Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year and looking forward to sharing new discoveries with you in 2022!
Why not kick the year off with something a little different? Here are three interesting wines to tempt your palate …
Eight Thousand Lakes 2019 Riesling (USA)
Although we might automatically think of Germany when we think of Riesling, the grape is very adaptable and is grown in many different parts of the world. The common denominator is its preference for cooler, more temperate environments, where the longer growing times enable the grapes to retain their characteristic acidity as they ripen. The Ancient Lakes region of Columbia Valley in Washington State is one such environment.
Here, the higher elevation, relatively low rainfall, cooler climate and wider diurnal temperatures help preserve acidity in the grapes, and this high acidity is a signature characteristic of wines from this region.
The Eight Thousand Lakes 2019 Riesling is a very good example of a fresh, vibrant, aromatic Riesling. It’s an off-dry wine with refreshing acidity and has aromas of apple, pear and honey on the nose, and lemon and peach flavours with a touch of minerality on the palate. A smooth wine with a long finish, it can be drunk by itself or paired with seafood or a slightly spicy Asian dish. We had it with salmon with a Japanese twist and it went down a treat.
Majestic (£12.99, Mix Six £9.99)
Somborne Estate Reserve Red 2014 (England)
One of the things I enjoy most about exploring English and Welsh wines is the opportunity to try unusual grape varieties. And if you’re looking for a little treat to help you get into gear as we start 2022, this delightful Rondo wine from Somborne Valley Vineyard in Hampshire, ticks all the boxes.
Rondo is a hybrid grape variety, created in 1964 when Zarya Severa, a grape variety of Russian origin, was crossed with St Laurent from Austria. Given its hardiness and high resistance to winter frost, it generally fares well in Northern Europe and is widely cultivated in the UK. It typically produces rich, deeply-coloured wines with good fruit flavours. This one is no exception.
Deep ruby in colour, this is a rich, smooth, medium-bodied wine. It has blackberry, plum and black cherry aromas, with notes of cinnamon and vanilla, on the nose, and rich black fruit flavours with savoury notes on the palate. It is a wine with depth and complexity, and very well-balanced.
This is a wine to sit and relax with, or to enjoy with lamb chops, beef casserole or your favourite cheese.
Available from Grape Britannia (£15.99)
Domaine la Hitaire ‘Les Tours’ 2019 (France)
Quite apart from the obvious choices, France is a wine region that never fails to surprise and delight. And Gascony in southwest France is a quiet corner of the country that punches above its size. Here you can find a real abundance of interesting and unusual grape varieties, and this blend of Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Gros Manseng is a little gem.
The three grape varieties complement each other very well. Ugni Blanc is a relatively bland grape variety on its own but in a blend, can contribute its natural acidity and floral notes. Colombard brings with it flavours of peach and nectarine and Gros Manseng is an aromatic grape variety bringing crisp, faintly spicy flavours to a blend.
This is a dry wine with relatively low alcohol and a crisp, refreshing acidity. It has aromas of lemon, grapefruit and apple, with floral and herbaceous notes on the nose, and flavours of peach, nectarine and lychee, with a hint of spice on the palate. Well-balanced with a long finish, this is a perfect apéritif wine, and will go well with goat’s cheese, seafood, or a slightly spicy dish.
Available from Majestic (£8.99, Mix Six £6.99)
