Wine reviews
Wine this good doesn’t often come in at £9. Aged for five years in oak barrels and then in bottle, there’s a ton of typical black cherry flavours, along with vanilla and spice. All the things you want from a good Rioja, really. There’s even gold netting. Love a bit of gold netting. And if …
If you live near a Booths supermarket, lucky you. Their wine aisle is stuffed with hand-picked heavenly wines. This one’s from the Puglia region in the south of Italy (think: the heel of the boot). Made by a Californian winemaker and his Italian wife, who settled in the area almost 20 years ago. ‘A mano’ …
With Easter Weekend coming up, I plan to drink my fair share of Prosecco. Friends of ours hold an annual Easter Egg hunt in their garden on Sunday morning, with bacon sandwiches and Prosecco for the grown ups whilst the kids eat as many chocolate eggs in the shortest time possible. Now, I love a glass …
If you like Rioja, specifically the smoky oaky black fruits of the good ones, this is a great value alternative. Made from the dark cherry-bomb grape that is Bobal, one of the most widely planted grapes in Spain. For years, it wasn’t taken seriously, destined for cheap and not-always-that-cheerful wines. But turns out, given the …
It’s Fairtrade Fortnight until the 13th March and the Co-op (always a champion of Fairtrade products and by far the best Fairtrade wine range on the high street) is offering 15% off their entire Fairtrade range to encourage us to try them. Normally £6.99, this is from a very good producer in Argentina, La Riojana. Merlot …
Good German Riesling is very good at balancing. Specifically, it manages to balance amazing freshness with intense fruit flavours. This one’s classically off-dry (there’s a hint of sweetness rather than full on sweetie sweetness) with perky grapefruit and lime cordial flavours. The vineyards lie on the steepest slate-covered slopes along the banks of the Mosel …
OK, so you can get a lovely bunch of flowers for £15 but I’d rather have a bottle of this, TBH. Normally about £20, this is a brilliant buy. Made by a fantastic producer in the Grand Cru (so: top quality) village of Avize in Champagne, it’s a classic blend of champagne grapes and thanks …
Amazing value red (it’s normally £8.99 when not on offer) made from one of the main grapes behind Rioja, Tempranillo. The Gran Reserva bit tells us the wine’s been aged for at least five years, spending some of that time in oak barrels. But rather than coming from Rioja, it comes from another region called Valdepenas, in central …
For a floral fix in wine form, try this in your face fabulous rosewater-scented white with mad flavours of lychees (the smell takes me back to the Chinese restaurant we used to go to as children where you were given free lychees for pudding). Wines made from the Gewürztraminer grape are often described as spicy but really, perfumed is …
Read more “Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Alsace Gewürztraminer”
Oeil de Perdrix means eye of the partridge, a reference to the pale pink colour of the wine. Not that I’ve got close enough to a partridge to know otherwise but hey, I love the idea. With its pretty label and pop of colour, this blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir has got just right red …
So fresh, so crisp, it makes you pout like Posh on first sip but once the flavours hit – mostly lemons with a dash of floral – you’ll soon be smiling. It’s made in the Savoie region in eastern France from an incredible cocktail of local grapes, including Jacquère, Chasselas and Altesse. Off the beaten track …
This is what’s known as a stealth wine – so good, you drink a little bit more than you mean to. A super smooth Shiraz from the Co-op’s Truly Irresistible range, when you stick your nose in the glass you can tell it comes from somewhere warm. The smell is so ripe, so vibrant, so damn lovely. …
The maker of this wine is a tall, extremely handsome ex-international rugby player. Not that this means anything when it comes to the wine. It’s just nice to know. Anyway, this is his take on Minervois, a wine made in the south of France in the Languedoc Roussillon wine region. Made from a typical Minervois cocktail …
Because sparkling rose is not just for Valentine’s Day. Especially when it’s this good. Served up to friends recently, someone asked what champagne it was. Yes, it’s that good. Made from a blend of the three classic champagne grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – it’s also made in the same way with bubbles …
Elegantly understated, this one. Made from the Pinot Noir grape, made famous by Burgundy and its often astronomical prices. But this is from a relatively small region in New Zealand’s South Island, called Nelson. It’s relatively sunny here, giving the wine a kind of warm, friendly character. Juicy, fresh and with lots of chirpy cherry fruits, …
