Provence Wine Weekend
Recently enjoyed 3 nights away as a guest of www.provencewineweekends.com which I thoroughly recommend. We visited wineries in Provence and Luberon – La Verrerie; Vallon des Glauges; La Vallongue and Chateau Fontvert. In a region known for rose, I found the reds and whites more interesting.
Oxney Organic Estate NV – wine of the month September 2019
My favourite of the English sparkling wines from the recent Wine GB tasting. They have added seyval blanc to the classic varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. I got flavours of red apple, peach and grape with a good cream soda like finish. It’s organic and vegan.
Bolney Estate Lychgate Bacchus 2018 – wine of the month August 2019
Another fine English still wine using what is becoming this country’s signature grape. Apparently this example was hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and cool fermented in stainless steel. A good alternative to sauvignon blanc it has gooseberry and passionfruit flavours and a nice long finish.
Bluebell Vineyard Ashdown Ortega 2018 – wine of the month July 2019
One of the best still wines I tried at the recent Wine GB tasting. Ortega was a new variety for me – this early ripening grape variety, a hybrid of Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe, produces stone fruit aromas with four months oak ageing creating richness and complexity. I’m not normally a fan of oak but this…
Planalto Reserva – Wine of the Month June 2019
I’ve been buying this wine ever since coming across it on a trip to Porto. It’s a great value, aromatic, refreshing wine with some complexity that pairs really well with fish. The grapes are an obscure blend of Douro varieties. Available from Majestic at £7 if you buy 6 bottles.
Michel Schafer 2003 Burg Layer Schlossberg Riesling Auslese – Wine of the Month May 2019
An interesting wine tasted at the “Big G” Wines of Germany tasting which got favourable comment from other attendees too. A rich, off dry wine with aromas of petrol, roses and honey. £14.45 from Peter Osborne Fine Wines.
Good Old Sussex by the Sea
Great result for our local producers: England’s winemakers scooped 11 Gold, 50 Silver and 60 Bronze medals in the International Wine Challenge (IWC), placing it ninth in the medals table. Ten of England’s 11 Gold medals were awarded to sparkling wines. Sussex-based producers won seven of the 11 Golds. Nyetimber won three Gold medals, two…
Feudo Principi di Butera, Insolia Sicilia IGT – Wine of the Month April 2019
I bought this after trying it at the Wines & Spirits Show. I’d never heard of the Insolia grape before but I was very impressed. Pale and light with a fresh apple zest aroma, will be great with fish. Looking forward to putting it on at a forthcoming tasting to see what others think. Available…
Riesling – Germany takes a beating
A lot of people associate the Riesling grape with Germany, so the results of the recent Drinks Business Riesling Masters competition were very interesting. In the dry wines category it was Australia’s Eden Valley and Clare Valley that took most of the awards across all price points. In the medium category Canada’s Niagara Peninsula took…
Flavium Mencia Premium 2015, Vinos de Arganza – Wine of the Month March 2019
Bierzo is a region that deserves more attention. 100% Mencia grapes aged 18 months in American oak barrels. Parker described the 2012 as “An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. Opulent, rich and lengthy, it has the balance to drink well for 6-8 years. Lively, red ruby colour, on the nose persistent aromas of oak, mature…