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!

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!

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! 

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!

High Street Wine Challenge: Chateauneuf du Pape (LIDL £7.99)

My mother is a massive fan of LIDL. She bangs on about the wonders of this budget supermarket but I'm yet to be convinced (partly because I refuse to do my weekly shop anywhere other than the Internet). But today I found myself using the LIDL carpark and my typical middle-class guilt led me down the aisles, seeking out the super cheap wines everyone is talking about.

I struggled to find anything that appealed, the selection was pretty uninspiring, but finally decided upon a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape on offer at £7.99 (I'm sorry I can't remember the original price but it was definitely over my £10 budget). My husband, in the midst of a rubbish week, was pretty horrified when I told him where tonight's wine had come from, but after lots of face-pulling he had to admit it was pretty drinkable. Quite light-bodied, sweet red fruits, sweet spice and good acidity. In honesty, there's no way I would have guessed this was a Chateauneuf du Pape in a blind tasting, it tastes more like a Cotes du Rhone or similar, so I would have been disappointed to pay full price for it. However it looks pretty smart and it slipped down a treat with our sausage supper (no that's not a euphemism).

Happy Swigging!

Torre del Falco Nero di Troia, Waitrose (£5.99)

Following on from last weekend's disappointing Californian blend, tonight we opened another Waitrose red from their current special offer selection (tonight's bottle is normally £7.99) in the hope of finding something better.

Nero di Troia (aka Uva di Troia) is a black grape from Puglia,  the heel of Italy's boot, where it is overshadowed by the more famous Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes. Hence why you may never have heard of it.

This wine is full of ripe black cherries, raspberries and sweet spice, with typical Italian acidity that makes it fabulous with food such as roast porchetta, calves liver or, in our case, pizza. A really moreish red wine that is a bargain at it's current special offer price tag.

Happy Swigging!   

Apothic Red Winemakers Blend, Waitrose (£7.49)

Last weekend I was faced with the dilemma of what wine goes with "haggis, neeps & tatties." This is something I had never really contemplated before but, now that I have a toddler alarm clock, I have decided that pure Whisky hangovers are no longer an option.

So I was in Waitrose and saw this bottle of Californian red, currently on offer (normally £10) and I thought it might be interesting. The label says it's a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, so I imagined quite a big and bold red which could stand up to the spices of the haggis.

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. The wine has the sweetness of Zinfandel but isn't nearly as complex as one would hope. I was expecting some structure from the Cabernet and maybe some dark fruit and spice from the Syrah,  but all I got was a sweet fruit bomb. Having said all that, it might work well with a curry or a BBQ? All-in-all, it's a nice wine but I would have been very upset if I'd paid full price.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Secanto Maiten Vineyard Block 1 Pinot Noir (£14.29, M&S)

So this evening I had 5 minutes to spare before my train left, which led me to the wine section in the station's mini M&S. I was looking for something soothing for my £10 budget, so my eyes skipped over France, Italy, Spain, until they reached a rather grown-up-looking Pinot Noir from Chile for £9.49. "Perfect," I thought, and dashed to the checkout.  All I can say is that it's been an exhausting week as I didn't spot the actual price as I tapped my card and ran for the platform. So I apologise for the fact that I broke budget this time.

I will not apologise however for the pleasure I took in consuming this rather tasty midweek treat. Chilean Pinot Noirs can be hugely disappointing. Avoid anything sub £7... in fact, that's a good rule of thumb for all Pinot Noir as it's a bloody hard grape to produce and the cheap versions are notoriously dreadful. This Pinot however comes from Leyda, which is rapidly gaining a reputation for top quality wines thanks partly to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the cooling sea breezes it enjoys.

My first impression of this wine was how silky smooth it is - seriously seductive and easy to drink. Deliciously ripe blueberry and plum fruit, sweet spice and a hint of truffle. This would be delicious with pork or duck, but it slipped down very easily on its own in this instance...

Happy Swigging! 

High Street Wine Challenge: Taste the Difference Albarino (Sainsburys, £8)

Fish pie for supper tonight, so a fresh & zesty white wine is in order. Albarino is always a brilliant bet with fish. It's made in Galicia in North-western Spain, which is renowned for its delicious seafood so, as ever, the local wine is made to go with the local food.

This is great for anyone who is normally a  Sauvignon Blanc drinker. In fact I find Albarino to be a winning wine as it has the vibrancy of Sauvignon but with a touch more body and ripeness. Fresh, peachy and zesty, it's deliciously refreshing and went brilliantly with my dinner, but would also be great sipped alone. Ideally in slightly sunnier weather...

