High Street Wine Challenge: Honoro Vera Garnacha (The Co-op, £6.99)

Errr... what happened to the August sunshine??

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!

Wine with a Twist

Sometimes the weather is just too hot for wine (yes, I said it). On holiday in humid South-East Asia recently, I didn’t once crave my lovely wines back home but instead drank cocktails and lots & lots of ice-cold beer.

But it’s easy to forget that there are plenty of refreshing wine-based cocktails that are perfect for lazy, hot weekends. Here are a handful of suggestions to inspire you.

 

Spritzer

There are many variations on the classic white wine spritzer, but you need to understand how to make the original before attempting anything more adventurous. I first fell in love with proper Spritzers out in Vienna where they use the local Gruner Veltliner wines as their base, and they are perfect served with Wiener Schnitzel (in fact, this combo I discovered to be an excellent hangover cure).

Mix two parts dry white wine (ideally something zingy like Gruner, Picpoul or Sauvignon Blanc)/one part soda water, serve over ice. Variations include adding fruit to the mix, or using Elderflower cordial if you want something a touch sweeter. Or you could go all Viva Espana on me and try it with red wine instead of white, something the Spanish call a “Tinto de Verano” (literally translated as “Summer Red Wine”). Very different from the potent Sangria we’re all used to and really rather wonderful.

 

She-T

This cocktail I first had at the wonderful Sager & Wilde on Hackney Road (www.sagerandwilde.com) but since then it’s been appearing in bars all over London. This is great for all you G&T fans out there! Mix one part Fino sherry with two parts tonic water, and serve over ice with slices of lemon. Try it also with Amontillado Sherry or even White Port for something a touch sweeter.

 

Kir Blush

We all know Kir (white wine + crème de cassis) and Kir Royale (champagne + crème de cassis) but Kir Blush is another delicious variation using rosé wine. Best to pick a rosé with a bit more fruitiness (think Portugal rather than Provence), and mix 1 part cassis with 6 parts wine.

 

Sbagliato

Sbagliato means “messed up” in Italian, and this cocktail is said to be the result of a bartender mistakenly using Prosecco instead of gin in a Negroni. Mix one part sweet vermouth/one part Campari/one part Prosecco, serve over ice with a twist of orange. If you like Negronis & Aperol Spritzes, you’ll love this.

 

Happy Swigging!