Dinner Palazzo Capua on the 26th August

Our August session brought us to the spacious, etched in history Capua Palace, where, in the cool surroundings of this medieval architectural wonder, some of the best wines that Germany and Austria produce were imbibed.

August, traditionally associated with a white wine offering, has always been seen as somewhat of a graveyard shift in Qatra history. For one, many members seem to be keen on travelling during this period, and also because a considerable segment of our group shuns white wines as somewhat inferior and not worthy of their attention.

This is, in my view, quite regrettable. White wines can rival top reds in complexity and prestige as our August session clearly demonstrated ,and can hold their own in any setting. The philosophy embedded in Qatra and indeed in any wine club worth its name is to open up the senses to all present in the wide and diverse world of wine, with exposure to different and varied wines. Thankfully, we have moved away from a time when many members thought that the only wines worth drinking were full-bodied classic red ones.

Interestingly, globally, white wine, together with rosé, has now surpassed red wine in consumption, with the younger consumer market leaning much more strongly towards white wine. It will be interesting to see how Qatra evolves over the years!

The wine offerings in August were a combination of Riesling wine from Germany and Grüner wines from Austria. These wines are all high in acidity and are considered to be food-friendly, with the Gruners having more of a peppery savoury edge and the Rieslings being more fruit-forward. The Grüners on show had a high herbal note, but for me, the real surprise of the evening was the Domane Wachau 2020, which had developed quite particular warm fruit flavours and even a hint of tropical pineapple. A nod to global warming, maybe. The Rieslings were classical offerings, dry, zesty and with a faint petrol and mineral character.

Daniel