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July/August
2010
Think pink - the time is right to explore
the all round drinkability of rosé.
How well it suits our summer regime of alfresco living in jumpers and
shorts, between the barbie and the sofa.
Recent years have seen pink wine as the major growth sector (attributed to cheap air fares to the Med), and the hugely increased high street selection bears testamant to this. You are no longer forced to purchase the Mateus rosé, however cute the bottle looks with a candle in!!
So, these days how do you choose a good one? Well, firstly they won't be any cheaper then whites and reds, and there is no truth in the paler the colour the finer the wine, or the higher the alcohol the better... No, it's all about the grape variety I'm afraid, and with pinks it is not usually the classic red suspects like Cabernet, Merlot or Shiraz. Traditionally in Europe all countries bordering the Meditteranean produce decent dry rosé to quaff in the 40 degree summer heat, so your glass of chilled delicate and refreshing wine will be from grapes like Grenache/Garnacha, Cinsault and Tempranillo all of which are lighter in style. Naturally high acidity makes them very thirst quenching and oh so gluggable. As a bonus they match really well with foods that are usually difficult wine partners... think olives, tomatoes, garlic, salads, fish soups, aioli and bread.... yum.
Back home my extensive research shows that the charred barbeque meat is well covered by the chunkier styles now coming from outside Europe, Chilean Pinot Noir or Shiraz based pinks or the silghtly sweeter ones from South Africa and Australia.
Experiment, they aren't meant to be complicated, and keep a bottle or three in the fridge this summer, fill a tumbler and imagine you are sitting on the deck of your yacht bobbing amongst the Greek islands.......cheers.
June 2010
It appears that 2009 will turn out to be the most widespread fabulously good year in a generation for classic French wine. The wine trade press are gushing about Bordeaux wines, particularly the reds but also the sweet ones.
Now before I got into this wine game, Bordeaux confused more than any other region, and 15 years on it is still hardly consumer friendly. So should you be buying some? YES - with the following provisos
- remember that the reds (or clarets as they used to be called, and still are by the male pin striped brigade in their wood panelled bunkers...) are hard work and need food.
- the more affordable entry level wines (Bordeaux superieur) are great every day wines as the conditions were just perfect (meaning these wines have jumped to the next level in quality). Beware though, they need a bit of maturing time (3 years minimum) and will benefit from pouring out into a large jug before serving to soften the tannic edges.
- the great top end wines from Haut Medoc, Pauillac, St-Julien, St-Emilion etc will be gems in 20 years time....so maybe lay some down for the kids (to be drunk by you.....)
Prices will get silly. At the moment the best wines still have to be bottled (available 'en primeur' from posh merchants). But they are worth trying as an antidote to the jammy immediacy of some New World, alcohol heavy monsters.
If that all seems a biy of a faff then a great alternative, and already on the shelves, is 2009 vintage Beaujolais Villages. Refreshing and juicy, perfect for al fresco drinking and generally under a tenner.
This month's politically correct thought... quality over quantity.
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