I was recently asked to navigate a posh Cotswolds pub wine-list and to recommend a white and a red for a private party. Their Albariño was the white I chose; it’s currently rather fashionable, particularly those from Rias Baixas in Galicia. Albariño is also found in Portugal and is now produced in several Californian regions…
Tag: white wine
Astro Costera Chardonnay 2018 – Virgin Wines
Astro Costera Chardonnay is from Chile’s Central Valley. I suspect that it, like many other Virgin Wines, comes in large containers and is bottled in the UK, to give them a greater margin. Put on a suitable label with a vaguely Andean motif, name your price and see what happens… Tasting notes: Pale lemon colour. Green…
Santa Macarena Sauvignon Blanc 2017 – Virgin Wines
This Sauvignon Blanc is from the most coastal site in all of Chile; the Aconcagua Valley is just 5km from the ocean. Morning mist, sea breezes and lower temperatures provide ideal conditions for Sauvignon Blanc. Tasting notes: Pale straw colour. Stone fruits and some vegetal notes. Short, crisp finish. Balanced, medium/high acidity. Not especially complex or…
Florel Torrontés 2019 – Virgin Wines
Torrontés is an aromatic white wine, similar to a reisling and indigenous to Argentina. Like reisling it goes well with Asian cuisine. In Argentina they refer to Torrontés as ‘The Liar’ because the aromas are misleading. The best Torrontés wines come from the high elevation vineyards around Salta, Argentina – such as this one: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/atimeforwine.blog/1767…
Bruce Jack Chenin Blanc – Virgin Wines
This is decent Chenin Blanc and good value at only £7.99. Yet again I must express my wish that it had ‘Fairly Traded’ credentials… Tasting notes: Primary notes of stone fruits. Tertiary notes of vanilla. Balance acidity. Medium finish, a little complexity, Crisp, dry wine. White stone fruit notes. Hints of vanilla from oak. Wine…
Bendico Vermentino 2018 – Virgin Wines
Vermentino is primarily associated with Sardinia. Virgin wines have a few wines which don’t come from the area with which they are traditionally associated (Hungarian Pinot Grigio, Romanian Sauvignon Blanc) as do Waitrose. Is it a crafty trick, or an attempt to intrigue the consumer? Who knows…? I tasted Vermentino widely during a three week…
Botham Wines Chardonnay 2018 'The All Rounder'
Botham wines call this ‘The All Rounder’ because Ian Botham was and this wine is. It’s decent wine and would be suitable for most occasions and would go with a lot of food. It’s also from all around Australia – from the South East to the Margaret River in Western Australia – the opposite side…
ARA Grüner Veltliner
I love Austria. The skiing, the frittaten suppe, schnitzel & strudel… I’ve been going there for years, usually in the winter, but last summer we stayed for a week in the mountains. I was there again eight weeks ago and am back again in five weeks time. As I say, I love Austria. Its wines…
Tesco Finest Torrontes
One of the best wines I have tasted was an Argentinian Torrontes which I reviewed here. My love of Argentina and its wines is documented here. Torrontes is known in Argentina as ‘the liar.’ This is because its aromas often differ from the taste. Torrontes is a bit of a ‘marmite’ wine… The worst wine…
Sainsbury’s ‘Taste The Difference’ Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio remains the World’s favourite white wine grape. Is the Sainsbury’s offering any good…? At £6 – yes… Tasting notes: It’s appearance is pale lemon in colour. Citrus notes on the nose. Well balanced. Medium finish. Medium body. Some complexity on the palate; citrus and stone fruit flavours, some ‘nutty’ notes. Short to medium…
Chapel Down
The Chapel Down vineyard is near Tenterden in Kent. It was started in 1995 and 25 years later it is England’s leading winemaker. English wine has been in the ascendancy for several years, gaining public support, critical acclaim and international accolades. My first experience of English wine was Denbies near Dorking – a beautiful spot,…
Wolf Blass Red Label Chardonnay Semillon 2017
Wolf Blass Wines is one of Australia’s greatest success stories. From a humble tin shed in the legendary Barossa Valley in 1966, Wolf Blass has grown to become one of Australia’s most successful and awarded winemakers. I have a lot of affection for this brand – but had read recently that the winery was on the…
A Time for Wine 