We had cause to celebrate; we’d hosted a Nerf gun party for fourteen 8 year olds and nobody had cried, vomited or been wounded. I’d bought a case of this champagne with a view to Christmas presents – so I had to try it… It was good – and for festive presents looks good too….
Campo Viejo Cava
I love Catalonia – a wild, passionate, beautiful part of Spain. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been there; once this year and two trips planned next year. They want to devolve from ‘Spain’, but as the wealthiest part of the country, this won’t be easy… I met with the winemakers at…
La Chasse Cotes du Rhones
The Cotes du Rhone appellation is one of the world’s largest wine-producing regions. The variety of grapes is amazing. The standard can vary; some of the cheaper reds are better than the often overrated Chateauneuf du Papes (John Lewis foodhalls – I’ve not quite forgiven you for the awful Christmas day red – 2 bottles…
Riesling – Sainsbury Taste the Difference.
Riesling, in its tall bottle, is often stocked with those horrors from the 1980s: Hock & Liebfraumilch. Riesling is delicious & aromatic in the same way that expensive teas are – and this one is bone dry. I’m a big fan of Austrian wine and regularly buy Gruner Veltliner (and occasionally Pinot Noirs, Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt –…
Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay
Concha y Toro are one of the world’s biggest and most recognisable wine brands. Connoisseurs may turn up their noses at this – but they produce a great range of good quality, good value wines. The story behind Casillero del Diablo began over 120 years ago. The founder of Concha y Toro, Don Melchor stored batches…
Chenin Blanc Tesco
Good value Chenin Blanc, although I would prefer it if it were fairly traded. But at £4 a bottle – for goodness sake, you can’t go wrong. Wash down a takeaway with this. Tasting notes: Crisp, dry, melon notes. Region of Origin – Western Cape Wine Colour – White Price – £4 Where do I…
Verdicchio de Matelica Tesco
Verdicchio, in its distinctive bottle, may look rather naff, however as Decanter Italy expert Ian D’Agata (in his book ‘Native Wine Grapes of Italy’) asserts that ‘Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest native white grape variety.’ It’s highly regarded there – but UK supermarkets rarely stock it, which is a shame as it’s good wine. This…
Fiano, Tesco
Fiano is particularly associated with Sicily. I’ve been there twice and loved it. The wines available on the island ranged up to over 500Euros, but we never see these here (except perhaps in a couple of stores in St James, London). Cantine Settesoli produce this wine for Tesco; they are a large but good producer….
Trivento Private Reserve Malbec
Trivento is the global market leader in Argentinian wines. We visited the winery in November 2016 and tried their entire range. The UK offerings are mostly retailed in Tesco, which sells the Parra Alta Malbec and the reserve Malbec. They have also recently introduced this ‘Private Reserve’ Malbec, which is grown at altitude in the…
Bourgogne Blanc Marc Dudet
The older the better? Nope. Some wines mature and acquire complexity and character with age, but at some point most will deteriorate. I think this wine may have reached it’s zenith a while ago; it was quite good – but at £11 a bottle you can do better – at M&S go for Vin Alta…
Terazas de los Andes Reserva Torrontes
I was converted to Torrontes at a closed-door wine tasting at Taninas Wine Tastings in Mendoza; the idea (popular in Argentina) is that you go to an apartment for food, rather than a restaurant. My first experience with Torrontes had not been a good one – I was persuaded that it could be delicious by…
Macon Villages Waitrose
This Waitrose Chardonnay weighs in at £8.69 a bottle. It’s from Cave de Lugny, a Burgundian co-operative producer. The same wine is on sale at Co-Op 70p cheaper (no big deal) but what makes the Co-Op wine marginally better in my opinion is the fact that theirs is from 2013, rather than 2015 like this…
A Time for Wine 