WINELINE ARCHIVES
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WINELINE SUMMER 2007

'ON SPESH AT...'

...Majestic is Fiano di Sicilia 2005 from the Settesoli Co-op (20% off at £3.99 until 3 September for two or more). Sicily is on fire at the moment, but in a good way this time, and this big-boned, sappy, succulent antidote to most of the Pinot Grigio coming out of Italy is a major bargain. The under-rated Fiano grape’s home base is in Avellino in Campania where it usually costs rather more. “This could be double the price,” said Mrs.G, and, as usual, she’s absolutely right. Another wine that’s getting some deserved attention is Morellino di Scansano and Maj’s one is down to £7.99 on the same deal. Another anitdote, this time to over-priced Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (gotta love those names), it has the bitter cherries and almonds and hint of chocolate that spell Sangiovese with a capital “S.”

...is that the Alsace wines I was banging on about last time have a remarkable affinity with oriental food. The have the body and richness and pronounced flavours to stand up to all those spices – even chillies. Gewürztraminer has a spicey flavour in itself and works very well with Chinese and Indian food. Pinot Grigio is good for Vietnamese and Thai – its richness offsets the astringency and the sweet-and-sour flavour combinations. Riesling has the acidity to cut through cream or coconut-cream based sauces from anywhere in that part of the world. Half the fun is experimenting, though, so be bold and bear in mind that there are not likely to be any serious clashes here. The other good thing is that wine from Alsace is usually very reliable and good value to boot.

'CAN'T GO WRONG?'

Some grape varieties seem to have a spiritual home – pinot noir in Burgundy, riesling in Germany and sangiovese in Tuscany spring to mind, among a wealth of others. Quite why Malbec should be so at home in Argentina I don’t know but, apart from some of the very cheapest bottles (which – let’s face it – is very frequently the case no matter what the grape or the place) they are some of the best values around. Bottles at £5-8 from growers like Flichman, Weinert, Norton, Etchart, Argento, Luigi Bosca and Trapiche are excellent “stand-buys.” A move up to the £10-12 mark from Catena, Pulenta, and the reservas from Terrazas and some of the aforementioned and you’re at quality-levels which might make you think you’ve got something resembling a very classy claret in your glass, but at half the cost. These are big, fat-arsed wines with masses of black fruit flavours that can stand up to the big oak treatment which a lot of them get.

...is to buy a Vacuvin. It’s for pumping the air out of a half-finished bottle and it’ll keep most wines fresh for 3 or 4 days after opening. Dry white wines tend to deteriorate quite rapidly and it works well for them. Sweeter whites are much slower to go to off – most are happy for up to a week, with or without a “proper stopper,” as I’ve just nicknamed it. Bear in mind, though, that it’s not always the best thing to do – some big New World reds can actually keep improving for 24 hours or more if left entirely unstoppered. What happens here is that the oxygen softens the big, mouth-puckering tannins that some of these wines have.

Catena Malbec 2004, Mendoza, Argentina. (£11.32; Bibendum) One of my favourites of the Argy Malbecs noted above. Always long, big, bold fruit flavours with some coffee-chocolate richness and plenty of toasty oak.
BUY

“Callabriga” Dão (unsettlingly, this seems to be pronounced more or less as “dung” in Portuguese but I’m sure there’s no connection) 2003, Portugal. (£9.75; Davy’s 020 8858 9147) This is one of those big reds which I was talking about above, in terms of it needing lots of air. I dare say you’ll remember from the first “Wineline” about double-decanting, won’t you? (OK, so pour it out into a jug and then back into the bottle.) If you can remember, do this in the morning or, in any case, as early as possible the same day. Its got stacks of fabulous, bright, rich, crunchy, red cherry fruit with a lick of bright acidity which conjures up super-fresh soft green herbs.
BUY


La Gioiosa Sparkling Pinot Grigio Rosé (Tesco; £4.99). The name ticks a few boxes as far as current trends are concerned and “the joyful one” (try `Jee-oy-ee-osa’) is just the job for jolly japes in the jardin this June and July. Chill it right down in a bucket of ice-water. Strawberries-and-cream in a glass.
STAND-BY

'ON SPESH AT...'

...Waitrose is Quinta de Simaens 2005, down 25% to £4.11. If you still equate Vinho Verde with silly-shaped bottles full of fizzy, half-fermented rot-gut, here’s the antidote. Made from the laurel-scented loureiro grape, it’s in the modern style of VV, with just a tingle of fizz, and bracing appley acidity.

