Have you tried this? Archives - Page 9 of 17

A mountain wine from Savoie

North, south, east or west, wherever you are in France, you are never too far from a wine-producing area. Even in the Alpine region of Savoie (Savoy), where the fresh, light, aromatic white wines made from the Jacquère grape are well-worth seeking out.

Vineyards in the region are often planted on mountain slopes between 250m and 550m, where they benefit from a warm microclimate and the moderating effects of nearby rivers and lakes. Although the Savoie region produces a mere 0.5% of French wines, it certainly punches above its size.

The Domaine Jean Perrier and Fils ‘Altus’ 2020, Savoie has aromas of blossom, apple and pear on the nose, and flavours of pear, apricot and honey on the palate. This is a crisp, refreshing wine with high acidity and a hint of minerality in the finish, and you can feel the freshness of the mountain air as you taste the wine.

A perfect match for fondue, goat’s cheese or a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic £13.99 (Mix Six £10.99)

A fresh, zippy Albariño to brighten up your day!

Paco & Lola, Albariño 2020 (Spain)

Though Spain is best known for its red wines, it is quietly making a name for itself as a key white wine producer, with lots of interesting indigenous whites to discover. One of the best known is Albariño from the Rías Baixas region of Galicia in north-west Spain. Albariño is one of my favourite wines and this Paco & Lola 2020 is a fine example of what this grape variety is capable of.

With its Atlantic climate, moderate year-round temperatures, ocean mists and above-average rainfall, the Rías Baixas region is more reminiscent of Ireland than the sun-drenched beaches of holiday-destination Spain. But despite the dampness, the area is also blessed with many hours of warm sunshine, enabling the Albariño grapes to ripen and produce wines that are naturally high in acidity, with floral aromas, and citrus and stone-fruit flavours.

This wine from Paco & Lola is a fresh, lively wine, with zippy acidity and a lovely long finish. It has aromas of apricot and peach on the nose, and flavours of lime, lemon, peach and a hint of minerality on the palate. It’s a well-balanced wine which makes for an ideal aperitif but is also a perfect partner for seafood.

Available from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£12-£14)

An elegant, slightly quirky wine from Portugal

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2020 (Portugal)

Portugal has many indigenous grape varieties which distinguish its wine from other Mediterranean wine-producing countries and make it an interesting area to explore. There are five main Protected Designations of Origin (Denominações de Origem Controladas /DOCs), as well as a number of regional wine designations (Vinho Regional). One of these is the Peninsula de Setúbal, directly to the south of Lisbon.

Best known for its sweet, fortified wines made from Moscatel grapes, Moscatel de Setúbal, the area also produces a range of regional wines, both red and white. And for a wine to be classified as a Vinho Regional Peninsula de Setúbal, it must be produced with particular grape varieties.

For white wine the blend must contain at least 50% of Arinto, Chardonnay, Fernão Pires, Malvasia Fina, Muscat of Alexandria and Roupeiro. The other 50% can be made up with Antão Vaz, Esgana Cão, Sauvignon Blanc, Rabo de Ovelha, Trincadeira das Pratas, Verdejo or Ugni Blanc.

This Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2020 is a selected harvest wine. An elegant wine, a little quirky, yet full of character and very good value. A blend of Arinto, Chardonnay, Verdejo and Fernão Pires, it has pronounced aromas of peach and lime, with a touch of oak-derived vanilla, and refreshing flavours of citrus and stone fruits. There is also a noticeable burst of Chardonnay shining through with buttery notes. This is a smooth, deliciously crisp, original white wine which is a perfect match for a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic Wine £9.99 (Mix Six £7.99)

Crossword clue: A red wine in tavern, and cousin began raving (8,9)

(Answer: Cabernet Sauvignon)

Quodammodo 2017, Alexander Valley, Sonoma

The Alexander Valley appellation in north-eastern Sonoma County in California is the county’s largest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Set against the backdrop of the majestic Mayacama Mountains, this is a region with over 15,000 acres of vineyards. The hot, dry summers, early morning fog, and gravelly, well-draining soils are perfect growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the dominant grape variety here. Alexander Valley has a reputation for soft-textured, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon wines with balanced acidity, which are dark in colour and elegant in structure.

