Three sweet white wines to round off your meal

In the mood for something a little different? Then here are three sweet white wines to enjoy with your dessert. (Or why not try them as an aperitif or with terrine or blue cheese …)

Les Garonelles, Sauternes 2017 

Les Garonelles, Sauternes 37.5cl 2017, Lucien Lurton Collection

This Sauternes wine is a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes. Pale gold in appearance, it has intense aromas of pear, apricot and peach on the nose, and flavours of passionfruit and apricot on the palate. An elegant, well-balanced wine with a long finish which pairs well with cheesecake, meringue, or a fruit-based dessert. Available Great Wine Co. (£11.50 half bottle)

Disznókö Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2017 (Hungary)

Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos

This sweet wine from the Tokaj region of Hungary is a recent new discovery and a really pleasant surprise.  Made from a blend of Furmint and Hárslevelü grapes, it has pronounced aromas of honey, marmalade and dried apricot from the get-go, leading to intense flavours of peach, dried apricot, honey and orange peel on the palate. A full-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish, this is a well-balanced, very good wine. Available from Waitrose (£19.99)

Château de Géraud, Monbazillac 2014

Château de Géraud

A delightful wine from Monbazillac, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes. Intense aromas of marmalade, honey and lemon on the nose, and lemon and orange on the palate.  A balanced wine with medium acidity and a long finish, we enjoyed it with a panna cotta with caramel drizzle – heavenly. Cambridge Wine Merchants (£13.99)

Diner we befuddled – with this? (3,4). Crossword clue.

Answer at foot of page

Three good value, medium bodied red wines to tempt your palate this week – two Old World wines and one from New Zealand. Enjoy!

Domaine Tavian Brouilly 2019 (Beaujolais)

If you’re looking for a fragrant, well-balanced, medium-bodied Beaujolais to enjoy with a mid-week pasta or chicken dish, this should tick the boxes. Quite well defined aromas of raspberry, candy, red cherry, and a hint of violet, on the nose, and fresh fruity flavours of raspberry and strawberry on the palate. This is a dry wine, with high acidity, medium tannins and a medium finish. A good value Beaujolais. (Waitrose, £12.99)

Mud House Pinot Noir 2019 (Central Otago)

A Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region of New Zealand, this wine has red cherry, raspberry and bramble aromas on the nose, with a hint of peppery spice, and fresh fruit flavours of raspberry and redcurrant on the palate. A balanced wine, medium bodied with medium tannins and a medium finish, this goes well with lamb, or by itself. Majestic Wine £13.99 (£10.99 Mix Six), also available at Waitrose.

Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2019

A youthful Burgundy Pinot Noir with well-defined red fruit aromas of raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry with overtones of cloves, spice and earth on the nose, and quite intense red fruit flavours on the palate. A dry wine, with high acidity and medium tannins, it has medium alcohol and a medium finish. A good wine to pair with lamb or chicken. Majestic Wine £16.99 (£12.99 Mix Six).

Answer to crossword clue: red wine

Three warming reds for Bonfire Night!

It’s the time of year when the air is usually filled with the smell of bonfires and the sound of cracks and bangs as fireworks go off. Unfortunately this year, we are all likely to be limited to the back garden with a few sparklers … but that shouldn’t stop us enjoying a warming glass or two of red wine afterwards …. Here are three to consider:

Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2015

This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, with a hint of vanilla, toast and spice.  There are pronounced stewed fruit flavours on the palate, together with a hint of earthiness, and this is a medium bodied wine with medium alcohol and high tannins. It is a very good wine, and just the ticket on a chilly autumn night.  Majestic Wine £16.99 (£14.99 Mix Six)

Two Hands ‘Angels’ Share’ Shiraz, Australia 2019

This is a very good full-bodied wine from McLaren Vale with high alcohol, medium tannins and a nice long finish. Pronounced blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry aromas on the nose, with hints of white pepper and chocolate, and a rich black fruitiness intermingled with a light spiciness on the palate. A well-balanced wine which will go well with a beef casserole or other substantial dish. Majestic Wine £21.99 (£17.99 Mix Six)

Casillero de Diablo Reserva 2017, Central Valley, Chile

A straightforward Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the warm Central Valley region. Notes of blackberry, red cherry, bell pepper and cloves on the nose, with quite intense fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate. A dry wine with high acidity and medium tannins, it has medium alcohol and a medium finish. Not a complex wine, but perfectly fine for mid-week, with or without the fireworks! Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, around £8.