Also worth a word is Brown Brothers Tarrango 2005, down 33% to a silly £3.99. The first time I tried Tarrango was 12 years ago as one of Raymond Blanc’s “house” wines during a stay at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and, as recommendations go, they don’t come much swankier than that. (Don’t worry, I wasn’t paying.) It was “pinky-pale with a crisp, candied nose, but substantial body and flavours of a big summer pudding full of sweet red fruit.” It still is. Chill it for an hour and pretend it’s July.

'THOUGHT FOR FOOD'

...is luscious, honeyed dessert wine with cheese. Pretty much anything from Sauternes (where there have been fabulous vintages in 2001, 2003 and 2005) makes a great partner for English classics like mature cheddars and the crumblies from oop North. More surprising perhaps is their affinity with blue cheeses – Stilton in particular. Oddbins have a good selection of “stickies” from all over, including two fabulous Italians from Maculan. Good sweet wines can be on the expensive side but you only want a small glass and most will keep for a week in the fridge once opened. If you’re sceptical, try a dinky half-bottle of Brown Brothers ubiquitous Orange Muscat & Flora (£6-8) – if it grabs you, you’ll be hooked forever.

'CAN'T GO WRONG?'

I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Alsace wine (don’t call them Alsatian, by the way, because that’s a dog), although there must be some out there somewhere. A lot of the £5-7 supermarket wines come (in various guises) from the vast Cave de Turckheim Co-op. The good news is that they make very good wines, and it’s almost always worth springing a quid or two extra on the fancier ones. A quick guide to the four “noble” Alsace grapes: bracing, minerally Riesling as an aperitif or with oysters; sultry, lychee-laden Gewurztraminer with Asian food; grapey, fragrant Muscat with citrussy puddings and luscious, rounded Pinot Gris with everything. At £8-12, single varietals from leading producers like Hugel and Trimbach are still terrific value relative to their sheer class.

'A GOOD IDEA...'

... is to buy some decent wine glasses. They don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to be quite big, vaguely tulip-shaped (like the symbols in the “Buys of the Month” section) to keep the aromas in the glass and, above all, clean. A huge amount of the pleasure of wine is in the smell and the better the wine, the more that’s the case. The finest glasses are “Vinum” made by Riedl which cost about £25 each so you feel quite bad when you break them - their cheaper “Sommelier” range may be safer. The glass is very thin and I’ve come to the conclusion that the principle is basically the same as with condoms (is there a pun there?) – a piece of the lining of a sheep’s intestine did the job for the Elizabethans but, for my money, the less there is between you and the object of your affections, the better.

'BUYS OF THE MONTH'

Berry Brothers Australian Shiraz 2005, Barossa, (£8.50). Berrys, among many other things, do the wine in Virgin Atlantic’s “Upper Class” cabin and this is the favourite choice. Great clarity and intensity of black fruit flavours and a silky texture could just be something to do with it.
BUY

The Wine Society's Exhibition Moulin-a-Vent 2005, Beaujolais, France (£7.95): Beaujolais is back! 2005 is a stunning vintage and standards are rising fast — heady, hedonisitic and completely candylicious. (Daily Telegraph 30 December 2006)
BUY

Cono Sur pinot Noir 2006, Chile, (Tesco and elsewhere, around £5-6). The words “cheap” and “pinot” used to be a recipe for disaster. Things have changed however and this gushes bright strawberry (or is it raspberry?) fruit held upright by a touch of tannin and a curl of smoke round the edges.

'THOUGHT FOR FOOD'

...is luscious, honeyed dessert wine with cheese. Pretty much anything from Sauternes (where there have been fabulous vintages in 2001, 2003 and 2005) makes a great partner for English classics like mature cheddars and the crumblies from oop North. More surprising perhaps is their affinity with blue cheeses – Stilton in particular. Oddbins have a good selection of “stickies” from all over, including two fabulous Italians from Maculan. Good sweet wines can be on the expensive side but you only want a small glass and most will keep for a week in the fridge once opened. If you’re sceptical, try a dinky half-bottle of Brown Brothers ubiquitous Orange Muscat & Flora (£6-8) – if it grabs you, you’ll be hooked forever.

'CAN'T GO WRONG?'

I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Alsace wine (don’t call them Alsatian, by the way, because that’s a dog), although there must be some out there somewhere. A lot of the £5-7 supermarket wines come (in various guises) from the vast Cave de Turckheim Co-op. The good news is that they make very good wines, and it’s almost always worth springing a quid or two extra on the fancier ones. A quick guide to the four “noble” Alsace grapes: bracing, minerally Riesling as an aperitif or with oysters; sultry, lychee-laden Gewurztraminer with Asian food; grapey, fragrant Muscat with citrussy puddings and luscious, rounded Pinot Gris with everything. At £8-12, single varietals from leading producers like Hugel and Trimbach are still terrific value relative to their sheer class.

