Forget the Cricket...

So I hear that we haven't had the greatest first day at the Ashes today which is upsetting. But, typically of me, it prompted me to start thinking about how I quite fancy a glass of something Australian right now. My hubby will not be best pleased...

 

Aussie wines have come on leaps & bounds in the last few decades and, whilst I'll never totally forgive them for all that crappy Chardonnay they sent us back in the 1990’s, I will always be a fan of their real wines: the ones made by the smaller wineries, the ones that sing of the real Australia.

 

So you understand what I’m wittering on about, you need to understand that Australian wine falls into two categories:

 

·         Entry-level wines labelled "South Eastern Australia": these can be made from grapes picked anywhere within the entire South Eastern area of Australia (NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia) and normally retail for around £5. These are unexciting fruit bombs for glugging. Think quantity rather than quality as they produce A LOT.

·         Premium Aussie wines: this is where my heart lies, for this is where the excitement is. As you know, Australia is BIG, with vast swathes of land that are too hot & dry to make good wine. So you will notice that all the best wine regions are located in the coolest areas of the country, mainly in the South and near the coast.  

 

Here are some of my favourite wine regions and some recommendations so that you can better navigate the Australian wine shelves of your local wine shop or supermarket.

 

Barossa Valley

Northeast of Adelaide, the Barossa is most famous for its huge, spicy and chocolatey reds made from the Shiraz grape (aka Syrah, but the Australians decided to rename it). Other grapes are grown here, including Chardonnay, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon. Torbreck is my favourite Barossa winery, which makes delicious Rhone-style reds from Rhone varietals. Their wines are quite exclusive, normally only available from such retailers as Berry Bros, but I recently discovered they make an own-label red wine for M&S called Marananga Dam Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvédre for £15. Time to go shopping I think!

 

Clare Valley & Eden Valley

Both Clare Valley and Eden Valley (north and east of the Barossa Valley respectively) are famous for their deliciously mineral, floral and lime-flavoured Rieslings which are delicious with Thai food. Look out for Pewsey Vale and Petaluma.

 

McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale is just south of Adelaide and produces a wide range of grape varieties. Look out for the wines of D’Arenberg, with their wacky prominent labels, which are made from lots of different grape varieties including very old vine Grenache and Shiraz.

 

Coonawarra

This region has a very distinctive crumbly red soil called “Terra Rossa” and cool climate which makes it perfect for making some of Australia’s most superb Cabernet Sauvignons – intense blackcurrant with a hint of eucalyptus. Totally divine with a good steak.

 

Mornington Peninsula

This region juts out into the sea and provides some of the most beautiful Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays outside of Burgundy. Watch out for the wines from Stonier.

 

Margaret River

Many miles away in Western Australia lies Margaret River, a region with a strong maritime climate which means it is perfect for producing excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir. This is where Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blends have become hugely popular, and one of my favourite examples of this blend is from Vasse Felix winery.

 

A lot of the wines I’ve mentioned are available through Waitrose at www.waitrosecellar.com as they have an amazing Australian wine selection, but I urge you to explore other stores to see what they offer from these wine regions. Remember that own-label wines can be a great value option (as M&S are demonstrating)

 

Happy Swigging!

Sauvignon Blanc Fatigue

"Cat's Pee": a typical aroma of Sauvignon Blanc

Have you, like me, become fed up of Sauvignon Blanc? Or are you perhaps curious to try something different that might offer you similar satisfaction? 

If the answer is yes, here follows a list of off-piste wines that should tickle your tastebuds. We’re talking zippy, citrusy, refreshing whites – just the thing we want to drink on sunny afternoons…

Gruner Veltliner 

Austria’s second most planted grape variety (behind Riesling, of course) is one of my favourite white wines. For a long time this grape was unknown in the UK, partly because the Austrians drank most of it themselves. But thanks to its success in the US (the Americans have nicknamed it “Gru-V”), export numbers are up. Its increasing popularity has led to plantings now appearing in New Zealand (yes, even the Kiwi winemakers are getting bored of Sauvignon Blanc)! Style-wise, young Gruner Veltliner is spritzy in style, full of citrus fruit, lettuce leaves, green peas and white pepper. It’s particularly delicious when served alongside Wiener Schnitzel (an excellent hangover cure I discovered on a trip to Vienna). 