Happy Swigging! 

High Street Wine Challenge: Fete du Gris Sauvignon Gris (M&S, £9.79)

No, before you ask: Sauvignon Gris is not a mix of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. It's unsure whether it's a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc or an older version of the grape, but either way there are definite similarities.

This example from M&S shows lots of citrus fruit and grassy notes that you'd expect from Sauvignon Blanc, however it is fuller bodied, with notes of rhubarb, sage and with a lovely minerally finish. This is actually the first ever Sauvignon Gris I've tasted so I have nothing to compare it to, however this is a very tasty bottle of French white wine and I'm now going to be hunting out the Chilean and Kiwi versions that are apparently excellent too.

Happy Swigging! 

High Street Wine Challenge: Bijou Cuvée Sophie Valrose, Cabrieres (Waitrose, £7.99)

The label doesn't give much away about this wine but I know from the name Cabrieres (a tiny village in the Languedoc in southern France) that it'll be a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre & Carignan, so similar to Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Roussillon et al. The fruit is super ripe and brambly (blackberry and blueberry fruit) with some delicious sweet spice (vanilla) and a good level of acidity which would make this great with roast lamb or pork belly because it would help cut through the fat. It was also very tasty with the Manchego we were scoffing this evening! A good juicy red for this beautiful Autumnal weather.

Happy Swigging! 

High Street Wine Review: M&S Piemonte Barbera

It's been a busy few weeks. The colder weather and my general exhaustion have meant takeaways are key at the moment. 

So with exciting plans for pizza this evening, I popped to our local M&S for a bottle of something Italian (because, in my world, it's wrong to drink anything other than Italian wine with pizza). This bottle of Barbera seemed like the best option. Piemonte is in the north of Italy (translated as "foot of the mountain" as it stands at the foot of the Italian Alps) and is best known for its super expensive and long-lived Nebbiolos, but the locals are more likely to drink Barbera or Dolcetto wines on a day-to-day basis. Barbera, as demonstrated by this M&S example, is soft and fruity, full of sour cherry, strawberries and sweet spice. A great glugging wine which works perfectly with pizza, spaghetti bolognese or aubergine parmigiana. And good value at £7.69.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: La Patrie Cahors, Sainsburys

On Saturday night I cooked a roast beef joint and I popped to Sainsburys to find a suitably beef-friendly bottle of vino. Normally I'd veer towards Argentinian Malbec, but this slightly different bottle caught my eye.

Cahors wine is made in South West France and is 100% Malbec. This is where the grape originated from, here and in Bordeaux where it is sometimes blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot et al. The style of wines from Cahors is somewhat different to its Argentinian cousins: more savoury, meaty and spicy. My first impression on tasting this Sainsburys example was one of a meaty aroma, almost Bovril-like (in a good way, I promise)! Then the taste was pleasantly rich, lots of blackberry fruit and peppery spice. Very smooth too (more than I was expecting) which meant it was ridiculously easy to drink (and that my head's still sore while I write this at 9pm on Sunday night)! Definitely worthy of its £7.50 price tag.

Happy Swigging!

Wine Review: Marananga Dam Old Vines GSM, M&S

A few weeks ago, I wrote about top quality Australian wines and I discovered that one of my favourite wineries, Torbreck in the Barossa Valley, makes one of M&S's own-label wines: the Marananga Dam Old Vines Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre at just £15.

Torbreck have built their reputation making top quality Rhone-style red wines with Australian warmth, and they are one of the country's most iconic wineries. I am delighted to report that this wine totally lives up to its epic credentials: full of deliciously ripe autumnal fruits, sweet spice and a lovely freshness that doesn't make it too heavy. With every sip, the flavours are more and more complex.

This wine is well worth hunting down, I realise it is above my usual £10 budget but this massively overdelivers for its £15 price point. One to buy for your next romantic steak supper or special Sunday roast.

Happy Swigging! 

High Street Wine Challenge: Fragoso Merlot from Argentina (M&S)

Having spent the last few weeks enjoying delicious white wines and rosés in the French sunshine, we have come back to earth with a bump thanks to the torrential rain of the last few days. So it's Friday and I'm exhausted and only a bottle of red will do!