The wine inside might be good and ordinary, but it’s very well done. Made from Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, it’s simple and subtle and just right if you like your whites crisp and refreshing but not too in-your-face. And with a label designed by great British designer Paul Smith (I bought a pair of black …
Named after the colour of a partridge’s eye (not that I’ve ever got close enough to know) this is a great value rose champagne. The label’s lovely but as we know, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Properly fresh and crisp with subtle redcurrant flavours, it’s refreshingly uncomplicated. A perfectly pink way to kick off the evening. Add …
Subtle this is not. But loaded with juicy, rich, incredible blackcurrant fruit flavours and a liberal sprinkling of spice thanks to time spent ageing in oak barrels, it is. Made by a very tall man called Tim, this is such a classic Aussie red. Not so much a hug in a glass as a full …
There are loads of good wine buys on the Aldi shelves. All very well if you live near one. Not so good if you don’t. But now – hurrah! – they are doing wine online, with free delivery at the moment too. Their Exquisite Collection is really very good, despite sounding like a range of …
Made from organically grown grapes, so it’s practically a health drink. One of the best value Australian reds (especially when it’s on offer), this is ripe and smooth with gorgeous, fleshy plum fruits. There are relatively few female winemakers around, (in Australia, less than 10%), but the winemaker behind this wine is Heather Fraser. If you want a …
I’ve spent much of the last month trying to make not drinking easy. I mean, water’s fine during the day but in the evening, especially when everyone else is on the wine, I want something a little more grown up. Seedlip, then, has been a saviour. It’s the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit according to founder …
This is one for anyone who loves the idea of drinking tinned peaches in wine form. Not everyone’s bag, but if you like ripe, round, tropical fruit loaded whites with simple but happy flavours at an outrageously good price, then it’s a great buy. De Bortoli are one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wine producers. And their …
A perky Northern Italian red made from a blend of grapes, some of which were partially dried before they were fermented. This adds a bit more oomph and depth to the juicy baked plum flavours. It’s a stealth red: despite its friendly warmth, there’s 14% of alcohol in there. By the second glass you’ll have your feet …
Chunky style red from one of the best value regions in France, the Rhone Valley. This is all about the ripe juicy fruit (it’s not been anywhere near an oak barrel), namely blackcurrants sprinkled with pepper. Oh, and at 14%, it’s not shy. Definitely needs food, preferably a big plate of sausages and mash.
There’s something refreshing about a good Italian white like this one. I’m not just talking about the taste, but that it’s made from a grape you don’t often find elsewhere (in this case the Marche region, roughly the calf of the boot). Grown on the hillsides around the town of Jesi, the style is nicely distinctive: …
Just before Christmas, I did a big tasting of all the current Prosecco wines on the supermarket shelves at the moment for a piece for the paper. I know, selfless. Anyway, this one came out as one of the best, thanks to its properly frothy (almost creamy) character and fresh lemony flavours. It’s rated as DOCG, …
Thanks to the success of the German discounters like Aldi and Lidl, Tesco recently changed its pricing policy so that most of the wines in the range are now held at a constant price. Before, wines would yo-yo between their normal and promoted price, leaving it up to us to spot the offer and fill boots accordingly. Anyway, …
Beautifully packaged Prosecco at a bargain price. Soft and sherbet-y, add a dash of sloe gin for oomph and a pinch of edible glitter to the glass for the hell of it.
Give this smart bottle-fermented Chardonnay from France’s hot-right-now (but actually relatively cool in climate terms) Jura region as a present and they’ll never guess what an outrageous bargain it was.
The shelves are awash with champagne offers at this time of year. But with so many (often previously unseen) labels to choose from, you have to choose wisely. This one’s a cracker – no joke.
A plate of turkey and everything else that comes with it needs something equally weighty, wine-wise. Step forward this bright peachy white from Australia’s Barossa Valley. Heavenly.
Just the best kind of party red: fresh, fruity and juicy as good gossip. Also, because Beaujolais is still technically unfashionable, value for money is amazing. Just don’t tell everyone.
Great sherry is for life, not just for Christmas. But there’s something undeniably festive about sipping on a small glass, especially if you’re still wrapping presents late at night on Christmas Eve. Made by Lustau (lust-worthy producer), it smells like Christmas in a glass.
