As I was perusing the isles of a local wine store, recently, I came across the store manager.  We know one other as professional acquaintances fairly well.  I visit the store often on behalf of the Wine Inquirer Wine Finder as well as to pick up an occasion bargain or two. 

We were discussing the breadth of wines now available worldwide and how much improved they have become, Malbec and Chilean wines for example, when he told me of an intriguing discussion he had with a friend.  His friend asked him, “if you were stranded on an island, which wine would you want with you?”  Well this opened a Pandora’s Box as we picked apart one varietal and blends after another.

Cabernets were to fruit forward, Merlots were too middle of the road, Nebbiolos had too much tar and tobacco but he enjoyed the floral notes and deep fruits, the Riojas were a possibility but not quite structured and full enough, the Burgundies were nice and soft, but if he purchased a good bottle, he couldn’t afford the island getaway anyway.  The Bordeaux was a possibility but he wasn’t excited about the predominance of Cab and Merlot in the blend.  Then with a big smile, he said “Syrah.”  I have to agree. 

This grape has it all, producing a dense wine at its best with deep beautiful fruits of raspberry, blackberry and plum, an earthy character that often includes notes of iron and tobacco alongside mushrooms, olives, fig and expresso coffee beans and meaty, leathery aromas with smoky bacon.  In addition, the grape is grown in diverse terroirs from Rhone in France to the Barossa Valley of Australian (Shiraz) to California so you would have your choice of origin.  For my dollars, this grape has such incredible personality and at times, complexity, that it challenges my palate, one layer of flavor and aroma emerging as the former softens.  And you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the grape.  Something like the Jean Louis Chave Selection St. Joseph Offerus 2006 from the Northern Rhone region runs less than $30 online but if you want to use some retirement monies, you can go for the gusto with one of the E Guigal La La wines for a mere $500+.

As an alternative choice in a blend, I suggested a Southern Rhone with its fabulous blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  The last several vintages have yielded stellar wines with the 2005 and 2007 holding the torch!  What’s more, you can find great wines at nearly any price level from the Cotes du Rhone for the ~$20’s or less to the king of the hill Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape (the 2005 awarded the Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year) at over $100.  I discuss this producer and his wines in the Collector’s Column.  We had a lot of fun debating the pros and cons of many competitor wines but somehow, we both always seems to come back to the Rhone Valley.

When I got home, I thought about this discussion and realized that we had not discussed our island white wine choice.  For me, this was a no brainer.  I would go with an off dry Riesling.  I’ve said it before, I think that this style is about as food friendly and diverse as any.  So there I was……..stranded on some far away island with my bottle of white and bottle of red………..now if I could just figure out how to transport the grill and wine cooler.

What wines would be your choices?  You can let us know on the Community Forum.

(By the way, if you are looking for Southern Rhone wines, Total Wines  seems to have the most thorough inventory in town).

Tags: Clos Des Papes, Jean Louis Chave, Northern Rhone, Rhone, Riesling, Shiraz, Southern Rhone, Syrah, Total Wines