grilled fish Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

A well-balanced, barrel-fermented Rioja with a creamy mouthfeel and a lingering finish

This barrel-fermented Rioja is produced from Viura grapes and is a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with a creamy mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

Cune Barrel Fermented Rioja 2021 (Spain)

While Rioja is deservedly well-regarded for its red wines, White Rioja is generally less well-known, and fewer than 10% of plantings in the Rioja region are white grape varieties. This barrel-fermented Rioja is produced from Viura grapes and is a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with a creamy mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

A complex wine, with aromas of lemon, peach and vanilla on the nose and flavours of citrus fruits, peach, melon, and a hint of toastiness and spice on the palate, this is a very good example of a modern White Rioja.

Enjoy by itself or paired with cold cuts, grilled fish, a chicken or vegetable dish.

Available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose (£11)

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

This Pecorino wine from central Italy is a little gem

Saladini Pilastri Pecorino, Offida DOCG, 2020 (Italy)

Italian wines never fail to surprise (and delight) me, and this Pecorino wine from the Marche region of central Italy is a little gem. Though the word Pecorino may conjure up yearnings for the nutty, buttery sheep cheese of the same name, there is no connection. And while Pecorino wine may not be as widely known as other Italian white wines, it is certainly worth trying for its floral aromas, crisp freshness and stone fruit flavours.

This honey-coloured wine from one of the first wine producers in Italy to produce organic wine is a fine example of what Pecorino grapes are capable of. It is a smooth and elegant wine, with good acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a lengthy finish. With notes of honey, blossom and citrus on the nose, and flavours of pear, peach and apricot on the palate, it can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with risotto, grilled fish and cheese.

We had it with ‘cacio e pepe’ pasta and it went down a treat!

Available from Majestic (£11.99, £9.99 Mix Six)