Rather than warble on like I usually do about a region/style and usually get a bit over excited on the detail, this week, here are three straight-up gorgeous wines that you need to go out and buy. All of them.
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A red...
Robert Oatley Mornington Peninsular Pinot Noir
(£11-£14)
The Robert Oatley Signature Series are selected from a portfolio of vineyards in Australia that give excellent character; their mantra is all wine should be a 'darned good drink' and this Pinot Noir definitely doesn't disappoint.
You can buy this from Oddbins, Weavers of Nottingham (limited stock remains as I nearly cleared them out - sorry!) and Ocado. Now, I never go straight for a Pinot Noir. I have it in my head that I like big reds. But there is more than one way to get big. This is big in fruit. Light in colour, the fruit is so bright and juicy, there is an every-so-slight savoury note and the (French) oak integrations makes for a very smooth, vanilla finish. Lets see how long these five bottles last....
A rosé...
Champteloup Rosé d'Anjou (Waitrose £7 or Ocado on offer £5.99 this week)
I'd never had a Gamay rosé before this week; Gamay is a red grape used in the Loire Valley and Beaujolais (France) for its lighter bodied, fruity wines packed with raspberry and strawberry on the nose and palate, plus light floral notes such as violets. Those from the Loire are delicate and elegant which in wine-speak means light, refreshing and fruity rather than full bodied. This particular one is great value; fruit and light this is perfect sat in the sun (a girl can hope), super fresh and you (I) would easily drink a bottle. Maybe best open it with friends, not alone...
Sparkle...
Reserve Cava
Even though Prosecco is in the largest growth, Cava still accounts for 50% of all sparkling wine (excluding Champagne) bought by us Brits. It's cheap and cheerful and you can get it everywhere. I have tried a few pretty awful examples; in the UK we don't seem to like paying a few extra pounds for sparkly - we are used to the £5-8 mark which supermarkets charge. I'm a big believer in paying a few extra quid and you usually get more bang for your buck. It costs about a fiver to make a bottle of wine, so you aren't going to get interesting production methods or complex flavours for this price point. That said, most of us just want something simple and refreshing for a price that isn't going to break the bank. So on that note, Cava is perfect. Plus, quality is ever improving. Look out for different quality levels; Reserve means the wine has been aged for 24 months and a Gran Reserve has been aged for 36. This basically means the wine will have mellowed and developed more complex flavours. You will be able to tell the difference. Pop into your local independent and ask for a reserve. The one I tried (pictured) was from Weavers of Nottingham.
Support your Local Independent!
I'll always try and list supermarkets or chains where possible but I'm a believer of getting to know your local independent merchant. You will learn more about what you are buying, they can advise on the styles you like and usually they have more interesting wines than the big brands.
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