From South Africa’s Stellenbosch region, this is, basically, a hug in a glass. Warm and friendly with bramble fruits and a little smokiness, it looks fabulous too. Great present material.
If Chablis is the cool, crisp take on Chardonnay then the Maconnais, where this one’s from, is just a little more relaxed in style. With a hint of flint and lots of waxy lemon flavours, it’s definitely gift-worthy.
A really good South African red, based on a classic Rhone recipe where the Shiraz grape (or Syrah as it’s known in France) is blended with another red grape, Grenache. Made in the Swartland region, it’s loaded with pleasingly plushy bramble fruits and spice thanks to a bit of oak. Good with lasagne, happily.
The thing about Chardonnay is that, as a grape, it’s a bit like a blank piece of paper. What it tastes like in the glass depends completely on where and how it’s made. This one’s deliciously curvy, ripe and round thanks to a ton of Australian sunshine, but lovely and fresh too. It’s a good …
Read more “Exquisite Collection Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2014”
Lovely, peachy white from a region just below Lisbon in Portugal. It’s made from a mash up of Verdelho, Chardonnay and two other local grapes, then aged for a bit in oak. That gives it weight and spice, which makes the whole thing feel more robust. In other words, more September-y. You have to be …
If you’ve got a Lidl near you, get down there quick because they’ve got a whole load of new limited availability wines in from France (around 40). And some of them are really good. If you like teeth-tingling whites, try the white from the Savoie region. There’s a lovely red Minervois and if you like sweet wines, …
This is what Chardonnay looks like if you grow it on limestone soils, give it lots of – but not too much – sun and just a little touch of oak to finish it off. It’s ripe and peachy, but subtle too. Basically, a really good way to enjoy a smart white burgundy without the …
This is a new range from Majestic, two years in development apparently, which hopes to showcase definitive styles from different regions. There’s six wines already in store, including Provence Rose, Pinot Grigio, Sancerre, Chablis, Prosecco and this one, with more to come. They’re nicely packaged (if a bit self-conscious inasmuch as a wine label can …
We’re running something of a blackberry jam factory here at the moment: the bramble bushes lining the lane to our house are heaving with fruit. And honestly, stick your nose in a glass of this gorgeous Rhone red made from Syrah and Grenache grapes and you get pretty much the same thing – a massive …
Chenin Blanc is a real multi-tasker as grapes go, making wines from the very dry to the gloriously sweet. But in South Africa, where it’s become their most famous white grape, it’s mostly dry. And fruity – like sniffing lemons, with added pineapple when you taste it. A glass of this with my mum earlier …
From Puglia, this is made from the local Malvasia Nero grape. It’s a big red with some real earthiness to it – and I don’t mean it tastes like mud. Rather, it’s got grip and texture. Something to get your teeth into. Talking of which, serve it with anything meaty or tomato-y – preferably both.
From a remote area in the middle of France, this is a simple, moreish rose made from a blend of Gamay (the grape behind Beaujolais) and Pinot Noir (the grape behind red Burgundy and some champagnes, including the one above). This one’s bright pink with juicy raspberry fruits. A brilliantly left-field rose.
Made from mostly Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay – the two smarty pants grapes of Champagne – this is a wine of two halves. It smells fresh and floral but once it gets hold of the taste buds, there’s a lot more to it. Biscuity and rich – and tastes more expensive than it is, …
So, this is a gem. If you’re in the mood for a smooth, oaky (but not too much) kind of red with black fruits and spice, this is great value with £3 off the normal price at the mo. It’s got the whole gold wire thing going on, and a crest and lots of gold …
A classic Provence rose cocktail of grapes, including Grenache (the red grape behind so many good rose wines), Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon. Given that 2014 wasn’t an easy vintage for much of this part of the world, this is pretty (in pink) good.
A brilliant wine for under a fiver, bright and bold in colour and flavour. It’s made from the Garnacha grape (called Grenache in France), from the Campo de Borja region in Spain. Deliciously juicy with lots of strawberry fruit.
Made from this rather high maintenance grape, it’s grown in the Marlborough region in New Zealand’s South Island. Beautifully pale with gorgeous, fresh raspberry fruit flavours. A stand out bargain in the Aldi range at the moment.