Albarino/Alvarinho/Vinho Verde

Apologies for the catch-all heading, but the Albarino grape is grown in north-western Spain and also just over the border in Portugal where it is often used in blends in the increasingly popular Vinho Verde. The former can be quite pricey whereas the latter is still incredible value (so stock up while you can). If you’ve been on holiday to Portugal, you’ve no doubt experienced this wonderful wine and you’ll be delighted to know it seems to be creeping onto our supermarket shelves back home. This is a fresh, vibrant white wine that you can imagine drinking at sunset with the local Portuguese barbecued fish. 

Picpoul de Pinet

The name Picpoul translates locally as “lip-stinger”, and it is one of the best value zingy white wines that France can offer at the moment. From the Languedoc region, this wine is full of wonderful lemony freshness - you can imagine cracking this open at the seaside alongside an enormous seafood platter. 

Txakoli (pronounced “cha-ko-lee”)

A bone-dry white wine from the Basque region of Spain, this has a touch of spritz and a deliciously mineral finish so it’s not surprising that London wine lists are picking it up. The main grapes in this wine are the local Hondarribi Zuria and Hondarribi Beltza, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember that, just keep your eyes peeled for it as the perfect accompaniment to fish or vegetarian tapas. 

Assyrtiko

I do feel we should support the Greeks right now, and what better way than by buying their delicious wines. Yes, it’s not all about Retsina (although even THAT is getting better)! Assyrtiko was originally planted in Santorini and produces bone-dry whites with citrus aromas mixed with an earthy, mineral aftertaste due to the local volcanic soil. 

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!

Priorat: Spain's greatest wine region

Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting one of Priorat's top winemakers, Sara Perez from Mas Martinet (http://masmartinet.com/). Talking to her and tasting her wines reminded me why I love Priorat, and so I thought I'd write a bit more about it so that maybe you might go try it yourself.

 

What's so amazing about Priorat?

For me, Priorat is all about perfect balance. This region gets a lot of sunshine and very little rain, which can result in wines with very high alcohol content. But instead of being massive fruit bombs, the best Priorats have a beautiful acidity and minerality which lift them to be wines of great depth and complexity. Granted they are still big wines, the dark fruits are still ripe, but the acidity and minerality make them much more pleasurable.

 

How come they're so great?

The key defining characteristic of this region is its soil. Known locally as "llicorella", this dark sparkly slate soil reflects the light, conserves the heat, and also gives the wines their mineral zing. The best vineyards are those on slopes which face northeast in order not to get too much sun but instead to bask fully in the refreshing sea breezes. The main grape used is Garnacha (aka Grenache), often blended with Carinena and a selection of international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. 

Photo of Priorat vineyard, courtesy of http://myemail.constantcontact.com

 

Will I like them too?

If you're a fan of powerful Rhone Valley reds (such as Cornas or Cote Rotie), Australian Shiraz, South African Pinotage or Argentinian Malbec, chances are you will enjoy exploring what this region has to offer. And if you like these wines but can't stretch to a bottle of Priorat, check out the wines of Montsant which is just next door.

 

It is also worth noting that Priorat is only a very short drive from Barcelona - mini break, anyone?

 

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!

Think Pink

The sun is shining which can only mean one thing: it’s Rosé o’clock!

Rosé (aka “Lady Petrol” amongst some of my classy friends) is a really evocative wine. One sip will transport even the most serious wine critic to the Cote d’Azur. A lot of this is to do with the fact that we only really drink rosé in the Summer, so us sun-deprived Brits associate it with happier, sunnier times. No surprise then that its popularity is going up, up, up!
 

Most rosé wines are made from black grapes, and the usual method of production is by crushing the grapes and leaving the juice in contact with the skins for just enough time to extract the desired colour. Then the wine is fermented, like a white wine, off the skins (whereas red wine is fermented on the skins to extract full colour).

 

Obviously there are a lot of different styles of rosé, from the palest salmon to the deepest fuschia pink, from bone dry to sickly sweet. So how do you know which one to pick?? Generally speaking the darker the hue, the closer to red wine in structure and taste it will be. Old World versions tend to be dry, but for New World styles make sure you ask the sales assistant just to be sure. A good indicator of sweetness is the alcohol level: lower than 12% ABV is likely to be off-dry.