Tonight's wine is the Argentinian Fragoso Merlot, currently on offer at M&S for £6. Purchased by my husband, I'm pretty sure it's the label that sold it to him as an ex polo player. Thankfully though the wine itself is very yummy and great value for money. Bags of ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit, lovely fresh acidity which meant it went really well with our meatballs in tomato sauce, and a touch of sweet spice on the finish. Super smooth and comforting, the perfect red for a miserably wet Friday night.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Co-op "Truly Irresistible" Sauvignon Blanc

I have heard very good things about The Co-operative's wine selection so I popped into my local branch today. The choice on offer was pretty limited, especially in the white wine chiller where I was looking. I was faced with the choice between a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or Chile, both at £6.99, so I decided to go with Chile as you tend to get a lot more "bang for your buck" with Chilean wines.

More specifically this is from Leyda, which is a beautifully cool valley just west of Santiago, producing very good quality wines. On the nose, I got intense passion fruit aromas. This tastes of everything you would expect from Sauvignon Blanc: citrus fruit, green peppers, passion fruit and asparagus. In fact, if I'd tasted this blind, I'd have guessed this to be a good quality New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I now want to go back and check out their £6.99 kiwi savvy as I'd put money on it being nowhere near as tasty.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Cotes du Rhone Rosé, Sainsburys

Following on from my last blog post, I thought this week's high street pick should be a bottle of the pink stuff. So on today's Sainsburys shop I ventured to the Rosé aisle and (unsurprisingly) was pretty disappointed by the selection on offer. I nearly picked their Taste The Difference Provence Rosé which is currently on offer at £7 instead of the usual £8, but decided to venture a little off-piste and picked this little number from the Rhône at £6.

The reason for my choice is that the Rhône valley is just north of Provence (where my favourite rosé comes from) and the grape varieties used are similar - Grenache, Cinsault, & Syrah. On the nose, I get aromas of pink grapefruit and peach. On drinking, the wine is dry but balanced by lots of ripe fruit flavours such as watermelon, raspberries and cranberries. Very easy drinking, it was perfect with our chicken & chorizo traybake but would also be just as delicious sipped on its own in the sunshine.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Freeman's Bay Pinot Gris, ALDI

Another ALDI bargain this week, £5.69 for a New Zealand Pinot Gris!

Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is a far more exciting variety than Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand's most famous white grape. Unlike the Italian Pinot Grigio you may be more used to drinking, the Kiwi version (and indeed those from the USA) is much richer in style. So rather than citrus and apple fruit, these wines show ripe tropical fruit eg mango and papaya.

This ALDI version shows all the typical tropical fruit with a hint of ginger spice. However, as is to be expected at this price point, there's not much else going on. That's not an enormous criticism, in fact if you're normally an Italian Pinot Grigio drinker you'll probably enjoy this! Either way, it went down very well with tonight's sticky honey & soy chicken.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Pezenas, ALDI

I've been hearing a lot of exciting things about the wine range at ALDI so this week I'm trying one of their more premium wines at a "whopping" £9.99.

Pezenas is an appellation in the Herault valley in the Languedoc, where the sun shines brightly and the wind keeps the grapes dry and disease free. This wine is just one of 36,000 bottles, a tiny production which explains some of the price.

A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre, aged for 12 months in oak, this wine smells of blueberries and liquorice. It took a little while to open up (I'd definitely recommend decanting), and it's quite high in acidity so I made a big mistake serving this with cheese on toast. It would've been far tastier alongside a roast leg of lamb! There is a lot of sweet, ripe blackberry fruit, vanilla spice and rosemary, some lovely flavours once you get past the acidity. I feel like I haven't done it real justice with my food choice as it has the potential to be a very yummy wine - perhaps someone can try it with their Sunday lunch and let me know? An exciting red nonetheless, well done ALDI.

Happy Swigging!

High Street Wine Challenge: Tesco Finest Pazo Torrequintans Albarino

Another supermarket, another Spanish wine.

Albarino (pronounced "al-bah-ree-nyo") is made in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain where cooling sea breezes enable winemakers to produce zingy fresh white wines. Unlike most other wines from Spain, Albarino is the name of the grape variety (not the region) which I believe has hugely helped this wine's popularity in the UK. You can also find the same grape from Portugal in the name Alvarinho.

On reading the back label, this wine is made by Martin Codax who is one of Albarino's most famous winemakers (you can find his wine being sold at Majestic for £12.99) so already I'm expecting a good quality product. My top tip would be not to serve it too cold, as if drunk straight from the fridge all you get is zingy citrus fruit and not much else. However once the wine warms up a touch you get lots of ripe peach, orange blossom and lovely mineral notes. Style-wise, if you like Sauvignon Blanc you should love this. For £7.49 this is a great value white and it was perfect with the fish pie that we had this evening.

Happy Swigging!