Traditionally, the only wine known in Nowapan was a sake like grain wine. Other spirits were made from blé rouge including beers and distilled liquors. Shortly after trade began with the Europeans, grape wine was introduced to the island.
The Kingdom of Mré was the center of efforts to produce wines from the native grape species, V. rubida. The wine drinking fashion spread rapidly and wines made from various varieties of the Ruby Grape are still the basic table wines of Nowapan. Wines of this sort are non-vintage, pleasant to drink and consistent in their nature but lacking in the complexities of vinifera wines.
Although vinifera wines were imported for the Court and for the rising middle class, no effort was apparently made to produce vinifera wines in Nowapan until 1913. That year, a former ambassador to France, Wam.num.tt'ó, retired to his estate in the Yám.mó.mon. From France, he had brought with him the root stocks of several varietals including cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. After some tentative starts, his estate began producing acceptable if not great wines. After the revolution this promising start was slowed but more vines were planted in the 1930's and wine production boomed.
Nowan wines remained at fairly low level of quality until the early 1950's. At that time, several farming cooperatives began a concerted effort to produce truly fine, complex, long lived wines. Their success spawned numerous imitators and as the 20th century draws to a close the Nowans were justly reknowned for their fine wines.
Production remains centered in the
Yám.mó.mon although new regional production
has started in the western foothills of the Moonsmoke Mountains
and in the foothills of the He.ro.wi. Both areas show
promise. V. rubida grape production is mostly in the
Round Mountains. Great Yám.mó.mon vintages
were produced in the years of 1955, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1985,
and 1993. Total production of vinifera wines is about equal to
the United States and increasing every year. V. rubida
wine production remains steady and slightly surpasses vinifera
output.
Pt'a.yám.mó.non is not, strictly speaking, a varietal. It is one of the two great reds that Nowapan is known for. It is usually a Bordeaux-like blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and carmenčre. It is legally permissable to use shiraz as well and this is increasingly common. The following varietals are the dominant reds grown in the Yám.mó.mon
Nebbiolo yields the other great red wine of Nowapan. Rare
outside of Italy's Piedmont region, it flourishes on the eastern
slopes of the valley. Nowapan's nebbiolo wines equal or surpass
those of Italy. Less common varieties include zinfandel and
sangiovese.
White wines have never been as popular as red in most of Pan. Along the coasts where more seafood is readily available, they have a steady and loyal following. The following are the whites most commonly grown in Yám.mó.mon
It is generally conceded that the greatest white wines
produced by Nowapan are rieslings although pinot gris,
chardonnays, and sauvignon blanc/sémillon blends have
also
greatly improved and are now at the international levels of
quality.
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© 2001 Brad Coon