This Quodammado 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged in French oak. It is a smooth, velvety wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish. With blackcurrant, plum and vanilla on the nose, and cherry, cassis, liquorice and smoky overtones on the palate, this was an excellent match for a lamb casserole. It will also go very well with steak.

It is currently very good value at Majestic with 50% off. (£22.99, Mix Six £11.49)

With the approach of spring, it’s time to try something a little lighter …

Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 (New Zealand)

As the days gets longer and the weather warms up a little, a Pinot Noir is a very good choice to herald the return of spring. Typically, pale to medium in colour, with high acidity and low to medium tannins, it is a wine that has red fruit flavours which may be complemented by subtle oak-derived notes of smoke and cloves. A versatile grape, it pairs well with a variety of dishes – from salmon and tuna to roast chicken, lamb and duck. It also goes well with a tomato-based pasta dish or pizza.

The Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 hails from Central Otago in New Zealand. Located inland in the foothills of the Southern Alps, the climate in this area is continental but is protected from sea breezes and rains by the mountains, resulting in intensely sunny days and cool nights. Ideal conditions for Pinot Noir to flourish.

This wine has red cherry, raspberry and bramble aromas, with a hint of peppery spice, on the nose and fresh fruit flavours of raspberry and redcurrant on the palate. It is a well-balanced medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and a medium finish, which can be drunk by itself or with food – it goes particularly well with lamb or duck.

Available from Majestic Win e £13.99 (Mix Six-£10.99)

Valentine’s Day : pairing wine and chocolate

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, let’s turn our minds to pairing wine and chocolate. It can be tricky to pair these two successfully because they share many of the flavour components so it’s important to choose a pairing that complements their differences.

A dark, bittersweet chocolate together with a high tannin red wine, for example, can be overbearing on the palate and highlight the astringency in the wine so dark chocolate is best paired with fortified wines. Milk chocolate can easily be overpowered by red wine so a sweet white, a light red, or a sparkling wine work better. And with its creamy, buttery flavours, white chocolate needs something refreshing and light-bodied – an ice wine, a Moscato d’Asti or a Pinot Noir, for example.

Although it’s a careful balancing act to get wine and chocolate to work together, once it does, it can be blissful. So, if you are planning to have a chocolate-based dessert this Valentine’s Day, here are three great options to consider:

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez

Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherries are pure indulgence in a bottle. These intensely sweet wines are aged oxidatively and are deep brown, almost black, in colour. With typical aromas of dried fruits, honey and coffee, and flavours of dried fruit and caramel, there is sufficient acidity to balance the sweetness and create a velvety, long finish. This 12-year old PX from Sainsbury’s ticks all the boxes. With honey, raisins, and toffee on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee on the palate, this is a full-bodied wine that has been aged in a network of oak casks.

It is a perfect match to enjoy with dark chocolate or a chocolate mousse. Available from Sainsbury’s (£8, 50cl)

Château de Géraud, Monbazillac 2014

This Monbazillac sweet white wine from the Dordogne region of France is a delightful blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes. Golden in colour, the wine has honey, blossom and mango on the nose, and pineapple, passion fruit and a touch of nuttiness on the palate. It is a soft and well-rounded wine which cuts through the creaminess of a white chocolate dessert, making it an enticing match for cake, cookies or cheesecake.

Available from Cambridge Wine Merchants (£14.99)

Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat

Campbell’s have been producing wine in Rutherglen since 1870 and if you are looking for something to pair with milk chocolate or a milk chocolate pudding, this luscious dessert wine from Australia has stood the test of time. Amber in colour, it is a rich wine made from a blend of vintages of Muscat à petit grains rouges (Rutherglen Brown Muscat) grapes. With aromas of raisins and caramel on the nose, and flavours of orange, dates and nuts on the palate, the sweetness of the wine is balanced with fresh acidity. Health warning – it is wickedly moreish!

