English & Welsh wines Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Wine of the Month: A stonkingly good wine from Northamptonshire …

Produced in Northamptonshire from grapes grown in Essex, this is Fortieth Rule’s first release and it is a stonkingly good wine!

Fortieth Rule Chardonnay 2023, Northamptonshire (England)

This recent discovery from an independent family-run winery in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire is a little gem. Produced from grapes grown in Essex, this is Fortieth Rule’s first release and it is a stonkingly good wine.

With a beautiful nose of green apples redolent of a walk through an English orchard, and bright intense flavours of apple, pear and grapefruit, this is a smooth wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. A wine with character that is an excellent expression of an English Chardonnay with a nod to its Burgundian roots.

It’s perfect to drink by itself, or as a pairing with grilled fish, a chicken dish, or grilled vegetables.

And if you are wondering about the name, it is based on the Fortieth Rule of St Benedict, which stipulated that monks should ‘know their measure’ when it came to drinking alcohol! As true today as it was in St Benedict’s day!

Available from FORTIETH RULE (www.fortiethrule.com) (£25) NB Free local delivery for orders to CB1-CB5 postcodes with code CBDELIVER

An appealing blend from the Black Country

Halfpenny Green Penny Red 2022 (Staffordshire)

This very appealing red wine from Halfpenny Green Wine Estate in the heart of the Black Country in the West Midlands is a fine example of a wine produced by one of the country’s largest vineyards.

Established in 1983, Halfpenny Green benefits from well-sheltered south-facing slopes and light, sandy free-draining soil to grow a wide variety of grapes.

The Penny Red is a blend of Rondo, Regent, Triomphe d’Alsace, and Divico grape varieties. A smooth, velvety, well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a long finish, it has aromas of bramble, plum and blackcurrant, and flavours of forest fruits and cherry.

A wine to enjoy by itself, with grilled meats or vegetables, or with cheese.

Available from Grape Britannia (£12.99)

Oz Clarke: English Wine – from still to sparkling

An ideal gift for a wine lover who is keen to learn more about the newest New World wine country – England (and Wales). Oz Clarke’s ‘English Wine – from still to sparkling’ tells the story of the transformation of the wine scene on this fair island over the last few decades.

Starting with a history of English wine from how it used to be, Clarke takes the reader through the Nyetimber Effect and the changes it heralded to where we are now. There’s a great section on location and a comprehensive overview of vineyards and wineries across England and Wales, with lots of useful information, including contact details, wine recommendations etc.

All you ever wanted to know about English (and Welsh) wine – all in one place. A great book. And the perfect gift for your favourite wine lover!

Waterstones £20

For other great gift ideas featuring English & Welsh wines, whether bottles, cases or wine tastings, visit Grape Britannia

Ed Dallimore – The Vineyards of Britain

Everything you wanted to know about English and Welsh wines!

There is much to celebrate in one of the world’s most exciting wine regions – England and Wales.

This new book by wine expert and photographer Ed Dallimore is a fantastic resource for any wine lover wanting to know more about English and Welsh wine. Ed takes you on a fascinating adventure through Britain’s wineries and vineyards. You get to meet the people making top-quality wines, learn about their wines and get some great advice and recommendations from Ed.

Three key elements permeate the narrative: the right sites, the right soils and the right people, and from the south-west to the north of England, from urban wineries in London and Cambridge to vineyards in the shadow of the Black Mountains in Wales, you get to understand how these three factors combine to produce some really excellent wines, both sparkling and still.

Whether it’s White Castle Vineyard in Abergavenny, Gutter & Stars Urban Winery in a Cambridge mill, Rathfinny Wine Estate in East Sussex, or 140-odd others, this book will give you all the background you need and take you on an informative journey through the vineyards and wineries of Britain.

It’s a great read and the perfect Christmas gift for your favourite wine lover!

Available from Waterstone s (£19.99)

Here are a few choice wines to enjoy this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!

Delightful white wines

Lyrarakis Assyrtiko 2022 (Crete)

This Assyrtiko wine from Crete is a dry wine with a crisp, refreshing acidity. It has pronounced aromas of honey, together with apple and peach, on the nose, and flavours of apple, pear and peach on the palate.

It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a long finish that can be enjoyed as an apéritif and is also an excellent match for a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic (£12.99, Mix Six £10.99)

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat.

Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level.

A delightful wine offering great value for money.

Available from Co-op (£10.50)

Chapel Down Bacchus 2022 (Kent)

This Bacchus wine from Chapel Down vineyard in Kent, one of England’s leading wine producers, is an excellent example of what this grape variety is capable of.

An aromatic wine with notes of melon and citrus on the nose, and flavours of apple, melon and grapefruit on the palate, this is a crisp, refreshing and well-balanced wine with a long finish.

