Book : Grape-A-Hol

This book is written by Michael F. Spratt and Mark L. Feldman from Destuny Bay Vineyards in New Zeland. The book spends most of the time tryin to justify that we should be buying fine wines instead of grape-a-hol. Grape-A-Hol is fermented grape juice and alcohol: sounds like wine to me. I didn't get the point of this book really. Is it just Destiny Bay Wines complaining because they don't sell enough wine ? I Live in Sweden where all wine must be bought via the state controlled monopoly yet I have good access to a decent collection of good wines. Sure, the Systembolaget sell a lot of wines which are one-dimensional and no character but nearly all of them are drinkable and cheap so what is the problem. This book seems to be addressing a very small sector of the population who just like to drink wine which tastes ok. The want to pay an affordable price and it should taste ok. The reason people buy Grape-A-Hol instead of fine wine is the price; they can't afford to buy fine wine. Sorry guys, if you want people to buy fine wine then it has to be cheaper. What is fine wine anyway. The usual propoganda is used to describe fine wine in this book i.e. must come from one place, must be from a small producer etc etc. Who cares; fine wine is a wine that the drinker thinks is very good - it is a simple as that.

TN : Dr Heidemanns-Bergweiler Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 2000, Dr Heidemanns-Bergweiler Wine International, Mosel, Germany

The sugar content of this wine is 40 grammes per litre.

Colour : Lemon, green hues

Aroma : Honey, oranges, mineral, petrol

Taste : Petrol, honey, oranges, mineral, off-dry

Alcohol : 8%

Price : 99 SEK


Systembolaget Number : 90586

Mark : B-


Website : Dr Heidemanns-Bergweiler

TN : Trinity Hill Viognier 2010, Trinity Hill, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Carovin AB.

Colour : Pale yellow, green hues

Aroma : Pineapple, oak, nuts, oranges

Taste : Apricot, pineapple, ornages, honey, oak, nutty

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98142

Mark : B

Website : Trinity Hill

TN : Skalia Syrah Aghiorgitiko 2010, Domaine Skouras, Peleponnesos, Greece

This wine is a blend of Syrah and Aghiorgitiko. Domaine Skouras was founded in 1986 by George Skouras.

This wine was imported by Oenoforos AB.

Colour : Raspberry red, blackberry

Aroma : Spice, plums, blackberry, oak

Taste : Cinamon, plums, blackberry, black pepper on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 76 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98042

Mark : C+

Website : Domaine Skouras

TN : Siro 2007, Fattoria di Gratena, Tuscany, Italy

This wine was imported by Moestue Grape Selections AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry, brown hues

Aroma : Cherry, oak, cedar, herbs, milk chocolate


Taste : Cherry, vanilla, cedar, tobacco, lashing of oak

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 169 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 99459

Mark : C

Website : Fattoria di Gratena

TN : Le Fraghe Covina Rosato 2011, Le Fraghe di Matilde Poggi, Veronese, Italy

This wine is 100% Corvina and sealed with a screwcap. This wine was imported by Enoterra AB.

Colour : Bright strawberry pink

Aroma : Strawberries, cherries

Taste : Dry, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, tart

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98043

Mark : C

Website : Le Fraghe di Matilde Poggi

TN : 1865 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Vina San Pedro, Maipo Valley, Chile

This wine was imported by Pernod Ricard Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Oak, plums, blackcurrant, blackberry, mint, coffee

Taste : Toast, blackcurrant, coffee, mint, plums

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 16672

Mark : C+

Website : Vina San Pedro

TN : Trinity Hill Syrah 2010, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

This wine was imported by Carovin AB.

Colour : Dark red/blueberry hues

Aroma : Blueberry, spice, minty, white pepper

Taste : Blueberry, spice, liqourice, herbs, blackberry, white pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98143

Mark : B-

Website : Trinity Hill

TN : Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2009, Marchesi Mazzei, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Malvasia Nera, Colorino and Merlo. The grapes for this wine come from five different vineyard sites located between 210 and 510 metres altitude. The vineyard soils are composed of limestone. All of the vines were trained to spur-cordon and guyot trellising systems. The vine density was 4,500 vines 7,500 vines per hectare. The age of the vines was between 11 and 24 years old. The grapes were hand-picked on September 2010.

The fermentation temperature was between 28 and 30 degrees. The period of maceration was between 16 and 18 days. The wine was aged for twelve months in 225 litre French oak barrels of which 40% were new. The wine was bottled in March 2011. There was a total of 345,000 bottles produced. The Total acidity is 5.85%.

This wine was imported by The WineAgency Sweden AB.

Colour : Plummy red

Aroma : Spice, milk chocolate, cherries, oak, floral, tobacco

Taste : Cherries, plums, milk chocolate, polished french oak, vanilla, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Systembolaget Number : 32229

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Marchesi Mazzei

TN : Perez Cruz Limited Edition Syrah 2010, Vina Perez Cruz, Maipo Valley, Chile

The grapes for this wine come from the 13 hectare vineyard Fundo Liguai De Huelquen in Maipo. All of the grapes were hand harvested in the second week of April 2010. The must underwent one day of cold maceration and then fermentation for two weeks in steel tanks. The wine was matured for one year and four months on French oak. The winemaker was German Lyon.

This wine was imported by Terrific Wines AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, liqourice, vanilla, blackcurrant, herbs

Taste : Blackberry, liqourice, vanilla, toast, green pepper, black pepper on long finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 94014

Mark : B

Website : Vina Perez Cruz