Raza Vinho Verde – Wine of the Month May 2020
I wouldn’t have said Vinho Verde was one of my favourites but this one is a great summer wine and my partner really liked it. It’s made from 50% Arinto, 35% Azal and 15% Trajadura, so grapes with which many people will not be familiar. The grape crop is picked manually into small boxes. The…
Bordeaux 1855 Classification
As wine buffs will know, red wines of the Bordeaux left bank are classified into five levels – from first to fifth growths. The classification was introduced for the Universal Exposition in Paris and was based on the prices for which the wines were sold at that time. There was no tasting and even properties…
Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP)
Wales has joined Scotland in having a minimum unit price for alcohol of 50p per unit. Units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour. This…
Nyetimber Rosé NV – Wine of the Month March 2020
The perfect wine for a summer wedding – it looks great and has lovely fresh strawberry and raspberry flavours without being overly acidic. It’s from the greatest wine region in the world, Sussex (yes, I am biased) and is a blend of classic grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a dash of Meunier. At the time…
Pinha Ribeiro Santo 2018 – Wine of the Month February 2020
Portuguese wine often represents great value for money and this is a prime example. A lovely rich black fruit flavour, it originates from the Dao region blending typical grapes from that area – Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta-Roriz. £10.99 from Hennings
Leftfield Rose Hawkes Bay 2019 – Wine of the Month January 2020
This was my favourite from the recent New Zealand Wine tasting in London. An interesting blend of Pinotage, Arneis and Merlot. It had ripe strawberry and redcurrant fruit, fresh but not too acidic. Drink on its own or with some salmon. This winery also showcased a very good Sauvignon Blanc from Nelson, a nice Albarino…
New Zealand in a Glass
New Zealand Wine ran an interesting tasting this month. In amongst the gallons of Sauvignon Blanc there were two really good feature tables – one for rose and one for “unexpected” grapes. For the former see my WOTM; however the latter had some great examples of Gruner Veltliner, Viognier, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. They’re worth…
Fonseca Bin 27 Fine Reserve – wine of the month December 2019
I tried a number of ports in the run up to Christmas and this is my personal favourite. It’s sweet and rich with intense plum and damson fruit and some chocolate and raisin. Try with Stilton or just sip it on its own. £13.99 from Virgin Wines.
Pinot Gris Classic, Famille Hugel 2017 – wine of the month November 2019
A lovely Alsace Pinot Gris, a bright lemon green colour with aromas of primrose, lemon, pear and peach. Will be great with seafood. Harvested by hand from vineyards on clay and limestone soil. 2017 was a difficult year for growers in Alsace but this shows what could be achieved despite that. At just £7.50 for…
Le Bertarole “Le Filagne” Valpolicella DOC Classico – wine of the month October 2019
I had the pleasure of visiting the winery and meeting Marco, the winemaker. Although they make really good Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto, it was the standard Classico that stood out from other wineries in the area. A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone, it is a light but satisfying wine with red cherry flavours, good…