'A GOOD IDEA...'

... is to buy some decent wine glasses. They don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to be quite big, vaguely tulip-shaped (like the symbols in the “Buys of the Month” section) to keep the aromas in the glass and, above all, clean. A huge amount of the pleasure of wine is in the smell and the better the wine, the more that’s the case. The finest glasses are “Vinum” made by Riedl which cost about £25 each so you feel quite bad when you break them - their cheaper “Sommelier” range may be safer. The glass is very thin and I’ve come to the conclusion that the principle is basically the same as with condoms (is there a pun there?) – a piece of the lining of a sheep’s intestine did the job for the Elizabethans but, for my money, the less there is between you and the object of your affections, the better.

'ON SPESH AT...'

... Co-op is Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2006 down from £6.59 to a fiver until 11 Feb. NZ's biggest producer still cares about quality and this has loads of grassy green gooseberryness. See "Thought for food" below and try it with soft goat's cheese.

There are still deals to be had in the New Year sales at lots of the top independent merchants. Berry Brothers have Domaine Larredya 2005 Jurançon Sec (see "Can't Go Wrong?" below) down 25% to £6.65 - for the quality, with lip-smacking grapefruit flavours, mineral complexity and a lick of honey on the end, it wouldn't be expensive at double that. Check out Adnams, Lay and Wheeler and Justerini & Brooks too.

'THOUGHT FOR FOOD'

... is that it's surprisingly difficult to match wine and cheese. I've recently found the answer to a question that's been troubling me. How did
anybody's tastebuds survive those endless wine'n'cheese parties in the 'seventies? All those soft cheeses - Bries and Camemberts - with their
ammoniac flavours clashing horribly with all that red Château Chunder? Easy - on the rare occasions when the cheeses tasted of anything at all, it was immediately swamped by the rasping "flavours" of the rot-gut. There are, however, matches made in heaven and Sauvignon Blanc and soft goat's cheese is one of them. There's some scientific reason but don't think about it, just pop out for some Oyster Bay and give it a go.

'CAN'T GO WRONG?'

...with Jurançon. A small appellation nestling under the Pyrenees in the Basque country (that's the people, not the lingerie) of SW France. People are catching on to the fact there are virtually no duff producers here. It's all white wine, the grapes are Gros Manseng - which makes the sappy and savoury, but rounded, "sec" wines - think Albariño maybe - while it's blended with Petit Manseng for the late-harvested "moelleux" lovelies which are luscious and honeyed but with a streak of acidity to stop them cloying. Best producers are Cauhapé, Charles Hours, Bellegarde, Larredya (see "On Spesh ..." above) but all are at least good - for now, anyway. Find them at Oddbins, Waitrose, Nicolas, The Wine Society and all good independents. Prices start around £6.00 but best to pay £8-11 for the real deal.

'A GOOD IDEA...'

... is to decant wine. I'm not talking about butlers and crystal and silver salvers here. I'm talking about getting some oxygen on to wine to let it open up. Ever noticed that big, young reds often taste better the next day? That's why it's worth slooshing your reds - all of them - out into a jug and then back into the bottle. It's called "double-decanting" and it works wonders. Have a beer to give it that vital half-hour to get the process going. Of course, if you've got something venerable with a deposit of sediment in the bottom of the bottle then be a bit more careful - pour it steadily against a strong light so that you can see when to stop pouring - i.e. when the sediment goes into the neck.

'BUYS OF THE MONTH'

La Sabrosita 2005, Calatayud, Spain (£4.99, Marks and Spencer): it means "little tasty" but this is a big, jammy red from 30-year-old Grenache vines - my best cheapy bottle of the year. I'm in good company because Tim Atkin, Victoria Moore and Anthony Rose like it too.
BUY

Nyetimber Première Cuvée 1999 (£20-25): depressed about the cricket? Drown your sorrows with this world-beating English wine - it's better than anything from down-under.
BUY

Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004/5, Chile (£5-6): we're so lucky these days to have such modestly-priced, consistent wines to rely on - black fruits, a little liquorice and a whiff of Chilean heat.
STAND-BY

Velharia Reserva 1995, Estremadura. It's actually quite hard to buy a crap bottle from Portugal at the moment, but I managed it. This is thin and mean and dried-out - there used to be tons of wine like this from Iberia, but not any more. "You're not expecting me to drink this, are you?" frowned Mrs.G
BYE-BYE