Ben's Bubbly: Hans Igler Sekt Brut Blaufränkisch

It has been a great week with Ben. With my family having gone back home and the parade of friends fading to a trickle, it has mostly just been mom, dad and Ben.While we've gotten a few less hours of sleep and the diaper changes are like running across a firing range (only to have a bomb explode moments after successfully avoiding a bullet!), everything has been great. At his one-week appointment, he had exceeded his birth weight by 3.5 oz. Last night, he slept for three three hour blocks (a record since the first night!). Today, Ben went on his first stroller ride outside and enjoyed it except for the occasional sun in his eyes. He is spending a little more time each day alert and looking around taking in the world surrounding him. With our life being so different than they were just two weeks ago, I chose a 'different' sparkling wine for this week's Ben's Bubbly.

NV Weingut Hans Igler, Sekt Brut, Blaufränkisch, Burgenland, Austria

Blaufränkisch, aka lemberger, wines are unique and often hard to find. I've written about a local lemberger produced by Carlson Vineyards here, but when I saw this sparkling blaufränkisch from Austria in a local wine shop I just had to have it. Not knowing anything about the wine before I popped and poured it, I was slightly surprised to see it pour a beautifully effervescent salmon-colored (think cooked salmon) glass of wine. The bubbles seemed to erupt from the bottom of the flute and cascade up the glass through the light pink juice. The nose was somewhat muted, but there we were able to pick up unripe strawberry and cranberry aromas. A little bit more expressive, yet green, on the palate, grass and toast with cranberry preserves were what came to mind with this tart sparkler. While not a profound wine in any way, it was tasty and fun. How often do you see sparkling blaufränkisch? I have one more bottle tucked away and will revisit it sometime after this year-long sparkling sojourn. 13% abv Purchased $14. Good (tasted 4/14/11)

What grape did you say?

The wine world revolves around a few well-known grape varieties. Most people know the grapes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay. When one thinks of the world's most famous wine regions, they usually produce one or more of these grapes. Colorado is no different. Merlot, riesling, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are Colorado's most widely planted grapes, closely followed by syrah and cabernet franc. While many excellent wines are produced from these traditional vinifera cultivars, Colorado also produces interesting wines from lesser-known grapes. Two that I have enjoyed this past week used some of these lesser-known grape varieties.

Among these lesser-known varieties include Vitis vinifera and French-American hybrids. While most people know the names of the top few grape cultivars, there are hundreds of other varieties of the traditional winemaking grape species. Usually limited to the regions in which they are native, these grapes often yield  unique and high-quality wines but remain difficult to sell due to their hard to pronounce names. On the other hand, hybrid grape varieties have a bastardized reputation. Vinifera cultivars have been crossbred with other grapes species that have traits which allow them to be cultivated in cold or other marginal grape-growing regions. While they often have a poor reputation, Cornell University and other viticultural research institutions have experimented with and released cultivars that lack the negative enological characteristics and highlight the positive viticultural traits that make these grapes interesting options for wineries.

Lemberger, the vinifera grape cultivar also known as Blaufränkisch in Austria, has found a home in Colorado. The German name (Lemberger) for this grape is derived from its importation from Lemberg, in what was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but is now Slovenia. While it is the second-most planted red grape in Austria today, Lemberger is also found in small amounts in Germany, Washington State and New York State, in addition to Colorado.

Even less common than elusive vinifera grapes, hybrids have been bred by viticulturalists to combine the pleasing flavors of Vitis vinifera with the climate-hardy and disease-resistant native American and Asiatic grape species. Hybrids such as Baco Noir, Marechal Foch and Vidal Blanc have been a part of the northeastern U.S. wine industry for decades. Foch is a inter-specific hybrid containing Vitis vinifera, Vitis raparia and Vitis rupestris heritages, that is starting to find its place in Colorado. Foch was developed in Alsace, France by Ferdinand Foch. Another hybrid found in Colorado, Corot Noir (formerly NY70) was developed by Bruce Reisch at Cornell University. While consumers may be hesitant to buy wines with lesser-known grapes, some wineries have gotten past this preconception by giving these wines fanciful names.