If you’re in the mood for a big red, this is one such. Made by Chilean giants Concha Y Toro from Syrah grapes grown on a single estate in the Maipo Valley. It’s got a ton of bramble fruits, loads of spice and smooth vanilla flavours. Really, really smart wine for the money but as …
I went to a big wine tasting today at the M&S head office of all their new wines. Again, not complaining. This one’s from Spain’s Rueda region and is made from the lemony Verdejo grape (also known as Verdelho in Portugal and Australia). It’s had a bit of lees ageing, where the wine’s left on …
If Sauvignon Blanc is the star grape in New Zealand’s Marlborough region, then Pinot Gris is shaping up to be the understudy. The colour of the wine is tinged pinky-orange thanks to the skins of Pinot Gris (more red than white) but it’s the flavours that are really interesting. This one’s typically peach and pear-like …
I say it’s in the fridge. Actually, it’s all gone. It was fresh, slightly creamy, with a bit of vanilla. And definitely a twist of melon, man. It’s from the Yarra Valley in Australia’s Victoria wine region, where Chardonnay is a bit of a star along with the red grape Pinot Noir. Made by a …
The Pinot Gris (also known as Pinot Grigio) grape is technically grey and the colour of the wine made from it ranges enormously. Fifty shades of Gris, if you like. Anyway, this one’s from the Marlborough region in New Zealand, more famous for Sauvignon Blanc. With a pink tinge to it, think really fresh nectarine …
This is made by the same team behind Asda’s brilliant Bradshaw wines (the Pinot Grigio is currently on offer at £4 down from its usual £6). But this one was sent to me by Tanners, a long-standing family-owned wine company. The winery, Cramele Recas, is run by an Englishman who came to Romania more than …
Made from a blend of Argentina’s calling card – Malbec – along with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. The amazing thing about this wine is that it comes from a region called Salta, in northwest Argentina, which boasts some of the highest vineyards in the world. With altitude comes cooler weather and, if done …
From Western Australia, which is generally much cooler than most of the other wine-producing regions in this vast place and makes some of Australia’s smartest wines. You get lots of Shiraz here (known as Syrah in France) but not so much Tempranillo, the grape that’s the driving force in Spain’s Rioja region. By adding a …
Well, this is a turn up. Pinot Noir thrives in Burgundy. It does brilliantly in New Zealand. And it’s a hot grape in Chile. But Sicily? Not an obvious place for it (the grape prefers a relatively cool climate) but it really does work. Kind of juicy, but with that not-too-heavy raspberry fruit that makes …
Earlier this year, the grapes for this were hanging out on a vine in New Zealand’s Marlborough region. And in the wine, it shows. Incredibly fresh, literally quivering with gooseberry fruit flavours but with something of the tropical fruit about it too. One of the best Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines around at this price. Snap …
Just the best red to have on the side at the moment. The Bonarda grape is usually found in northern Italy but here’s what happens when you plant it in Argentina and an M&S winemaker teams up with a great Argentinian winemaker. It’s bright, fruity, loaded with lovely black cherry fruit and with just the …
This is an old favourite, one that I don’t drink that often but when I do, am always glad we opened it. It’s properly ripe and round, with peach and citrus fruit flavours. Basically, a really sunny wine with a bit more weight to it than the lean whites of summer that just don’t feel …
I know I’ve mentioned this one on the blog before but now that it’s just £6.50 (ongoing, not even just as an offer) it really is one of the best value reds on their shelves at the moment. Made by a really smart South African producer, it’s a blend of four grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, …
There’s a lot of it about. PG, that is. But here’s a tip: get it from the northern Italian region of Trentino from a great producer like this one, and you’ll get a wine with bags of flavour. This one’s so gorgeous and lemony; fresh too. The lady behind Freya’s Wines (called Freya, unsurprisingly) used …
As with so many wines, the inspiration comes from France. In this case, it’s the Rhone Valley, where it’s common practice to throw a little Viognier (a white grape) in with a vat of Syrah (a red grape). This is South Africa’s take on a Rhone classic and it works beautifully. Rich and ripe with …
So, this is Chardonnay from the same region as the wines of Puligny Montrachet and Meursault. Obviously from different vineyards but you get the idea. You’ll pay way more for those wines but if you want to get a taste of what this region can do with Chardonnay when made well, this is one way …
