July 2021 - Taylor-Made Wine Tasting

In Praise of England

As the summer meanders on, Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and other events remind us that England is rather lovely. As a nation, we have a tendency to be glass half-full, self-deprecating, illustrated by many peoples’ analysis of our Euros final. We came second and but for a couple of awry penalties may have taken the European Crown- close and getting closer. Let’s celebrate what is good.

English Sparkling

Which leads me to English wines, which by all international comparisons is doing very well indeed. Often beating French counterparts in blind tastings, our sparkling wines enjoy a growing reputation due to the soils and climate being very similar to that of northern France (including Champagne). Throw in global warming and all the hard work of vintners such as Hambledon (the 1^st British winemakers, Hampshire, established 1952), English wine really is in rude form.

This expensive sparkling is made by Nyetimber Estates, a stone’s throw from my brother’s house in West Sussex, some vines now growing where I once played golf with said brother, nephew and son. Nyetimber wisely decided that sparkling wines were more the future than my 9-iron. Waitrose is a champion of English wines and this Nyetimber cuvee is £37 at the moment.

Bacchus

Sauvignon blanc seems to have unstoppable appeal, and if you are a fan,

look out for wines based on the Bacchus grape. Nothing to do with Monty Python, it resembles the grass, grapefruit and zest you get from sauvignons from Marlborough, New Zealand. The Wine Society’s English White is made by Three Choirs and is very refreshing. £8.50.

Chianti classico

Finally, when it gets later into the evening, or the weather is not so summery, I will nearly always reach for a red. I prefer medium bodied bottles wine at this time of year, and I really enjoyed a Chianti-classico with my sister-in-law the other evening. Medium-bodied, smooth and fruity (the Chianti, not my sister-in-law), chianti is made from the sangiovese grape and is an oft-forgotten classic. This Morrisons Best Toscana is reduced from £10 to £8 at the moment. Bargain beauty with ripe, black fruits.

Barbecue Wines

With a wet and cold May behind us, glorious weather has arrived. And I’m sure the barbecues are out. This can present a dilemma for wine-lovers: how do we select wines to match such a wide range of barbecue food? Here are a few tips:

Rosés: Much maligned even by some of my closest friends, rosés can provide a good match for chargrilled chickens, salmon, halloumi and dare I say, even a burger. I always avoid the confected strawberry flavours of sweeter rosés, but as long as you stay with dry or off-dry styles, they can be both refreshing and good with food. Le Bijou Rosé de Sophie Valrose is a light one from the Languedoc was a delightful blush pink, dry with enough fruit to give it some body and interest. Great value. Waitrose, £5.99

For a more full-bodied rosé, the Basilicata Rosato Le Ralle, Alovini 2020 is an Aglianico-based southern-Italian wine which has a fascinating profile: the Wine Society website says that it matches well with dishes such as meatballs and lamb stew, and it delivers great punch. The Wine Society, £8.95.

But if all this talk of the pink stuff is too much and all you want is a full-bodied red, then you can’t go wrong with Argentinian Malbec. Widely available in all supermarkets, Morrison’s The Best provides the perfect foil for the well-cooked (or burnt!) meats that furnish most bar-b-cues. Doesn’t have to be expensive, but if you pay more, you’ll get more intensity and full flavours.
Try Morrison’s The Best Malbec, currently on offer at £6.50 but still good value at £7.75.