"Dan the Man" wrote


Very interesting - the word "solera" is also on my bottle of Tokay but
I had no idea what it meant.


"Solera" is Spain's age-old blending and maturation system, used to maintain
quality and style consistency in the making of Sherry. It is a system based
on ranging various vintages in tiers, and drawing off wine for bottling,
then replacing it with wine from the next level, and so on, up through the
levels of the solera.


The foundation (basic) style is "Rutherglen Muscat"

The next step up "Classic Muscat

The third classification is "Grand Muscat"

The top of the scale is "Rare Muscat" -


All of these tiers of ranking Muscat make me think of the German
Pradikat system of ranking Rieslings(kabinett, spatlese, etc.)

IIRC the difference is that a tasting panel made up of the Winemakers of
Rutherglen taste the wines in the upper categories, and agree as to whether
it can be called Grand or Rare etc.

I also must point out, that this classification applies only to the
fortified wines of Rutherglen.

Other Australian regions make "Liqueur Muscat" - and are not subject to the
same "rules"

And, unlike other countries where these rules are "Statutory" - these
quality grades are self-imposed and self-regulated in this very small
winemaking region.

--

st.helier