If you like the medium-bodied cherry fruits of a good Chianti, this is similar but with a bit more grip and oomph. Made from the Sangiovese grape (as is Chianti) in the Montalcino region just south of Florence, in Tuscany, it’s got a more rustic feel to it. But time has softened everything too, so …
This is a great deal – which not all champagne deals are, as you know. But this one really does deliver crisp lemons, toast and a whiff of hazelnuts in a glass, together with bubbles that stay the course (or at least until you have time to finish it). Looks the part too – no …
What makes this more interesting that your average Aussie Shiraz at this price is that it’s made from grapes grown in Western Australia, a cooler region than most elsewhere in Australia. What that does is concentrate the flavours in the wine. So there’s lots of quaffable black fruits and spice, but there’s also a kind …
Just the kind of crisp white you want when it’s cold outside, this one. Made from the little-known Arneis grape, grown in the Piedmont region of northern Italy more famous for its red wines, like Barolo and Barbaresco. The whites don’t get out much; the Italians drink much of it. But Arneis, which translates as …
From South Africa’s Swartland region, just north of Cape Town, this wine’s got one of SA’s top winemakers behind it. It’s perfect for now, too, with plum and spice flavours. Shiraz is the grape (also called Syrah in France, mostly) and sticking with the silk purse, sow’s ear thing, it’s a great example of how …
I tasted this last week at the Waitrose A/W wine press tasting and popped a picture of the label on my Instagram feed as soon as I’d tasted it – all fresh lemon and limes, from southern France, like a less excitable version of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Those who went and bought a bottle that …
It’s a New Zealand South Island double whammy this week. This second one’s from Marlborough but this time, it’s red. Made from the Pinot Noir grape, which seems to love this region’s warm days and cool nights. Most of Marlborough is covered with Sauvignon Blanc vines, but plantings of Pinot Noir are on the rise. …
I love watching Graham Norton on a Friday night, not least because he always has a HUGE glass of white wine alongside his A-listers on the sofa. I do worry, though, that under all those studio lights the wine never looks cold enough. And the wine he’s drinking definitely needs to be nicely chilled. I …
Properly velvet soft and juicy, this is a really great Australian Merlot. It’s got all the usual flavour suspects in there – plums, cherries, raspberries – with a deft touch of spice from oak too. From the Murray Darling region, darling. Sip whilst wearing a jazzy jacket and you’re all set.
The Muscat grape is rather on the floral side, with a kind of honeysuckle, rosewater and lychee thing going on. This one, from the Ucles region in central Spain, is gorgeous – if you like that kind of thing. Fresh, a touch flowery but not so much that it looks out of season. You can’t …
This new range of self-proclaimed ‘bull-free’ wines includes a Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, along with a Malbec from Argentina. But this is my favourite, a lovely, lime-fruit flavoured crisp white from northwest Spain. Albarino is the grape, Rias Baixas is the region (pronounced ree-ass by-zhass). And if you like Sauvignon Blanc, …
The thing about Vermentino is that it’s hard to pin down. It’s grown all over the place – mostly France and Italy – and goes under lots of different names, including Pigato, Favorita and Rolle. But if you haven’t tried Vermentino before and you like a bright-tasting, lemon peel-like white, chances are you’ll love this …
One of my favourite fridge door whites at the moment, it’s an unoaked blend of local grapes from Sicily. Basically, an unpretentious sunny white with lots of lemony flavours. And that, at the end of more than six long weeks of summer holidays, is exactly what we need. And besides, my sister and I already …
One of the favourite whites of the tasting on Saturday, this is a smart-looking Picpoul with gorgeous, citrusy flavours. Lip-smackingly fresh, it’s from the Languedoc region in the southern France, where vineyards lie within a proverbial stone’s throw from the sea. Like sea air, this wine has rejuvenating properties. At least for the taste buds, …
If you can’t pick this up from one of the above outlets, you can order it online but there is a delivery charge unless you order three boxes of it. They kindly sent me one to try so I just paid the normal price for a 3l box but will be buying more. This is …
The Loire Valley is the place for understated Sauvignon Blanc and this one, made by a great producer called Fournier, is beautifully done. You get gooseberry, lemon and lime flavours but you also get a hint of smokiness, which just makes it all taste, well, expensive. Which given it’s price, is pretty impressive. The vineyards …
