Mistaken identity

Millaman Reserve Curico Barrel Aged Carmenere, Chile 2005. Photo / Babiche Martens

Caramba! There were certainly plenty of expressions of dismay and disbelief ringing across the vineyards of Australia when it was recently revealed that what growers had thought was the trendy Spanish grape, albarino, was actually the considerably less sexy savagnin, an obscure variety from France's Jura region. It's a mix-up that's one in a long line of mistaken identities that have created both angst and opportunity across the world's vineyards.

It was Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) that blew the whistle on the French imposter, which as the importer and distributor of vine plant material in the country, was also responsible for introducing these rogue vines into the industry. However, CSIRO was supplied by the National Germplasm Collection of Spain, which sent the incorrectly labelled savagnin cuttings to Australia, and other countries as well it would appear.

For the Australian winegrowers that have planted the 150ha currently in production in the country, this discovery is a blow as while there's demand for albarino, the profile of savagnin - which they must now label wines made from these vines - is considerably lower.

Over a decade ago in Chile, another case of confusion proved more fruitful when what the Chileans had previously considered merlot actually turned out to be carmenere. This "lost grape of Bordeaux" was virtually extinct until it was found alive and growing very well among the merlot in Chile. It was a situation that inadvertently preserved the variety and led to the New World wine-producing nation to embrace it as a real point of difference and claim it as its flagship variety.

However, Chile was in turn held back by another ampelographical error. This time concerning its sauvignon blanc, which was exposed largely to be sauvignonasse, an inferior variety that is now consequently being replaced.

Making these mistakes is all too easy if a vine looks the same and produces a similar style of wine, while conversely the same vine can vary in appearance when grown in different locations. Take into account that there are around 5000 wine grape varieties with over 20,000 different monikers, and it's no surprise that the true identity is not always evident.

In the past, grape varieties were identified using the science of ampelography, which used the observation of physical characteristics of the vines, such as leaf shape and berry colour. However, today DNA testing has been developed as a more reliable method of identification.

It's already shown that California's Zinfandel was actually the same as Italy's primitivo and Croatia's crljenak kastelanski, and helped confirm the parentage of popular grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, the offspring of the white variety sauvignon blanc and the red cabernet franc.

In our vineyards, our winegrowers have not always known what they've been working with. However, with new technology and more rigorous tracking systems, far fewer errors are now made. But as DNA testing is still incredibly expensive, it's still not mandatory or applied to every vine variety entering the country.

In fact we almost got some of that savagnin in disguise ourselves. "We had the import licence from Australia for it, but we weren't confident in it so decided not to go ahead," recalls Denis Lunken, chief executive of Corbans Viticulture, one of the major companies providing grapevines to the New Zealand industry.

While nowadays you can be pretty confident that you're getting what's on the label, things may still not be always as they seem.

True variety

Millaman Reserve Curico Barrel Aged Carmenere, Chile 2005 $19.95
When tasting the ripe plums and chocolate on this smooth, spicy, rich and fruity example of a carmenere it's easy to see why so many thought the variety was merlot. However, the greener savoury-herbal character of many carmeneres, including this one with its almost minty edge, is something that sets it apart. (From Artisan Fine Wine Suppliers, Point Wines, Wine Circle.)

Pasqua Lapaccio Primitivo di Salento, Italy 2006 $20-$21
Spanning a variety of styles, this attractive earthy primitivo from Puglia - a popular place for this Croatian vine - is in the fuller bodied spectrum with supple and plush, dark berry fruit seasoned with roasted spice and notes of tobacco and game.
(From Glengarry, Greenhithe Liquor Centre, Liquorland Dinsdale, Vetro Mediterranean Foods.)

Lagar de Cervera Rias Baixas Albarino, Spain 2007 $36.65
With Australia's Albarino exposed, the best chance of finding the real deal is in its home territory of Rias Baixas in Northwestern Spain. The Lagar de Cervera Albarino has the variety's classic intense minerally tang and gentle peach fruit joined in this wine by hints of pear and hazelnut.
(From www.regionalwines.co.nz)