Happy Swigging
Helping demystify the World of Wine so you can enjoy it as much as I do
Friday, 19 August 2016
High Street Wine Challenge: Honoro Vera Garnacha (The Co-op, £6.99)
With this damp break in Summer proceedings, I thought a bottle of red was in order. I spotted this little number in the Co-op, in fact I will admit that it was the label I liked the most - super modern and edgy looking (yes, even wine buffs are lured by marketing occasionally).
This is a red wine made from 100% Garnacha grapes (aka Grenache), grown in sun-soaked Catalayud (just west of Priorat and just south of Rioja) so I was expecting bags of super-ripe fruit and soft tannins. And I was right! Ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit, with hints of raisins, cinnamon and a lovely refreshing finish. This would be brilliant with barbecued butterfly of lamb, shepherd's pie, or bangers & mash. Basically, all the food I crave when the rain starts pouring down.
Happy Swigging!
Friday, 12 August 2016
Wine with a Twist
Saturday, 30 July 2016
The Truth about your Glass of Wine
Under EU law, maximum total sulphite levels permitted are 150mg/litre for red, 200mg/l for dry white and 400mg/l for sweet wines. You may think natural wines have zero sulphites, that is true in some cases but not all, as natural winemakers are allowed just 30mg/l for reds, 40mg/l for whites and 80mg/l for sweet wines. Minimising sulphur levels is definitely a good thing but cutting them out completely will limit a wine’s potential for ageing or being shipped for any kind of distance without oxidation kicking in.
Saturday, 25 June 2016
High Street Wine Challenge: Winemaker's Selection Gamay Rosé (Sainsbury's, £5)
With our departure from the EU now officially going ahead, I should really be exploring English wines this week as that is one sector of our business which will thrive now thanks to the plummeting pound (silver linings & all that...) But in truth all I wanted today was something easy, something that didn't need too much thinking about and which might help put a smile on my face. So I headed for Sainsbury's Rosé shelf.
Gamay is a grape variety found in both the Loire and Burgundy in France. It has a similar profile to Pinot Noir in that it is soft & fruity, and it is used in these regions's cheaper reds & rosés. This Gamay rosé is best served super chilled so you can enjoy the lovely strawberry & citrus fruit flavours, with a hint of mint. Slightly darker in colour and more fruity than a Provence rosé, it is exactly what you'd want for a fiver and has helped immensely in taking my mind off Friday's dramatic news & the hailstorm outside.
Happy Swigging!
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Intricate Italy
alpine vineyards of Trentino Alto Adige (photo courtesy of www.made-in-italy.com) |
vineyards in the foothills of Mount Etna (photo courtesy of www.made-in-italy.com) |
Cannonau - aka Grenache, grown in Sardinia, this is quite possibly the most perfect red wine for your pepperoni pizza! Red cherry fruit with hints of leather and smoke, Cannonau reds are very savoury so they definitely need food, and they should appeal to any Red Burgundy drinkers out there.
Friday, 6 May 2016
High Street Wine Challenge: Côtes du Rhône Villages (M&S, £8)
The Rhône Valley has always been my go-to for wines that massively overdeliver for their price. Côtes du Rhône is the entry-level appellation of the region, producing easy-drinking blends of predominantly Grenache & Syrah (there are actually 21 different grape varieties allowed in a Côtes du Rhône wine, but these two tend to dominate). Côtes du Rhône Villages is a step up in quality, more complex and normally a touch more alcoholic.
This M&S version I picked up as it's currently on special offer reduced from £12 to £8. It is full of super ripe blackberry fruit, pepper spice, and a silky smooth texture. It's not as complex as I have come to expect from this appellation but it's a very drinkable bottle of wine and good value at it's current price. Wonderfully food-friendly too, this would be delicious with most meaty dishes but especially sausages, lamb or cottage pie.
Also worth looking out for is WHITE Côtes du Rhône. Rather harder to get your hands on, but incredibly tasty if you can. Floral, peachy and spicy, they are some of the world's most underrated white wines.
Happy Swigging!
Saturday, 2 April 2016
High Street Wine Challenge: Brazin Old Vine Zinfandel (Waitrose, £9.69)
Zinfandel is one of those grape varieties that I fall back on quite regularly for its easy style and approachability. After a long hard week at work, sometimes all you want from a wine is the liquid equivalent of a big warm hug. Zinfandel is believed to be related to Primitivo from southern Italy, which offers similarly sweet dark fruit flavours, but its Californian sibling is far more famous now.
Tonight's bottle is from the Lodi area of California's San Joaquin Valley, where the intense sunshine but cool nights create the optimum conditions for powerful, complex red wines. This example is no exception. Currently reduced in price from £12.99 to £9.69, this red is full of luscious blackberry fruit, notes of chocolate and vanilla, silky smooth and full-bodied yet with a refreshing acidity that makes it a fabulous wine with food. Try it with barbecued ribs, curry, or slow-cooked oxtail stew. Rich and delicious.
Happy Swigging!