Piemonte (or Piedmont) is one of the most hedonistic regions in Italy when it comes to food and wine. Famous for its truffles and wines made from the Nebbiolo grape (including Barolo), the white wines of the region are rather more quietly brilliant and some are definitely worth sniffing out. This one’s an unoaked Chardonnay …
This has got the maddest label I’ve seen on a bottle of wine for a while, all spooky and Hammer Horror-ish. Pale, white and haunting, it says on the label. But for me, it’s more friendly monster. Made from the Greco grape (also known as Grecula locally) in southern Italy’s Campania region, it’s nutty and …
From Sardinia, this is a really great Italian white made from the Vermentino grape. I love this grape but there’s not that much around on our shelves here – yet. There’s lots of it planted in Sardinia and here, it makes lovely, crisp whites with fresh lemony flavours. This one’s really summery – and getting …
From Chile, this is made from one of the three classic Champagne grapes, Pinot Noir. And because it’s a red grape, it can make pink wine (it’s the skins that add colour to grape juice). This one’s like a sherbet fizz-bomb, with soft strawberry fruit flavours. Made by a great producer, it’s properly good value …
It’s not often you get to pick up such a groovy Gru-V at this price but the offer’s only on until next Tuesday. Made by one of Austria’s most awarded producers in the Traisental region, Markus Huber has bottled a benchmark Gruner Veltliner (that’s the name of the grape) with classic peach and pear fruits, …
One of the highlights of the Fair for me was meeting up with winemakers including the amazing Eva Keresztury, a Hungarian vineyard owner and wine producer. She makes brilliant wines, including this one, from the Furmint grape. It’s one of the main grapes behind the famous sweet wines of Hungary from the Tokaji region but here …
Sent to me by The Wine Society to try, this is one of a new range of wines made exclusively for them by Mac Forbes, a great Australian winemaker. He’s scooped up a few limited quantity parcels of wine that might have otherwise been missed, ending up as part of a bigger blend. This gorgeous …
Picpoul is one of those easy to remember names – or so I thought. Turns out one of my friends refers to it as Pitbull and Eeh Bah Mum uses one of the finest mnemonics I’ve ever heard in wine: Quick Pull My P*nis. Anyway, this one makes a refreshing change from Sauvignon Blanc. Still …
I’ve tasted a lot of Prosecco wines recently (and wrote a piece on it for the paper here). This one is from the smart DOCG region of Valdobbiadene where some of the best Prosecco Superiore wines can be found. Made from the Glera grape, this one tastes of apples and pears but with a bit …
It’s a mouthful to say, but happily it’s an incredible mouthful to drink too. From one of the top producers in Germany, they were early adopters of making wine the biodynamic way (think super-organic) and their wines are amazingly vibrant. It’s from the Pfalz region and is deliciously crisp, loaded with mango fruit and as …
Read more “Wachenheimer Riesling Trocken, Burklin Wolf 2013”
A perky Italian white, Falanghina is the name of the grape and this one’s grown in the Puglia region down in the heel of Italy. There’s no oak here, so it’s all about the lemony, grapefruit-tinged fruit flavours. And the crispness; it’s fresh as a daisy. Doesn’t need food but perked up my decidedly lazy …
The bottle is so lovely (gorgeous label, grand-looking bottle) that I thought it might be a case of style over substance. But happily, I was wrong. The wine inside is properly Pecorino-y with lots of crisp, lemony fruit. From the Italian region of Abruzzo in Central Italy, it’s a joy. In fact, happiness in a …
I bought a bottle of this for Mothering Sunday (had both my mum and mother-in-law here for lunch) and we managed to quaff a bottle well before the gammon hit the table. And it was as good as it has ever been: fresh, frothy, full of pears and promise. A brilliant pre-proper-food drink. The producer …
From the Marche region in central Italy, Verdicchio is the grape and in this case it comes from vineyards around the town of – you’ve guessed it – Jesi. As with so many good Italian whites, it’s crisp, fresh, a little bit floral (honeysuckle, for me) and not at all in-your-face. Rather, it’s like good …
OK, so this is out of stock on the website, but if you see it on shelf in your nearest M&S then take the lot because the price is ridiculously low. It’s from a really good (and relatively cool, given the high altitude) region in Argentina – Tupungato – and made by one of the …
You can’t miss the label, it’s got grinning sheep on the front (the Italian name for sheep is pecora). The grape is called Pecorino and it’s grown in Abruzzo. And what makes this wine so brilliant is that if you’re not in the mood for the zing of Sauvignon Blanc but don’t want the ripe …