Enjoy by itself or with seafood or salad. It also pairs well with Wensleydale cheese.

Available from Grape Britannia (£16.99)

Cracking red wines

Les Hauts de Saint Martin, Saint Chinian 2021 (France)

This Saint-Chinian wine from vineyards located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is a smooth, rich, full-bodied wine. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre grapes, this is a dry wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

With bramble, plum and cherry on the nose, and an array of red and black fruits, and a hint of spice on the palate, this is a very appealing wine that pairs well with a roast meat dish, or roasted vegetables.

Available from Co-op (£10)

Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2020/21 (South Australia)

This Tempranillo wine from South Australia adds a little Antipodean twist to this grape variety generally associated with Rioja. Produced by Yalumba winery, one of Australia’s oldest wineries, this is a deliciously smooth wine which can be enjoyed by itself, and goes really well with duck or lamb.

With aromas of cranberry, cherry and bramble on the nose, and flavours of blackberry and plum, with a hint of chocolate and spice, on the palate, this is a balanced wine with a long finish.

Available from Majestic (£10.99, Mix Six £8.49)

White Castle Regent 2021 (Wales)

This wonderfully expressive wine from White Castle Vineyard in Wales is an outstanding red wine. Made from Regent grapes, it is a well-balanced wine that’s an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch.

With aromas of cherry, blackberry and a touch of smokiness on the nose, and ripe fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate, this is a wine with depth and complexity.

Available from Grape Britannia (£27.99)

Indulgent dessert wines

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)

This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is a perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£9)

Keo St John’s Commandaria (Cyprus)

This luscious Cypriot dessert wine has a history dating back to the Crusades and is an outstanding dessert wine. With aromas of dried fruit and spices, and flavours of caramel, honey and nuts, Commandaria can be enjoyed by itself, or with cheese or desserts. It is a particularly good match for a rich, creamy dessert.

Available from Aspris & Son (www.aspris.co.uk) (£11.79, 50cl.)

Merry Christmas!

Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2024.

Cheers!

A smooth, enticing blend from the Kent Downs

Meopham Valley Vineyard Union Red 2022 (Kent)

This smooth red wine from Meopham Valley Vineyard in the North Kent Downs is a blend of Pinot Noir, Regent, Triomphe and Léon Millot grape varieties.

Aromas of bramble, cherry and blackberry on the nose lead to flavours of black fruits, chocolate and coffee on the palate, and the nine months’ oak barrel ageing gives a hint of spice and smokiness.

A well-balanced wine with medium acidity and medium tannins, this is a very appealing wine that can be enjoyed by itself or with a warming autumn casserole.

Available from Grape Britannia (£15.99)

A refreshing, aromatic Bacchus from Kent

Chapel Down Bacchus 2022 (Kent)

First established as a vineyard in 1977, Chapel Down in Kent has since undergone a number of iterations to become one of England’s leading wine producers.

An aromatic wine with notes of melon and citrus on the nose, and flavours of apple, melon and grapefruit on the palate, this is a crisp, refreshing and well-balanced wine with a long finish.

Enjoy by itself or with seafood, salad or Thai food. It also pairs well with Wensleydale cheese. If you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, why not give Bacchus a try!

Available from Grape Britannia (£16.99)

Wine of the Month – another outstanding wine from Gutter & Stars! A real treat for the palate …

Gutter & Stars ‘Fight the Power’ Ortega 2022

This is another outstanding wine from Cambridge’s urban winery, Gutter & Stars. Made from 100% Ortega grapes grown at Yew Tree Vineyard in Oxfordshire, the wine was fermented in oak barrels before further ageing on the lees.

The result is a perfectly balanced, inviting wine with a velvety mouthfeel and a lengthy finish. It is, quite simply, a real pleasure to drink!

With honeysuckle, peach, and pear drops on the nose, and peach and citrus fruit flavours on the palate, this is a wonderful expression of the Ortega grape. Enjoy it as an apéritif, or with a seafood, chicken or vegetable dish.

Available from Gutter & Stars and Grape Britannia (£25-£30)

Wine of the Month – A refreshing dry white blend that is perfect for these summer days …

Freedom of the Press Compendium 1 – Dry White Blend 2021

This excellent wine from Freedom of the Press winery, an urban winery located in the Cotswolds, 15 miles outside Oxford, is just the ticket for these lovely summer days.

A blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Bacchus grapes, this is a refreshing, aromatic wine with medium acidity and a long finish. With aromas of elderflower and peach on the nose, and a compendium of flavours, including peach and raspberry, with a hint of strawberries and cream, on the palate, it is a very appealing wine.

Enjoy by itself or with chicken, seafood or salad. It will also pair well with Asian dishes.

Available from Grape Britannia (£13.99)