Eniko Dub

🍇 GRAPE TALK: EPISODE 54: Late Harvest W**es. What does it actually mean? Let’s break it down. ⬇️

☝️ Save this post for your w**e studies and the next time you come across a late-harvest w**e!

1️⃣ Late harvest is all about timing. 🍇 As the name suggests, the grapes are left on the vine longer than usual before being picked. This allows them to ripen further, often accumulating more sugar and developing riper, more concentrated flavours. The exact timing depends on the grape variety, the weather, and the style the w**emaker wants to produce.

2️⃣ Are all late-harvest w**es sweet? Many are, but not necessarily all. Grapes harvested late tend to have higher sugar levels, which can result in a naturally sweet w**e if fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is converted into alcohol. The final sweetness depends on the grapes and the w**emaking choices. Some late-harvest w**es can also be fermented to dryness.

3️⃣ What happens to the grapes on the vine? In suitable conditions, grapes can continue to ripen, lose some water, and become more concentrated. This can intensify their flavours and increase sugar levels. However, leaving grapes on the vine for longer comes with risks, including rain, rot, and changing weather conditions. Timing is crucial for the w**emaker.

4️⃣ Late harvest is not the same as noble rot. Noble rot, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, can develop under specific weather conditions. It affects the grapes by allowing water to evaporate through their skins, concentrating sugars and acids while contributing distinctive aromas. But late-harvest grapes do not have to be affected by noble rot. They can simply be harvested later at a higher level of ripeness.

👉“Late harvest” describes when the grapes are picked, not a single w**emaking method or guaranteed level of sweetness. Grape variety, weather, grape condition, and fermentation all influence the final w**e.

🍷 Have you ever tried a late-harvest w**e? Do you prefer fresh, fruity styles or richer, botrytised sweet w**es?

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What does Tokaj actually look like during harvest?

As harvest season is now in full swing across Europe, I thought this was the perfect time to finally share a little story from September 2024.

I was invited to join the harvest at Harsányi Pincészet és Dűlőbisztró in Tokaj, where my sister and I spent the day in the vineyards picking late-harvest Sárgamuskotály — already deeply shrivelled on the vine.

From the vineyard to the cellar, and from single-vineyard Furmints to a Brut Nature sparkling w**e, the visit showed a very different side of Tokaj.

I’ve finally written about the experience, the w**es that stood out most, and what it is like to experience a w**e region right in the middle of harvest.

The full story is now on the blog — link in Stories.

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OLD-VINE CHENIN BLANC: ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST INTERESTING W**E STYLES. 🍷 And Stellenrust 59 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2023 is a great example of why. ⬇️

📍 Tasted at Bortodoor City in Budapest back in July, during a tasting with Ildikó Nagy | W**e Expert this w**e is a reminder of how much complexity Chenin Blanc can develop when it comes from old vines and meets thoughtful oak ageing.

🍇 Stellenrust W**es is a family-owned w**ery in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with a particular focus on old-vine Chenin Blanc. The number 59 on the bottle refers to the age of the vines in the year of the 2023 vintage. Planted in 1964, these bush vines grow in Bottelary, an area renowned for its old-vine Chenin Blanc.

👉 For the 2023 vintage, the w**e was fermented in oak barrels, 16% of which were new. It then matured for another five months, with 57% in oak and 43% in concrete eggs. This combination brings texture and complexity without allowing the oak to dominate the w**e.

🍷 The nose is rich and expressive, with ripe stone fruits, especially apricot and peach, alongside yellow apple. Sweet spices and acacia blossom add another layer, followed by brioche, vanilla, butter, and freshly baked croissants.

🍷On the palate, the aromas translate beautifully into flavour. It is juicy, creamy, and full-bodied, with medium-plus acidity providing the freshness to balance the richness. The finish is exceptionally long, combining apricot, buttery notes and warming spices, with a delicious butterscotch aftertaste.

☝️ What makes this style of Chenin Blanc so interesting? Old vines can produce w**es with remarkable concentration and depth, while Chenin Blanc's natural acidity helps maintain balance. Add barrel fermentation and lees-derived complexity, and you get a w**e that is rich and textured without losing its freshness.

Have you explored Chenin Blanc beyond the fresh, fruit-driven styles? Which producers would you recommend? 🍷

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🍇 GRAPE TALK: EPISODE 53: Zierfandler. One of Austria’s rarest white grape varieties. 🍷 Let’s break it down. ⬇️

☝️ Save this post for your w**e studies and the next time you come across a bottle of Zierfandler!

1️⃣ Zierfandler is a white grape variety strongly associated with the Thermenregion in Austria. 🇦🇹 Today, it is grown almost exclusively around places such as Gumpoldskirchen, where it has become one of the region’s signature varieties. It is also known as Spätrot, meaning “late red”, because the sun-exposed side of the grapes develops a reddish colour as they ripen.

2️⃣ It is a late-ripening and demanding variety. Zierfandler usually ripens around two weeks after Rotgipfler and benefits from warm, south-facing vineyards. It also performs particularly well on the calcareous soils found in the Thermenregion. But it can be sensitive to frost and botrytis, so getting the right site and growing conditions is important. 🍇

3️⃣ Zierfandler is all about the balance between richness and freshness. The w**es can be full-bodied, rich in extract and beautifully creamy, but good acidity keeps them fresh and energetic. Young w**es can show citrus, pineapple, peach, and pear, while mature examples can develop dried fruit, flowers, honey, and more complex tertiary aromas.