Carlson Vineyards of Palisade, CO opened their doors in 1988. Situated in the Grand Valley AVA, Carlson Vineyards holds the fourth-oldest winery license in the state. Carlson has fun giving their wines names inspired by local themes – like Tyrannosaurus Red and Prairie Dog Blush. The T-Red Lemberger refers to the discovery of dinosaur bones in the Grand Valley in the early 1900s. While people may not know what Lemberger is, they can easily recognize the short-armed dinosaur raising his glass on the colorful label.

Jack Rabbit Hill is another winery making use of non-traditional grapes. Located just west of the West Elks AVA on Redlands Mesa at 6200 feet above sea level, Jack Rabbit Hill makes organic and biodynamic wines from their 70-acre farm. All of their estate wines are Demeter-certified biodynamic and organic, and their non-estate wines are single-vineyard bottlings made from certified organic grapes. While most of their wines are varietally labeled, their amalgamation of estate vinifera and hybrid grapes is simply called Barn Red. The name evokes images rolling farmland and red barns with fresh and pure ingredients

2009 Carlson Vineyards Tyrannosaurus Red, Grand Valley, Colorado

This unique wine is crafted from 100% Colorado-grown Lemberger from the Grand Valley AVA. This quaffable red is almost Beaujolais-like with very fruity and bubblegum-like aromas. Showing a light-bodied fruitiness, with light tannins and a slight pepperiness, this wine is an interesting, easy-drinking wine that that should be added to your summer drinking list. 14.4% abv Gift from family $13. Good (tasted 3/5/11)

2008 Jack Rabbit Hill Barn Red, Colorado Red Wine



This blend of malbec, marechal foch, petit verdot, cabernet franc and NY70 (corot noir) uses two French-American hybrids; Marechal Foch and Corot Noir. Grown on Jack Rabbit Hill, at approximately 6200 ft of elevation, near the small town of Hotchkiss, this collection of grapes leads to an inky purple wine that yield interesting aromas that include dark fruit and a slight pepperiness. On the palate, the wine is lighter than one would guess based on the color. It is earthy, but with black and blue fruit flavors combined with smooth tannins and a long finish. All I can say is yum! 13.5% abv Purchased $16. Good/Very Good (tasted 3/8/11)

Lesser-known grape varieties

When most people think of wine they think of the the noble grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are the grapes traditionally associated with fine wine. Slowly, varieties such as Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Malbec, Viognier, Torrontes, and Semillon are slowly entering the everyday wine lexicon. With hundreds of grape varieties, the wine world has a diverse range of flavors and stories. All wine-producing countries have lesser-known grape varieties that receive little recognition due to unfair preconceptions or a simple lack of lack of knowledge. The U.S. has Norton and Vidal Blanc, Spain has Godello and Mencia, Greece has Assyrtiko and Xinomavro and Italy has hundreds of indigenous grapes of which most people outside of Italy have never heard. This list could continue ad infinitum.

Much of the problem with these little-known varieties is the public's ability to pronounce their names. One such variety probably comes as a surprise to most people. Austria and Germany are known for world-class white wines, and few people realize that they also produce high-quality red wines. One one of these lesser-known varieties is Blaufränkisch, also known as Lemberger. Blaufränkisch is a cold-hardy grape that is naturally high in tannin and acidity. If you haven't had the chance to experience a Blaufränkisch or Lemberger I recommend finding some!

2004 Weingut Hans Igler, Vulcano, Burgenland, Austria

This red wine is dominated by Blaufrankish (55%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Zweigelt (15%) and Merlot (10%) completing the blend. It is a beautiful garnet color. Cherries, wood and spices are the first aromas present but as the wine opens up in the glass after a few hours it becomes more aromatic and reminiscent of a Pinot Noir. Tart cherry, cedar, toasted oak, spices and pomegranate flavors fill your mouth along with tart acidity and smooth tannins. This is a well-balanced wine that only gets better in the glass. 13.5% abv Purchased ($19). Very Good (tasted 12/4/10)