The beautiful thing about wine is, it reflects many uncontrollable variables. Each season of every year is different. Seasons of drought makes a very different wines to wines made in seasons of flood! Winemaking techniques also influence wine styles. A wine that is fermented in stainless steel compared to oak or the use of wild versus inoculated yeast can makes two very distinctive wines. 

Evaluating wines from different vintage side-by-side can tell some interesting stories. The 2019-20 growing season was dry and hot. Looking back, it was the last vintage of the many years of drought. Yields were low and the harvest period was challenging. Fast forward to the 2020-21 growing season and it was almost perfect conditions. Temperatures were mild to warm. Rainfall was close to average and the harvest period was almost perfect. The current growing season has been cold and wet. Let’s hope we get some dry and warm weather events for vintage 2022.

The wines we have selected to compare vintages is the Ricca Terra Aglianico (2020 Vintage Vs the 2021 Vintage). This grape variety originally comes from southern regions of Italy (Basilicate and Campania). While grown in many places around Australia, it has performed extremely well in the Riverland. This red grape variety makes a fruitful wine with intense flavours. Ricca Terra planted two of the newest and superior clones of Aglianico nearly six years ago and is one of our favourite Italian grape varieties. 

Winemakers can significantly influence how wines smell and taste. The wines we have selected to compare winemaking variations are the 2021 Ricca Terra Arinto and the 2021 Terra do Rio Arinto. We love Arinto! A white grape variety that originates from Portugal. It loves the warm and dry weather conditions of the Riverland. The 2021 Ricca Terra Arinto is made with little winemaking influence. It is fermented in stainless steel and is then bottled. The Terra do Rio Arinto is fermented in old oak barrels. Some yeast lees stirring occurs (this increases the mouthful and texture of the wine) and the wine is aged slightly longer before bottling than the Ricca Terra version. 

It’s rare to be able to compare how seasons and winemaking can influence wine styles, but this special offer will allow you to evaluate the differences. This dozen contains three bottles each of the 2020 and 2021 Ricca Terra Aglianico and three bottles each of the Ricca Terra Arinto and Terra do Rio Arinto. This is a very limited edition.

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