October 2022 - It Must Be Wine O'clock

A very good value Vinho Regional Alentejano wine from south-eastern Portugal

Ramos Reserva 2019 Selected Blend, Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal)

This Vinho Regional Alentejano is a very good value wine from south-eastern Portugal. A blend of Trincadeira, Aragonês (Tempranillo) and Syrah grapes, it is a full-bodied, elegant wine with medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

Pronounced aromas of ripe black fruits and a delicate spiciness on the nose lead to intense blackberry, blackcurrant and plum flavours, with hints of vanilla and smokiness, on the palate.

Winner of the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Bronze Medal in 2021 for this 2019 vintage, this is a very well-balanced wine which can be enjoyed by itself or with a meat, pasta or roasted vegetable dish.

Available from Majestic (£8.99, £7.49 Mix Six)

If you’re partial to beer and wine, try this!

Renegade Urban Winery Bethnal Bubbles 3.1 Dry Hopped Sparkling Wine 2021 (Herefordshire/London)

Now this is an interesting wine! Produced by Renegade Urban Winery, an innovative winery in central London that loves to experiment, it’s a dry-hopped English sparkling wine, made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in Herefordshire. After the first fermentation, the base wine is dry hopped with Sabro, Citra and Mosaic hop flowers. Umm.

The result is a cloudy, hoppy wine that smells like beer with a hint of citrussy cider about it, but the refreshing bubbles give the game away! While the wine may not be to everyone’s taste, it is certainly an interesting drink and if you like to try something different, give it a go. You’ll probably be surprised at first but it does grow on you!

With unique hoppy aromas together with apple and lychee on the nose, leading to apple and citrus flavours on the palate, this unusual mix of grapes and hops is a great experiment, and works really well.

Available from Grape Britannia (£27.99)

A great value Viognier from Languedoc

Abbotts & Delaunay Viognier Les Fleurs Sauvages 2020 (France)

Stretching along the Mediterranean coast from Italy to Spain, the vineyards of southern France offer a huge diversity of wine styles, both red and white. Many of the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon area of this region of France have the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation Pays d’Oc, as in the case of this Viognier 2020.

Though Viognier is best-known as a grape variety in the Northern Rhône, where the Condrieu wines are the celebrated appellation, there are significant plantations in Languedoc and this 2020 vintage from Abbotts & Delaunay won Silver in the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Awards in 2022. And deservedly so.

With pronounced aromas of peach, apricot, nectarine and blossom on the nose, and ripe stone fruit flavours and a hint of honey and almond on the palate, this is a fresh, lively wine with balanced acidity. An elegant wine with a creamy mouthfeel and a lengthy finish, this is perfect as an aperitif, and will go well with fish, or a vegetable dish.

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

For something a little different, why not try Tannat, Uruguay’s signature grape

Finca Traversa Tannat Merlot 2021 (Uruguay)

Although less well-known as a wine-producing country than its neighbours Chile and Argentina, Uruguay is starting to make a name for itself, particularly for its signature red grape, Tannat. Originating in south-west France, Tannat is known for its dark, full-bodied, lush wines, not unlike Malbec from Argentina. And this Tannat from Finca Traversa, blended with Merlot, is a very good introduction to the grape.

This is a smooth, velvety wine with medium tannins, medium acidity and a lengthy finish. Aromas of raspberry, redcurrant and cherry on the nose lead to a burst of forest fruit flavours on the palate, with hints of vanilla, chocolate and coffee.

An ideal match for a hearty meat dish, or roasted vegetables.

Available from Co-op (£8)