Available from Majestic (£14.99, £12.49 Mix Six, half bottle)

Another excellent white wine from Norfolk

Winbirri Vineyard, Solaris 2019

Winbirri Vineyard in Norfolk is well-known for its award-winning wines and I have written previously about its excellent Bacchus and Signature wines. In recent years, Winbirri has also had huge success with its Solaris varietal wines, winning awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Created in Germany in 1975, Solaris is an early ripening variety with good resistance against fungal diseases and frost, and it produces mellow, aromatic, intensely flavoured still wines. And given Solaris’ naturally high sugar levels, it is also well-suited to the production of dessert wines.

Solaris grows well in cool climates with low levels of sunshine and is found mainly in Germany. It is also grown in Scandinavia, Switzerland and Poland, and is at home here in England (and Wales), where it is grown in a number of locations.

This Winbirri Solaris is a smooth, slightly off-dry wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. With blossom, apple and peach on the nose, and honey and stone fruit on the palate, the wine also has its own character which distinguishes it from a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Bacchus.

If you are looking for an appealing wine with a difference to go with your seafood or chicken dish, why not try this?

Available from Grape Britannia (£14.99)

If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay, then this is for you …

Bread & Butter Chardonnay, 2019, California

Chardonnay may not be everyone’s cup of tea, or rather choice of tipple. Some wine drinkers swear by it and won’t drink anything else; others will drink ‘Anything But Chardonnay’. Nevertheless, Chardonnay is one of the most widely-planted and versatile grapes in the world and comes in a range of styles, depending on its provenance and the winemaker’s approach to wine production. Although wine drinkers may prefer one style or another, or indeed not care for it at all, one of the pleasures of exploring the world of wine is discovering what Chardonnay has to offer.

Cooler climate Chardonnays from regions such as Northern Burgundy, Oregon and Tasmania tend to have more acidity, and more citrussy, minerally flavours. They are generally leaner, with lower levels of alcohol. Warmer climate Chardonnays from more southern areas of Burgundy, and most of California and Australia, tend to be fuller-bodied with higher levels of alcohol and less acidity. These wines have riper, stone-fruit and tropical fruit flavours such as peach, pineapple and banana.

In addition to the primary flavours related to climate, the winemaker’s judicious use of malolactic conversion (MLF) and oak barrel fermentation can introduce dairy flavours of butter and cream, and oak flavours of smoke, vanilla and coconut.

This particular Chardonnay is a rich, bold wine from California. It is a blend of grapes grown in Monterrey and the cooler Los Carneros, and has notes of apple, vanilla, butter and peach, and flavours of butter, honey, toast and tropical fruit. Soft and creamy with a long, smooth finish, it is a well-balanced wine. If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay with plenty of body, this is a fine example and well worth trying.

It is a wine that will go well with a creamy chicken dish, a rich pasta dish or soft cheese.

Available from Majestic (£15.99, Mix Six £13.99)

Banish those January blues with a touch of Sicilian sunshine …

Planeta L’Amistanza 2020

After all the buzz and busyness of the festive season, mid-January can sometimes feel a little dispiriting. This refreshing, aromatic wine from Sicily can go a long way to help lift your spirits.

The Planeta L’Amistanza 2020 is made from a blend of Fiano and Grecanico grapes. Although neither is indigenous to Sicily – Fiano comes from the Campania region and Grecanico hails from the Veneto region in north-east Italy, where it is known as Garganega – both grow happily in Sicily and complement each other very well. Fiano brings body and texture to a wine while Grecanico contributes citrus freshness and acidity.

With aromas of honeysuckle, apple, pear and stone fruit, and flavours of peach, apple and lime, this is a well-balanced wine with medium acidity and a pleasantly long finish.

A crisp wine which works well as an aperitif and is also a very good match for seafood, pasta or a light, creamy chicken dish.

Available from Tesco (£10)