Three red wines to help pass the longer nights

With the clocks going back tonight and the nights now drawing in, here is a selection of three red wines to help lighten the gloom a little …

Ramos Reserva 2017/18 Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal)

A recent new discovery and a really pleasant surprise. This wine from the Alentejo region of south-east Portugal is a well-crafted blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez and Syrah grapes. Pronounced aromas of blackberry and plum from the get-go, with hints of honey and spice, leading to intense black fruit flavours on the palate with hints of raisin and a touch of sweetness redolent of port. A full-bodied wine, with medium tannins and a long finish, this is a well-balanced and very good wine. Drink it by itself or with something savoury. Majestic Wine £8.99 (£7.49 Mix Six)

Crozes Hermitage ‘Les Blasons’ 2018 Cave de Tain

If you are looking for a comforting red wine to go with your hearty warming stew or meat roast, this bold Syrah from the northern Rhône will make an excellent match. With aromas of blackberry and plum, and an earthy minerality on the nose, the wine has a peppery spiciness which complements the rich fruitiness on the palate. Dry, with medium tannins and a long finish, this is a well-balanced, good quality wine. Majestic Wine £14.99 (£12.99 Mix Six)

Fleurie Beaujolais 2018 Georges Duboeuf

This is a Beaujolais from one of the region’s most experienced winemakers, Georges Duboeuf, and it is a very good wine. Pronounced aromas of raspberry and strawberry, together with hints of cream and blossom on the nose, and intense red fruit flavours on the palate. It is a light, refreshing medium-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish; fine by itself or with roast chicken/duck. Majestic Wine £12.99 (£10.99 Mix Six)

Three refreshing white wines

If you are looking for something new to try, here are three refreshing white wines from around the world: a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a German Riesling and an Italian Soave.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2019

If you are looking for a refreshing fruity Sauvignon Blanc to accompany your seafood dish or pad Thai, then this Oyster Bay wine from Marlborough, New Zealand is just the ticket. It’s a zesty, refreshing wine offering grapefruit, apple and pear on the nose with additional tropical flavours of passion fruit and lychee on the palate. A well-balanced dry wine with a good finish, this is one of my favourites. Majestic Wine £10.99 (£9.49 Mix Six)

Kendermanns Riesling Kabinett

Although it has taken a while for German wines to shed their image of inferior sweet wines of the Blue Nun variety, there are lots of good wines coming out of Germany these days for those looking to try something new. This wine, for example, is a fragrant Riesling Kabinett with lemon, peach and apple on the nose, and bright fruity flavours of citrus, apple and faintly tropical fruits on the palate. With high acidity and low alcohol, it is a well-balanced wine with a hint of sweetness and a longish finish. Fine by itself, or paired with white meats or a Thai curry. Majestic Wine £9.99 (£6.99 Mix Six)

Fattori Soave 2019

This is a dry medium-bodied wine produced from the Garganega grape and hails from the Veneto region of north-east Italy. Fragrant on the nose with herbal and floral aromas with hints of peach, and ripe fruit flavours of peach and melon on the palate with a hint of minerality. It’s a refreshing, nicely balanced wine which will pair well with a fish/seafood dish. Majestic Wine £10.99 (£8.99 Mix Six)

If you like Italian food, you’ll love Bologna … and La Drogheria della Rosa

It is difficult not to eat great Italian food in Bologna, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s gastronomical centre. With its tortellini, prosciutto, parmesan cheese and mortadella, not to mention wines made from local grape varieties such as Sangiovese, Lambrusco and Pignoletto, it is perhaps little wonder the city is nicknamed ‘La Grassa’, the fat one.

At aperitivo time in Bologna, head for the Quadrilatero neighbourhood just off the Piazza Maggiore; here you will find plenty of little bars and food shops offering a relaxing drink and a simple but tasty snack of local cheese and cured meats. At some point during your stay, you should try tortellini in broth (tortellini in brodo). These tiny parcels of meat-filled pasta served in a delicious broth are one of Bologna’s best  known dishes and can be found all over the city.

But for la crème de la crème, La Drogheria della Rosa is the place to go for a delicious lunch or dinner and try the restaurant’s simple local dishes in a cosy, informal atmosphere.  Set in an old pharmacy with cluttered shelves crammed with phials, jars and other old-fashioned pharmaceutical paraphernalia, La Drogheria della Rosa offers an ever-changing menu of homemade pasta, meat and vegetable dishes that the staff will explain to you. And to drink: a selection of local wines of course!

Emanuele, the owner, is a great host, chatting to guests, pouring the wine and making everyone feel welcome. A charming place in the heart of Bologna.

