Wines to Enjoy in the Qatar World Cup 2023 – So Far

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is in the knock-out round.  Already we have the Netherlands and Brazil out of the contest.  The teams left to play are Morocco, Portugal, England, France, Argentina, and Croatia.  All these countries make wine as well as footballers.  So which wine would you drink to celebrate if one of these countries wins?  I would suggest drinking wine made by that country.  The BC Liquor stores do have wine for sale from each country.

Morocco

There is one wine from Morocco, a Syrah, in BC Liquor stores. ZENATTA SYROCCO – ALAIN GRAILLOT SYROCCO for $32.99.  I have only tried one Moroccan wine in the past, also a red, which was of very good quality.  I believe that in the past, Moroccan wine was brought into France and used to bolster some French wines, quietly. The Syrocco Syrah of Domaine des Ouled Thaleb is a red wine from the region of Zenatta in Rabat/Casablanca. This wine generally goes well with beef, lamb or mature and hard cheese. The Syrocco Syrah of the Domaine des Ouled Thaleb is in the top 10 of wines of Morocco and in the top 5 of wines of Zenatta.

Portugal

Portuguese wines are not well known but should be.  Their native red and white grapes make tasty wines at a reasonable price point.  The same grapes that are used to make fortified port wines are also used to make red table wines.  The red grape, Touriga Nacional, is one of the main grapes for making their red table wines.  I have not tried this wine but would consider trying it if Portugal wins, DAO TOURIGA NACIONAL – OPTA 2016.

If you are a white wine person, you probably enjoy Vinho Verde wines. You may want to try the VINHO VERDE – ESCOLHA ESTATE – QUINTA DA LIXA ESCOLHA ESTATE.

England

BC Liquor stores only carry one wine from England.  A sparkling rosé, HENNERS – BRUT ROSE. Elegant and beautifully crafted rosé from this highly regarded English sparkling wine producer. Henners Rosé NV is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, using the saignée method to draw colour from the grapes at the pressing stage. This sparkling rosé delivers classic English red berry fruit flavours including raspberries, redcurrants and rhubarb. A minimum of 18 month ageing on the lees brings a delicate creaminess to the wine.

France

Go for Champagne!  There is such a wide selection of Champagnes at BC Liquor stores.  One Champagne with a good, consistent quality in my opinion is TAITTINGER – BRUT RESERVE.  Wine of France.Taittinger is one of the last great independent Champagne Houses owned and actively managed by the family named on the label. The family are guardians of Taittinger’s style, quality and integrity. The hallmark of their fine Champagnes is the high proportion of Chardonnay used in their winemaking, which is key for producing wines of great elegance and finesse. Additionally, with its vineyard ownership of 288ha (third largest in Champagne) Taittinger can guarantee flawless wines heralded worldwide for their consistent quality. Our signature cuvée, Taittinger Brut Réserve, is assembled from more than 35 crus and incorporates 40% Chardonnay – this high proportion is seldom offered in a non-vintage Champagne. Distinguished by a delicate nose marked by subtle brioche notes, it has a palate of considerable depth and balance with hints of honey and fresh fruit.

Argentina

We all think of big red wines, many made with Malbec, the signature red grape of Argentina.  Bodega Catena Zapata, Bodega Luigi Bosca, and Familia Zuccardi are three well-known brands with excellent quality red wines. Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. His grandson, Nicolás Catena, is known as the man who revolutionized Argentine wine and introduced high altitude Malbec to the world. The Historic Catena Zapata vineyards are planted with the Catena family’s proprietary selection of malbec plants: the Catena Cuttings. Catena Alta Malbec is sourced from Lot 18 of the Angélica vineyard, Lot 4 of the La Pirámide vineyard, Lot 1 of the Nicasia vineyard, Lot 6 of the Angélica Sur vineyard and Lot 9 of the Adrianna vineyard.

Croatia

Croatia has been available in BC for a few years, but is not yet widely known.  I think their red wines may be a bit better, made with the Plavac Mali grape.  Their higher-quality white wines are made with the Malvazija grape. “Typically earthy, scorched fruit-flavoured plavac mali, bold, firm, very extracted and structured, from Stina’s stunning vineyards anchored in the stark white limestone rocks of Brac Island. This is indeed a real stone-lovers wine, unabashedly mineral despite ample fruit and generous alcohol (14.5% declared). For me it’s mostly about the chalky tannic structure and surprising natural acids – I can’t say it’s an easy wine with wide appeal, but rather more gruff, honest, with natural character and strong personality. Great length, too; a premium wine to be sure, best 2022-2030, with roasted, salty-fatty protein.”  John Szabo, MS (93 pts)

So whoever wins, you have some choices with a wine to celebrate.  Enjoy!