A trio of uncommon joys

By Mark Henderson

I’ve been tasting some of the lesser known (in NZ) grape varieties recently and wanted to showcase three excellent examples that would be great introductions to their respective varieties. These won’t be that easy to find, so contacting the wineries may be your best bet.

Chenin blanc

New Zealand Winegrowers, on its website, records 22ha planted and in production. This variety’s spiritual homeland is the Loire Valley in France where its versatility sees it craft bubblies, dry, off-dry and sweet wines, though to luscious dessert examples with many capable of incredible ageing potential. The wines of Vouvray are possibly the best known examples in New Zealand. It can also be found in the south of France where it is prized for its ability to retain acidity in those warmer climes. South Africa, where there are suggestions it was planted as early as 1655, holds the biggest plantings of the grape (some 70% larger than France), sometimes using the synonym Steen.

Muscat blanc a petit grains

NZ Winegrowers records just 0.6ha planted and in production. There are multiple varieties of Muscat to be found around the Mediterranean countries producing everything from low-alcohol, slightly sweet, frothy moscato to dry, highly aromatic versions, through a panoply of sweet styles and finally onto luscious fortified wines. As a side note this is the grape variety that can smell and taste most like . . . grapes. The blanc a petit grains (“small berried’’) variant is the most respected, powerfully flavoured and ancient, with some supposition that it may originate in Greece.

Petit Manseng

NZ Winegrowers records 1ha planted and in production. This grape variety hails from the southwest of France and particularly in Jurancon while also found in the appellation Pacherenc du Vic Bilh. Often blended with its (likely) sibling Gros Manseng and more commonly made as sweet wines in the past, often through raisining on the vine — termed passilerage. Diminishing sales of the sweeter versions is seeing greater emphasis on dry styles. The grape has migrated to several countries in small volumes: I am aware of three producers growing it here in New Zealand, though one of those may have given up.