Lower Alcohol Wine

Posted by Joelle Thomson on

Lower alcohol wine is growing.
 
The world wants lower alcohol wines and it wants the good stuff, says Dr John Forrest, who just arrived back in New Zealand after a global tour of Sweden, the United Kingdom, New York and Ontario, at which he opened his lower alcohol wines. Earlier this month he cruised into Regional to taste his lower alcohol wines with our team of wine experts, who were impressed by the balance of flavour, body and alcohol in these wines.


Note the word ‘lower’, as opposed to ‘low’, which can only refer technically to drinks that contain 1.15% ABV (alcohol by volume).


The Marlborough winemaker began making lower alcohol wines in 2006. His first one was the now famous Doctors’ Riesling. (The use of the apostrophe indicates more than one doctor since both John and his wife, Birgid Forrest, are doctors.)
The Doctors’ brand is now solely devoted to lower alcohol wine styles and he has added a lower alcohol Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Pinot Noir to the range.
“It’s a fine line making these styles of wine because it’s about keeping the sugar low enough and the acidity high enough, without compromising flavour,” said Dr John, on a flying visit to Wellington earlier this month.


We were impressed by the four wines in the Doctor’s range, and with his philosophy behind the wines. “You can play around with the leaf area on the vines and photosynthesis with white wine, but with Pinot Noir there’s a certain amount of sugar you need for colour and tannin development but that window is very narrow.”

Wine Wednesday this week…

We will open a new Doctors’ Riesling alongside a nine year old, which amply shows just how fantastically well these wines can age… not that most of us give them half a chance; the Doctors’ Riesling is super delicious from the moment it’s bottled.


Come in and taste the 2007 Forrest Estate Doctors’ Riesling, which was sent in to us specially for our resident Riesling fanatic Joelle Thomson to open to show how well it can age…


Wine Wednesday runs from 4pm to 7pm every week in store… turn up at your leisure to taste these outstanding wines.


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