Lowe Wines 2015 ‘Tinja’ Low Alcohol Verdelho, $22
A winemaker picking grapes on the basis of alcohol content rather than flavour faces the challenging of producing a wine that is acceptable to the Aussie palate. Mudgee winemaker David Lowe is working on an interesting project with a Charles Sturt University PhD student in which a sequential harvest regime is being used to improve lower alcohol wines. The fruit for this Verdelho, from a Rylstone vineyard under organic conversion, came from two harvests, one still unripe with 7.5% alcohol and the other more mature with 11%. They were blended together to produce this wine with an alcohol content of around 10%. It all sounds very technical but what it essentially means is that you can enjoy this crisp, refreshing summer drop without guilt, without the calories and without the hangover. And I’m happy to say it tastes pretty darned good, too.