Tokyo’s last tram – the Arakawa Toden

Tokyo is full of surprises. A charming little one-car tram trundling down the middle of the street was the last thing I was expecting in this vast, bustling metropolis. But as I was wandering in the downtown Shitamachi area of Japan’s capital, there it was – Tokyo’s sole surviving tram, the Arakawa Toden (Tokyo Sakura Tram). 

With time to spare, I jumped on the next tram to arrive, grabbed a seat and enjoyed a fascinating ride off the beaten track. The Arakawa Toden is a ride into the past, into parts of old Tokyo that have managed to resist the changes of the city’s modern urban development. And as the tram slowly wends its way along quiet back streets of the Shitamachi downtown area, this frequent service from Minowabashi to Waseda is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the shopping and entertainment districts of Ginza, Shinjuku and Shibuya. 

Shitamachi is the clustered commercial district of the city where small-scale merchants and artisans made their homes in feudal Japan. Nowadays the people here are the shopkeepers, artisans, wholesalers and small industrial subcontractors of the old middle class, and the area has a particular air of informality about it.  Rather different from the more genteel residential areas and Tokyo suburbs where the new middle class white-collar company employees prefer to make their homes. 

At times the track passes so close to the small two-storey houses so typical of the area that you feel you could almost reach out and knock on the windows or grab a persimmon from the branches above the tracks. A few of these two-storey homes still preserve the look of a bygone Tokyo, with rice shops, tofu shops, small grocery stores, tatami mat makers and small craftsmen’s workshops at ground level and the family’s living quarters above. Although convenience stores and fast food outlets have replaced many of these small shops along the route of the Arakawa Toden, you can still get a glimpse of old Tokyo. 

The tram also runs close to temples, shrines, museums and parks, and I stopped off en route at a couple of well-known sights – Oji Inari Shrine, with its beautiful painted ceiling, and Asukayama Park with its attractive cherry blossoms, both welcome refuges from Tokyo’s concrete jungle and its crowds of people. With the tram’s one-day pass, available on the tram for 400 yen, you can hop on and off at will. 

As the tram approached its final stop at Waseda and the view became more like the typical Tokyo city-scape of tall buildings and busy streets, I realised my leisurely adventure into some of Tokyo’s quaintest and quietest neighborhoods was coming to an end.  Now it was back to the hustle and bustle of this fascinating city which never fails to surprise …. and delight.  

Three reds from around the world

How about a little globe-trotting? Three reds from around the world to try – an Italian Barbera, a South African Pinotage and a Chilean Pinot Noir

Barbera Briccotondo 18 Fontanafredda

If you are looking for a fruity Italian red to go with your pasta, this Barbera Briccotondo 2018 Fontanafredda is a good fit. Ruby in colour, with flavours of red cherry, plum and blackberry, and a hint of pepper and cinnamon, this is a smooth, dry wine with medium tannin and high acidity. A well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a medium finish.

Barista Pinotage 2018/19

Pinotage wines, from South Africa’s signature grape, are a relatively new discovery for me, and this Barista is very good. Intense black fruits, notably cassis, on the nose coupled with a smoky earthiness and more than a hint of coffee and chocolate. The fruits and coffee flavours open up on the palate and the wine has an intriguing complexity to it. A full-bodied wine with moderate acidity and medium tannins, Barista needs something rich and meaty to go with it. We enjoyed it with roast chicken, but it would also suit duck or a hearty stew. Majestic Wine £9.99 (£8.99 Mix Six )

Pinot Noir 2018 Tarapaca (Chile)

A simple but very agreeable wine, this Chilean Pinot Noir has raspberry and strawberry on the nose, together with a slight smokiness. With ripe red fruit flavours and a hint of spiciness on the palate, it is a fairly light-bodied dry wine with low tannins and high acidity. Try it with salmon, chicken or pasta dishes.

A great place to eat – just off Rome’s Piazza Navona

Tucked away in a little street just off the Piazza Navona is one of Rome’s little gems – L’Osteria dé Memmo. It’s nothing fancy or flashy, just good old Italian food at a fair price and with friendly, professional service and a cosy atmosphere. It was recommended by an Italian friend and we always make a beeline for this restaurant whenever we are in Rome. You’ll be hard pressed to find more perfectly cooked pasta dishes, and with the array of appetisers, meat and fish dishes, not to mention the tasty desserts, there is something for everyone’s tastes amongst Memmo’s cornucopia of delights. Finding it may test your map reading skills, but it is definitely worth it when you get there!