, so the southern hemisphere 2008 white wines are already popping up.

Although the climate on the other side of the world is more consistent, they too had their ups and downs.

Australia, for instance, struggled with drought and heatwaves but the 2008 vintage was not as bad as predicted in the end. In Argentina a long cool season has meant good results for their signature Malbec reds.

In Chile yields were down but it looks good for Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère and in South Africa there was a cool, wet growing season, meaning lots of care and attention was needed to get good results.

In New Zealand some winemakers had to contend with early frost damage, or the threat of rot after a rainy period. But there are so many new vineyards being planted that the 2008 crop is still up by a third on the previous year.

And that means there will be no shortage of those benchmark Sauvignons. At Montana they reckon their Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is the best for many years. It fairly leaps out of the glass, packed with pungent, bold, juicy goosebery fruit. It will be widely available from mid-September at £7.99.

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon 2008 is likewise full of invigorating flavour and freshness, with citrus, lime and clean crisp finish. It’s widely available around £9.

From South Africa comes a new name – Fish Hoek – a range of “entry-level” wines made by award-wining Bruce Jack. The Chenin Blanc 2008 (£6.19 at Tesco, Thresher and Somerfield) is a very tasty tipple, with crisp crunchy apple opening out into a creamy waxy texture.

And Fish Hoek Sauvignon 2008 (£6.19 at Sainsbury) begins with a whiff of lime and pea-pod, followed by crunchy ripe gooseberry and a hint of green beans, full-flavoured and long.