“You don’t eat the same meal every night so why drink the same wine all the time!”

Now be honest who cannot say that they have found a wine that they love and then proceed to drink it at every opportunity? As the old saying goes variety is the spice of life!

More than ever we now have the opportunity to sample wines/grapes that we have never heard of or even thought of trying. This not only enhances your range of wine favourites but enables your palate to experience the amazing range of wines that are out there!

Now let’s start with my choice of whites.

A grape that originated in Sardinia but has been planted in the Languedoc by the amazing Xavier Roger (no apologies if his name comes up again) is Vermentino and his wonderful Coquille de Mer shows why this grape has taken to the sunny climes of the Med – Peachy, Apricot, Granny Smith and tropical – what’s not to like? For all you Sauvignon Blanc followers this is a cracking alternative. What to serve this with? Well like a lot of Sauvignon this pairs well with seafood but my go to would be a creamy asparagus and wild mushroom risotto- but also great on its own.

Now let’s move to Spain – a grape that has come to the fore in recent years is Tempranillo Blanco, which was discovered in 1988 by a wine grower in a Tempranillo vineyard in the Rioja region. Whilst Tempranillo is a dark-skinned grape used to produce red wine, the grower discovered that one of his vines had undergone a mutation that produced yellow-green clusters after the ripening process had begun. Once analysed the varietal was re-planted and the result was stunning. I would highly recommend our Tempranillo Blanco by Rioja Vega, with great reviews by Decanter this is a wine that I regularly recommend to not only customers but also to friends and family when they are looking for something a bit special. Amazing tropical fruit on the nose, unctuous and sweet in the mouth with a stunning silky texture coming from its ageing in French oak barrels (for the anti-oak brigade this will change your perception). I love this with my Thai seafood curry and jasmine rice!

Now you may have heard all the hubbub re orange wine over the past year or so and I was actually not a fan until I tried our recent addition – as we say when life gives you Oranges! Our Vin Orange produced by Frederic Garrabou is the first one that I have tried that I really do like. Simply put Orange wine is skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine or amber wine where the wine is made from white wine grapes where the skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months! The resultant juice of this shows aromas of oranges – figures! - a slight nuttiness and this follows through on to the palate. Now being an ardent stinky cheese lover, I tried this as recommended with some Roquefort and Epoisses- wow!

Looking out of the window as I write this in the paradise that is Liverpool, I am hoping for the sun to make an appearance soon and my thoughts should be turning towards some Rosé – however as I say Rosé is not just a drink for Summer but all year round and the Sancerre Rose, Domaine Sylvain Bailly is the ticket. Produced using 100% Pinot Noir, this is crisp & fresh with a mineral complexity that shows how quality Rosé can be just the tipple to enjoy- tried this with some sushi – smashing!

Now onto some red wines that I recommend you try. Let’s start off with the amazing Le Marselan, Le Professeur produced by Xavier Roger (yes, I told you that he would make another appearance!) in the Languedoc- the grape is actually called Le Marselan and was created in 1961 by Paul Truel – this is a cross of Grenache and Cabernet that is rich, dense and concentrated with a perfect hints of pepper, blackberry and cassis that follow onto the palate- I adore this wine with a simple dish of good steak (topped with some roquefort) and French fries.

Let’s head off to Italy now for a stunner from Tuscany - the Toscana Rosso Leggermente Appassite - bit of a mouthful but believe me, so is the wine! Just to start by quickly explaining the wine- Appassite refers to the fact that a portion of the grapes are dried to give extra concentration. Using a blend of Sangiovese, the red grape of Tuscany, Cabernet and Merlot to produce an amazing array of black cherry, vanilla and sweet spice notes with a body that shows elegance and a velvety texture. Perfect with your Sunday Roast.

Now over to Portugal for a cracker from the Douro Valley. We have a great working relationship with the Pocas Winery, one of the only wholly Portugeuse owned Port houses who also produce some brilliant wines. Portugal has long been seen as the jewel in the crown when it comes to European wine and we tend to swerve past their wines and go straight for the Port. Please do try the Pocas Tinto by Manoel Pocas. Using indigenous grapes such as Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz amongst some others,  this shows how good wine from this region really is.  Woodland fruit notes, ripe berries and a hint of spice – if you love a good Chilli then this wine is the go to!

To finish off can I please re-iterate that in order to get the most out of the world of wine, trying different grapes/styles is really the way forward.  After all its not exactly going to be a journey that you won’t enjoy. Look for different regions as well such as Georgia (Europe not USA!)  which is a great example where we offer some outstanding wines, such as the #22 Saperavi.

In short please, please do not stick to the same wine... I can guarantee it will be worth it!

Happy drinking,

Rak
Regional Account Manager 

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