I figure that if a producer does a great job with their cheapest wine, then it’s likely to get better as you go up the price scale. So at a big trade tasting I usually start with the cheapest on each table. This one stopped me in my tracks yesterday: it was the cheapest in …
Money from each bottle of this South African wine sold goes to the farm that produces it to support community projects as part of the work of the Waitrose Foundation. And as for the wine itself, it’s brilliant. Ripe and juicy – just as young Chenin should be – and tastes of baked apples. I’m …
I was sustained almost entirely by almond croissants from our local Co-op when I was pregnant with Youngest Girl but now I can walk past them as long as there’s a bottle of this on the shelves. Made by a very good winemaker in southern France, this is ripe and round thanks to the combination …
All that green food made me think of green wine. Not literally, but in terms of flavours – limes, grapefruit, gooseberries. All of which can be found in liquid form in a glass of this. Now that’s what I call a ready meal. Gorgeous, bright and lovely, this throws rays of light on the taste …
As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Lidl has stuffed its shelves with some new wines from France. This one’s from the Minervois region in southern France and is just the right side of rustic, with lots of bramble fruits, spice and grrrrip. It’s a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes, weighty in flavour but …
Years ago, I remember ordering a bottle of Yellow Label in a restaurant and loving the gorgeous bramble flavours of what was inside. It was delicious, affordable and crucially, because of the bright yellow label, I was able to remember it the next time I went into a shop. Always good.
Such a good late summery red, full of squashed red fruit flavours. Juicy, jammy and a really good (inexpensive) way to enjoy the delights of the Pinot Noir grape. Made in Australia’s Victoria region, it’s silky smooth. Unlike my legs, now that September’s almost here.
Ridiculously smooth red from Argentina, this had people making the best noises when tasting it on Saturday. Along the lines of oooooohhh, mostly. Made from grapes grown in four separate vineyard sites across Mendoza, all at relatively high altitude. Cooler temperatures help the grapes ripen slowly, concentrating the blackcurrant-y flavours. Which, along with the oak …
A simple but lovely Pinot from Australia, like raspberries with a bit of black pepper on the top. If you’re in the mood for chilling your red for twenty minutes and serving it with something easy – antipasti, bowl of spicy crisps – this’ll do nicely. Otherwise, sip at room temperature whilst ignoring the washing basket.
The idea behind this range is to select the best parcels of Shiraz from regions across Australia and blend them, in this case from the McLaren Vale in South Australia. This is an enormous wine, but not brutish at all. Rather, it’s a powerful combination of spice, blackcurrant fruits and smooth oaky flavours. Rich and …
The brilliant thing about Beaujolais is that it’s one of the sprightliest, most summery grapes around. Being made from the thin-skinned Gamay grape, it makes red wines that are typically lightish in colour and juicy in flavour. This one, made from vineyards classified as slightly smarter-than-your-average, are not far from the cru-rated village of Brouilly …
Most of the things written about Bordeaux wines covers the expensive stuff. Which is a shame because there is some really good value to be found – you’ve just got to know where to look. And Berry’s know exactly where to go for their Good Ordinary Claret: this tastes far more expensive than it is. …
A soft, juicy Italian red made from Lambrusco grapes grown in the Emilia-Romagna region (think Bologna). It smells of cherries, tastes of cranberries and best of all, it’s cheap as chips and brilliantly drinkable. Just the right sort of red to have on the go when there’s the promise of warmer weather ahead. I feel almost …
Langhe lies in Piedmont, a region in northern Italy famous for truffles (the fungus kind rather than the chocolate kind). Wine-wise, Barolo is Piedmont’s big hitter, an enormous red made from the Nebbiolo grape. This Italian red blends a bit of Nebbiolo with the other great grape of the region, Barbera. Think of it as …
Made by a rather smart producer in Rioja, Elguia, this is unbelievable value. With a year spent in oak barrels and a year in bottle, it’s smooth and juicy with black cherry fruit and lovely toasty flavours. Tempranillo is the main grape in Rioja and is – as in this case – characteristically savoury. Definitely …
