What is your top "off-beat" grape?

This thread all started with a comment by Tim York, to the effect that, he couldn't understand why winegrowers in Sicily would bother with making dull wines from international grapes when so many native grapes make such exciting and interesting wines.

While I do enjoy Cabernet-Chardonnay-Merlot as much as the next person, I do find I am more and more searching out wines made from what are, to me, off-beat or alternative grapes, which often leads me to such wine producing countries as Greece, Portugal and Italy (particularly Sicily).

So, my question for today is: what if your favourite off-beat grape variety?

My answer would have to be Grillo. Over the course of the last 12-18 months, I have enjoyed a number of economical, tasty wines made from this grape, either 100 per cent or as a blend with some other grape, such as cattarratto.

So, what's yours?

do you want to restrict the lists to vinifera? if not, then i'll vote for Edelweiss.

do you want to restrict the lists to vinifera? if not, then i'll vote for Edelweiss.

Let's throw it wide open.

For me, the sheer variety of grapes and climates makes for interest, so perhaps don't want to sing the praises of one to the detriment of others... however to join in, something well known but offbeat - Loire Chenin, which had me scratching my head at a blind tasting recently (the wine was a Bonnezeuax, but I was struggling to guess anything).

For vinifera, I'd say Inzolia (another Sicilian), since Nero d'Avola isn't exactly off-beat any more. For non-vinifera, Chambourcin.

For vinifera, I'd say Inzolia (another Sicilian), since Nero d'Avola isn't exactly off-beat any more. For non-vinifera, Chambourcin.

I had an Inzolia wine recently. Very tasty.

Scheurebe!

Trousseau, the heartier, richer red grape from the Jura. Juicy fruit, great acidty, hearty enough to go with steak.

For vinifera, I'd say Inzolia (another Sicilian), since Nero d'Avola isn't exactly off-beat any more. For non-vinifera, Chambourcin.

I had an Inzolia wine recently. Very tasty.

Yes indeed: I love the Chardonnay-like frame but with a honey/nut richness that you almost never find outside of intentionally oxidized (and usually fortified) wines. Quite unique.

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh without doubt. Some of the most interesting whites I have in a long time. Sadly, not often seen outside the Madiran.

The oddball varietals that make it are usually Arrufiac, Petit and Gros Manseng, and Courbu, with the first being my nomination for off beat varietal.

[Jenise]

Good question, Bruce, though I didn't have an instant response to it. Probably the one that has caused me to wonder why I don't run into it more often because it's so good every time I do have it is the white Italian grape arneis. I've had two stateside versions, also wonderful, from Ponzi in Oregon and a winery in Sonoma--Tupelo?.

I'll second Trousseau on the basis of my limited experience, though Scheurebe in the right hands can be very special. And how about Silvaner? Is that off-beat? If not, Silvaner from the Frankenland is a contender.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

Scheurebe!

X2

Does Scheurebe qualify as offbeat? I'd not have thought so.

How about a nice Verdejo from Rueda (had one last night). Viura (same area) is also quite good.

Lots & lots of stuff in Italy.
My favorite wine from an off-beat variety would be Schiopettino and Refosco.
My most off-beat variety would be Tazzalenghe...known in Friuli as the "tongue-ripper" because the very high acidity and tannin levels will rip your tongue out. The two examples I've had were, indeed, just that. Aptly named.
Tom

Delaware! My favorite Labrusca. Vignoles! My favorite hybrid. Actually, I don't really consider either of them offbeat, but by not being Vinefera, they are off the beaten path for most folks here.

[David M. Bueker]

Ok - if you don't like Scheurebe, how about Rieslaner? Albalonga?

Refosco

Will second the Refosco. Also like Lemberger as grown and vinted in the North Country.

Ok - if you don't like Scheurebe, how about Rieslaner? Albalonga?

Actually, I do like Scheurebe quite a bit - maybe that's why it doesn't seem at all offbeat to me.

I think the Rieslaner is a good choice (though I wouldn't say it had improved on the Riesling parent) and it is a bit of an oddball as a lot of it comes from Franken, an area that is far less familiar to people than the Mosel or most Rhine wines (although they do do a bunch of it in the Pfalz).

I have always enjoyed Franken wines and wonder if part of their relative obscurity isn't due to staying with that totally unstackable bocksbeutel (for those that have never come across this creature, think of Paul Masson Old Souzao Port or Mateus - flat rounded flagon).

On Albalonga I will have to defer to your greater knowledge of German wine esoterica - tell us about it, is it a worthy grape (so many crosses are basically fairly uninteresting compared to the parents). I don't recall seeing one in Canada, but would certainly file it away as something to watch for on your recommendation.

Refosco

Will second the Refosco. Also like Lemberger as grown and vinted in the North Country.

Or Teroldego (Rotaliano).... had some good ones, though not for a long while.

Or Teroldego (Rotaliano).... had some good ones, though not for a long while.

Yup...forgot Teroldego.
Tom

Edelweiss? EDELWEISS? I made some of that once. It's enough to cause nerve synapse interruption and convulsions in the vinifera crowd. Like Niagara, I thought, but with a more flowery and refined aroma, though just as powerful. Not much of it around, I think.

[David M. Bueker]

Albalonga - how shall I describe it? Well first of all one of its parents is Rieslaner with the other being Sylvaner. The Rieslaner heritage means it has some pretty darned scritchy acidity, and I have thus never seen a single dry wine made from the grape. It makes remarkably successful off-dry (e.g. spatlese) to really sweet wine. Wittmann is the specialist, and one of the greatest TBAs I have ever had was the 1994 Wittman Westhofener Steingrube Albalonga TBA. It was sheer brilliance, as the acidity of Albalonga managed to cut like a knife through the richness of the TBA. Remarkable wine. I have enjoyed a myriad of other Albalonga based wines from Wittmann (the '91 Spatlese is still remarkable).

There's very little elsewhere.

All depends on what your definition of "off-beat" is. What's off-beat to one is well known to another.

I introduced a friend to her first time ever taste of Lagrein, and she loved it.

So keeping with lesser known grapes from the same region, Schiava/Vernatsch. Kerner. Muller-Thurgau from most places tends to be boneless and undefinable, but it can be great from the Trento. Teroldego has already been mentioned.

Just south of there, Ruche.

As usual, Tom Hill beat me to the punch on stuff like TazzeLenghe, Schioppetino and the like from Friuli. Marzemino doesn't suck.