4️⃣ It has a Hungarian connection. 🇭🇺 In Hungary, Zierfandler is known as Cirfandli. The variety was brought from Gumpoldskirchen to Pécs in the 1850s, where it found a second home around the Mecsek. There are still vineyards of Cirfandli in the Pécs w**e region today.

5️⃣ Zierfandler is not just interesting as a single-variety w**e. It has a long history of being blended with Rotgipfler. Together, they form the traditional Spätrot-Rotgipfler style and have been an important part of the w**e identity of Gumpoldskirchen for generations.

🍇 It might not be one of Austria’s most famous grapes, but that is exactly what makes discovering it so much fun.

🍷 Have you ever tasted Zierfandler — or Cirfandli?

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ONE OF THE OLDEST W**ES I’VE TASTED SO FAR WAS A 1968 AUSTRIAN WHITE. And it was still beautifully fresh. ⬇️

I visited the Thermenregion back in 2024, so I already had a connection to this beautiful w**e region just south of Vienna. But during VieVinum, I got to explore one of its most fascinating sides in much more depth: Rotgipfler and Zierfandler.

🍷 The occasion was the “7 Decades of Thermenregion” masterclass, where we tasted ten w**es spanning from 2023 all the way back to 1968. Four Rotgipfler, four Zierfandler, and two sweet blends of the varieties.

And the final w**e was the one I won't forget: Winzergenossenschaft Gumpoldskirchner Zierfandler/Rotgipfler Auslese Ried Grimling 1968. The nose was incredibly creamy and beautifully mature, with honey, apricot, and just a touch of nuts. The palate was the real surprise. Despite being an Auslese, it felt surprisingly dry and lifted, with apricot marmalade, honey and delicate nutty notes. The freshness was incredible, the balance was spot on, and the finish just seemed to go on forever.

📍This was not a w**e that simply survived for almost six decades. It was a w**e that had evolved.

☝️ And that's what made this tasting so interesting for me. I've known Rotgipfler and Zierfandler for years, and I've loved Zierfandler since my first encounter with it in Hungary, where it is known as Cirfandli. But tasting w**es from 2023, 2021, 2020 and 2011, all the way to 2006, 1977 and finally 1968, gave me a completely different appreciation of what these varieties are capable of.

👉 I've just published the full story on WinEncsy, including the history of Thermenregion, my tasting notes, and why Rotgipfler and Zierfandler might just be one of Austria's best-kept white w**e secrets.

🔗 Read the full article: https://w**encsy.com/rotgipfler-zierfandler-austria-best-kept-secret/

Have you ever tasted an Austrian white w**e with this much age? 🍷

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I knew Rotgipfler and Zierfandler already. I even fell in love with Zierfandler many years ago after discovering it in Hungary, where it is known as Cirfandli.

But I had never really seen what these varieties can do with age.

That changed at VieVinum, during the “7 Decades of Thermenregion” masterclass, where we tasted w**es from 2023 all the way back to 1968: Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, and traditional sweet blends of the two.

In my latest article, I take you into the Thermenregion, explore the history of these two fascinating grapes, and share why I think they are one of Austria’s best-kept white w**e secrets.

Read the full story on WinEncsy: https://w**encsy.com/rotgipfler-zierfandler-austria-best-kept-secret/

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Rotgipfler and Zierfandler: One of Austria’s Best-Kept White W**e Secrets | WinEncsy Discover Rotgipfler and Zierfandler, two of Austria’s best-kept white w**e secrets in the Thermenregion, with a remarkable ageing potential.

SPAIN CAME TO VIENNA FOR ME. 🇪🇸🍷 While a lot of my fellow w**e influencers were in Spain last week for the VinoInfluencer Awards, I stayed in Vienna — and Spain decided to come to me instead. ⬇️

Last Thursday, I spent a long day at a Spanish w**e masterclass and tasting with Einfach guter Wein, tasting w**es from some seriously interesting producers from across the country.

And when I say across, I mean it. From Rioja to Mallorca, from Conca de Barberà to some of the lesser-known corners of Spain, this was a great reminder that Spanish w**e is so much more than Tempranillo and Rioja.

🍇 One of my favourite parts was discovering native varieties I don't get to taste every day: Callet, Premsal, Trepat, Macabeo, Tempranillo, of course, and Garnacha Blanca.

Alongside them, we had some international varieties showing how differently they can behave depending on where they are grown.

☝️ We also tasted w**es from two Vino de Pago producers: Finca Río Negro and Bodega Otazu.

🍷But what exactly is a Vino de Pago? 🍷
In simple terms, it is Spain's highest-level w**e denomination for a specific estate or vineyard site. A Pago has to have distinctive characteristics linked to its particular location, and the grapes and w**e production are tied to that defined estate. Think of it as a very specific recognition of place rather than a large regional appellation.

🍷 The lineup included:

🔹 Finca Río Negro
🔹 Bodega Otazu
🔹 Clos Montblanc
🔹 Buezo Bodegas
🔹 Ukan W**ery
🔹 Josep Foraster
🔹 Vi d'Auba

Some were completely new discoveries for me; others gave me a different perspective on varieties and regions I thought I already knew.

You can read about Spain's w**e regions all you want, but tasting Callet next to Tempranillo, Trepat next to Garnacha Blanca, or discovering what a particular vineyard can do in the glass is where the map starts to make sense.

Big thanks to Einfach guter Wein for bringing these producers to Vienna and for the invitation. :)

Have you tasted any of these lesser-known Spanish grape varieties before? 🍷

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