If Asda had a blind spot, it was for small parcels of wine that were a little off the beaten track. They’ve fixed that with the launch of their new Wine Atlas range, a collection of wines made from (some weird and) mostly wonderful grape varieties from all over the place. This is one of …
Sounds like coffee, but happily it’s wine. Made in Sicily from the Frappato grape, this is fairly light in colour and tastes of baked cherries. It’s fresh, medium-bodied and the locals drink this chilled as a pre-prandial or with anything from antipasti to fish. It feels like a summery wine and it too has a …
The wines in Aldi’s smart own label range are usually pretty good value for money but this one’s outrageously good. Made in the south of the North Island, in a region called Wairarapa. And the fairly fussy Pinot Noir grape (it won’t ripen properly unless the climate’s just right: not too hot, not too cold, not …
Read more “Exquisite Collection New Zealand Pinot Noir 2013”
It’s World Malbec Day on the 17th April, held to celebrate the grape that’s become Argentina’s most famous vinous export. Now, I realise the one I’ve picked here is from South Africa but a) I’ll pick one from Argentina for this week’s ‘Thank Friday It’s Wine’ on my YouTube channel (subscribe here if you don’t …
The Languedoc region in the South of France is stuffed full of good reds, often great value too – like this one. It’s a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes, creating a juicy, spicy, red berry mash up that was made to be quaffed with sausages. Pic Saint Loup is the name of the wine …
This is one of the sweet wines in the video mentioned above and is, turns out, a great match for white chocolate. It’s the only sherry in the Aldi range. Made from a blend of sweet Oloroso sherry, it’s rich with gorgeous nutty aromas and dried raisin-y flavours. And incredibly smart for the price. If …
A fruity number from Puglia, the heel of Italy. It’s a heady mix of two different grape varieties, the spicy Primitivo (also known as Zinfandel) and the densely coloured, earthy-tasting Negroamaro. Together, they make a punchy pair: full bodied, ripe and just a ‘lil bit rustic. Like the wine above, it’s another Italian job well …
Gorgeous Pinot Noir from the Martinborough region in New Zealand, at the bottom of the North Island. The Marlborough region might be more famous thanks to all that zingy Sauvignon Blanc but Martinborough is doing its quietly brilliant thing, especially with the Pinot Noir grape. The chap who made this wine, Larry McKenna, takes Burgundy …
Argentina is huge in wine terms, both in how much it produces (answer: loads) and in the styles of wines it makes. And Malbec, its most famous wine export, is nothing if not a shouty wine. This one comes from the Salta region up in the north of the country and the vineyards are among …
Last Friday, I stopped by an old friend’s house and, it being past six o’clock, I was offered a small glass of sherry rather than a cup of tea. How lovely! And an Amontillado too, darker than Fino but not as dark as Oloroso. This one’s made by Lustau no less, a tip-top Sherry maker. …
Priorat, from the Catalunya region over on the eastern coast, is one of the smartest red wine producing areas in Spain. Along with Rioja, it’s one of only two so-called DOC regions in the country (in other words, highly rated). It’s brilliant – but subtle, it is not. Full on with heady black fruits and …
The thing about these supermarket finest/taste the difference/extra special ranges is that the wineries behind the wines are often really good. You might just have to squint to find their names on the label (and sometimes their name won’t be on there at all). This one’s made by an Argentinian producer called Catena, one of …
Packs a punch, this one. When stateside, this grape goes under the name of Zinfandel. But as ever, everything sounds better in Italian. From Puglia’s Salento region, this is earthy in a good way. Think baked plum and blackcurrant fruits with a liberal sprinkling of spice. Needs food – really good with tomato-y pasta.
I’ve not gone for subtle labels this week. This one’s got enormous letters on the front (DMZ, funnily enough) which I imagine they think is easier to remember than its full name, De Morgenzon. Given that I can’t remember what I went into the shop to buy in the first place more often than not, …
This is from northern Italy, the Veneto region. If you’re in the mood for red but don’t want a monster in your glass (or head the next day) then Bardolino is the answer. Really juicy and jammy, this one tastes like just-crushed black cherries laced with (not too much) alcohol. It’s made from the Corvina …
This bottle was one of the few survivors post-Christmas and so it was scooped up and taken to the in-laws for lunch on Sunday. After a 14 hour car journey back from France the day before (our first family skiing holiday – was amazing!), it was such a treat to be cooked for. And my …
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