Dill Pickle Chips & Australian Albarino

The dill pickle chip story:
One time I went to store intending on buying sour cream and onion chips. Snugly back at home, I got situated on the couch and ripped open the bag, only to be met with the unwanted aroma of dill pickle. Gack! Both bags are green (see below for proof, and also keep in mind that I’ve been called colour-blind). Sometimes disaster strikes in the form of dill pickle chips. I decided to eat them anyway. 

The  fiasco:
Some Australian grape growers and wine producers are facing a similar decision (on a decidedly more important scale). Many of you likely know about the recent fiasco involving the savagnin grape. For those who don’t, quick recap:  Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) imported Albarino grapevines from Spain in 1989. Several vineyards acquired samples from CSIRO and began to plant and tend the vines. In 2008, a French vine expert noticed the Albarino plantings looked a little wonky, and tests have since confirmed the vines are in fact the savagnin varietal. Pass the dill pickle chips. 

As you can imagine, this is a big deal. Several producers, including those in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, are out of pocket and have even bottled the wine for international shipment. The anticipated albarino grape produce a fresh, crisp white wine that’s a staple of the Rias Baixes area of Spain. People know this wine and it’s an interesting alternative varietal for the Australian industry. The savagnin grape does not have quite the same mass-love, although it does have a starring role in France’s Jura winemaking region. 

The Jura:
Location: 

The Jura is a distinct wine region about 100km northwest of Geneva, Switzerland, and is considered a cool climate wine region.

Non-savagnin wines:
The region puts out a sparkling wine called Cremant du Jura, which has a high deliciousness factor, but tends to be less expensive than Champagne. Pinot noir and chardonnay, along with a couple other lesser known grape varietals (includes trousseau and poulsard if you want to geek out on wine terms) also come from the Jura. 

Drinking savagnin:
Savagnin is a grape that “reflects the Jura soil’s real identity” according to the Official Vin du Jura website. The amber coloured white wine possesses characteristics of “fresh walnuts, hazel nuts and toasted hints of butter”. Pairs with shellfish or mild fish, and cheeses showing nutty flavours, such as Jura-produced Comte cheese. 

The funky stuff:
The Jura crafts savagnin into a unique wine style called vin jaune, literally ‘yellow wine’. Those wanting an afternoon sipper while yakking with company might not find vin jaune all that approachable wine. It’s often compared to dry fino sherry (although vin jaune is not fortified)., and even the bottling isn’t necessarily the most pleasing:

 

To make vin jeune, you need just over six years from grape picking to bottling. For most of this time, the wine sits in small oak casks and a layer of yeast is let to grow over the liquid. Over the six years, the wine evaporates in the barrel by about a third, and develops its distinct colour, aromas of nuts, perserved fruit and spice, and strong flavours that some describe as ‘liquor-like’. 

A good fit for Australia?
I get dodgy when I try to put my opinion on something I know absolutely nothing about. To offer my most unimposing and mild observation, I’d have to say that Australia needs to create it’s own savagnin style and niche to successfully bring this wine to the consumer. Attempting to create savagnin wines in the Jura-style (not even counting vin jaune) seems a bit tough even on the fundamental level of climate comparability. Willing to try any (most) things once, I’d certainly be interested in seeing what Barossa or McLaren Vale soils and climate could bring to a unique Australian savagnin wine.