Everyone’s palate is different, personally I’m a fan of the lighter, drier styles. So if you have similar taste here are the wines that I regularly buy for BBQs at home.

 

Provence Rosé

Recently made even more popular by “Brangelina” who now own Chateau Miraval estate (available at multiple retailers including M&S for around £18). The classic Provence style is a lovely pale pink colour (think onion skin through to poached salmon), dry and refreshing, full of redcurrant and wild strawberry flavours with a hint of citrus. Perfect with salads and grilled veggies, tuna steak, or simply on its own.

 

If you’re looking for a bargain, the rosés of the Languedoc region just next door are normally very similar in style but considerably cheaper as they don’t have to abide by the rules and regulations of the Cotes de Provence appellation.

Sancerre Rosé

We all know white Sancerre, that deliciously crisp and mineral white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc. The same appellation can also produce reds and rosés from Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes. The reds I will talk about another time (yes, another personal favourite) but the rosés are definitely worth searching for as they are similarly pale and dry but with more minerality and a silky smooth finish. The perfect, sophisticated picnic accompaniment.

If you like this style it’s also worth searching for rosé from Burgundy, a little harder to come by but they’re made from the same grapes, still dry and a touch fruitier in style.

 

Rioja Rosado

Yes, Rioja comes in rosé and white forms too. Their rosés are predominantly Tempranillo and Garnacha blends, dry in style and fabulously fruity. Absolutely perfect served with paella (funny that) and BBQ-ed meat.

 

Rosé Champagne

Ok, ok, I’m an expensive date – I absolutely adore pink Champagne. Unlike still rosé, the Champagne version is made by blending red and white wines together before secondary fermentation (when the bubbles are made). The UK’s most popular brand of this is Laurent Perrier Rosé but I personally think it’s massively overrated (too much style, not enough substance). Instead look out for Ruinart Rosé, Billecart-Salmon Rosé, or even the great value Oeil de Perdrix Rosé which Majestic is currently selling at £19.99 per bottle (normally £30!)

Happy Swigging!

Prosecco Pinch

According to the news this week, we are facing a global shortage of Prosecco this summer. But before you all dash out to the supermarkets to bulk buy, I thought I’d reassure you that there are other options out there.

 One of the reasons for Prosecco’s huge success is its moreishness. It isn’t a copycat Champagne (the method of production used is far cheaper and less time-consuming than Champagne), but instead it is a soft, fruity and fresh sparkling wine – a great deal tastier than most cheap Champagnes. I will admit that it can be a struggle to find similarly budget wines that are as easy-to-drink but if you’re prepared to stretch up to £10 per bottle I can definitely find you something.

 

Spain

Probably the second-most famous budget fizz is Cava, which is actually much more like Champagne in style than Prosecco because the method of production is very similar. The quality of top-end Cava has improved dramatically in the last decade and brands such as Codorniu are producing sparkling wines that are really rather delicious. Add to this the fact that the most expensive examples in our shops rarely reach above £12, this is really rather an attractive option. One word of warning though: if you go lower than £7 a bottle, you really do get the most tasteless, acidic, headache-inducing fizz, so just don’t.

 

Italy

They may be most famous for their Prosecco, but if you’re looking for something even more easy-drinking, try hunting down a Moscato d’Asti or Asti Spumante sparkling wine. This is made from the Muscat grape and fermentation is stopped early to produce a sparkling wine which is deliciously sweet and low in alcohol (typically 7%). This is what I would class as breakfast wine!

 

France

Crémant wine is a close cousin to Champagne. It is made with the exact same method but in other regions around the country. One of my personal favourites Crémant de Limoux, which is made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Pyrenean foothills and it is fresh, fruity vibrant and normally available for around £10 a bottle. Also worth looking out for is Blanquette de Limoux, from the same region but made with local grape Mauzac and often even cheaper.

You will also spot Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Loire… you get the idea. All of these are worth exploring if you want the Champagne quality without paying Champagne prices.

 

New World

A lot of the New World is far too warm to be able to produce good quality sparkling wine, but where there are high altitude vineyards (Chile, Argentina) or cooling sea breezes (New Zealand, Tasmania) you can find some excellent alternatives.

 

pic courtesy of http://chicvintagebrides.com

Happy Swigging!