April 2022 - It Must Be Wine O'clock

An orange Grüner Veltliner – an unusual wine that’s definitely worth trying!

Winzer Krems, Orange Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria 2020

Grüner Veltliner is the most widely-planted native grape variety grown in Austria, particularly in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) and Burgenland. It is believed to be a crossing between Traminer and St Georgen, an unidentified grape variety discovered in St Georgen in 2000.

Typically a Grüner Veltliner wine has naturally high acidity, with citrus and stone fruit flavours, and hints of white pepper and sometimes vegetal notes.

This Orange Grüner Veltliner wine is a little unusual in that it spent some time on the grape skins during the fermentation process, giving it a rich golden colour tinged with an orange hue, a creamy mouthfeel and a slightly tannic edge.

It has aromas of apple, orange peel and lemon, and flavours of honey, peach and nectarine, with a hint of spiciness. It is a fresh, lively wine with a lengthy finish.

A wine to enjoy by itself but which also pairs well with slightly spicy Asian dishes.

Available from Majestic £10.99, (Mix Six £8.99)

Crossword clue: Deliverers of fine sprays and wines … Answer : Roses

As the weather improves and the days become longer, do you find yourself hankering after something lighter and more refreshing to drink? If so, then why not try a rosé wine?

Although we might automatically think of France when we think of rosé, there are plenty of regions in both the old and the new wine worlds producing some fine examples. Including this Ancre Hill Estates Rosé 2018 from Wales.

The Ancre Hill vineyards in Monmouthshire are located on the south facing slopes close to the Wye Valley. The estate uses traditional biodynamic and organic viticultural practices, with no external intervention or manipulation in the winemaking process.

The result is a unique style of wine, well-balanced, with lots of flavour and a lively acidity. Pale pink with a tinge of yellow in colour, the Rosé 2018 has aromas of strawberry, bramble, apple and grapefruit on the nose, and flavours of strawberry, rhubarb, cream soda and grapefruit on the palate.

This is a crisp, fresh wine with low alcohol which is perfect by itself and goes well with canapés or fish, particularly oily fish.

Available from Grape Britannia (£15.99)

A little gem from Suffolk

For something from a vineyard a little closer to home, this St Edmundsbury Pinot Noir 2020 is from Giffords Hall near Long Melford in Suffolk. The vineyard was planted on the site of an ancient glacial riverbed about 30 years ago and several grape varieties, including Madeleine Angevine, Bacchus, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc flourish in the sandy, clay soil here. This Pinot Noir 2020 is a little gem.

With aromas of bramble and blackberry on the nose, and flavours of plum, strawberry and rhubarb on the palate, this is a smooth, well-balanced wine with medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

An attractive and appealing wine that pairs well with duck or a Sunday roast.

Available from Grape Britannia (£15.99)

Wine of the Month – Koshu wine: the perfect accompaniment for Japanese food

When I first visited Japan thirty years ago, Japanese wine was nothing to write home about and most of the wine people drank back then was French. How different the Japanese wine landscape is nowadays – there are over 300 wineries across the country, the majority in Yamanashi, Hokkaido, Nagano and Yamagata prefectures.

And in recent years, the quality of Japanese wine has improved enormously – at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, Japanese wines were awarded a total of 71 medals, an increase of 61% over 2020, and including two Platinum and four Gold medals.

The most common grape variety used for white wine in Japan is Koshu. Indigenous to Japan, the grape is a hybrid of the European Vitis vinifera and the Asian Vitis davidii, and its thick skin makes it well-suited to the country’s hot, humid summers. Most of the Koshu wines are produced in Yamanashi, just to the west of Tokyo and the home of Mt Fuji. The wines are subtle and delicate, with citrus aromas and fresh, fruity flavours.

This Château Mercian, Koshu, Iwasaki 2019 wine is produced by Japan’s longest established winery, which can trace its roots back to 1870. It is a smooth, medium-bodied wine with refreshing acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a lengthy finish. With floral notes and aromas of lemon, yuzu and vanilla on the nose, and flavours of citrus fruit, peach and almonds on the palate, it is an elegant wine that expresses the unique characteristics of the Koshu grape very well.

It’s a perfect match for sushi and sashimi, and other light Japanese dishes.

Available from Frazier’s Wine Merchants (£21.99)

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)

Engawa – fine Japanese dining in the heart of London

Tucked away in a charming little courtyard just a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus is Engawa, one of London’s finest Japanese restaurants.

As you step into the restaurant to the traditional welcome greeting of ‘Irasshaimase!’, you already feel in the zone, anticipating the tasty delights to come.

Engawa is a small, intimate restaurant offering a range of Japanese dishes including Kobe beef, sushi and sashimi, which are all served to please the eye as well as the taste buds.

We went for lunch and chose the two-tiered hakozen bento box for which Engawa is renowned. The assorted selection of fourteen appetisers and seasonal dishes were all carefully prepared and beautifully presented, and were quite simply delicious. These included edamame topped with sea salt and lemon, tuna, salmon and toro sashimi, wagyu and tempura, as well as vegetable dishes, and it also came with miso soup.

It was also a great opportunity to have a Japanese koshu wine to accompany our lunch. The Château Mercian Iwasaki 2019 Koshu wine from Yamanashi Prefecture was the perfect pairing. This is a dry white wine with refreshing acidity, with aromas of vanilla and yuzu, and flavours of citrus fruit and nuts.

With attentive service, a cosy atmosphere and excellent, reasonably-priced food, Engawa offers a real taste of home for Japanese diners and a brilliant demonstration of the wonderful range of Japanese food for non-Japanese.

Engawa Restaurant