Wine lovers unite!

One of the beautiful things about wine is the sheer variety of the stuff available. From country to country, region to region or grape to grape, and even from one vintage to the next, such is the diversity of wine that you could go your whole lifetime and never drink the same bottle twice. Just like wine, its disciples come in varying guises too: some prefer to stick to the larger producers whose wines can be found on every supermarket shelf, whereas others opt for lesser-known winemakers in independent merchants; some prefer to purchase and re-purchase the styles of wine that they know, whereas others are quicker to venture out into the world of more obscure grapes and regions. For what it's worth, I think I'm somewhere in the middle of these descriptors: I know what I like and like what I know, but at the same time I have that adventurous side in me that likes to take a punt on the odd Romanian Pinot Noir or an Argentine Bonarda blend. But for me, for the best chance of satisfying every type of wine lover, there is no better place to buy your bottles than in the supermarkets.

This week, I have chosen a perfect wine to illustrate my point, which is the Tesco Finest Côtes de Gascogne 2013. A blend of the Gros Manseng grape (native to Southwest France) and the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc, this is a delicate dry French white, which should have no problem satisfying both those who yearn for grape discoveries and those who appreciate the comforts of familiar Sauvignon. What's more, whether you're an adventurer or more conventional, everyone loves good value, and this Atlantic Coast charmer is a steal at Tesco's current price of £5.99.

Of this vintage, the Times' Jane MacQuitty commented:

" [...] if it's chicken nuggets, herby chicken breasts, or even chicken kiev on the menu, then tuck into Tesco's palate-perking, floral, lemon-zest finished 2013 finest* Côtes de Gascogne - southwest France's gros-manseng-grape-based cracker, with a squirt of zingy Sauvignon Blanc".

I cannot help but agree with MacQuitty's food match with chicken, even if my immediate thought was of a delicate Thai salad. Nevertheless, this is certainly a wine to be served as an accompaniment to food: its mouth-watering acidity and medium bodied-plumpness ensure that it will sit quite happily alongside a range of meals. The wine is a very pale straw gold, with a citrussy nose and a characteristically-Sauvignon gooseberry twang. I'm almost tempted to say that there was something of a coriander whiff on the nose, which I also found in the mouth. On the palate are more citrus fruits and gooseberries: both of which are very shy, but this adds to rather than subtracts from the wine's delicate style. The finish is long and moreish, and urges you to return for another sip. I very much like this wine indeed: it is almost aloof in its restraint, and yet shows just the perfect amount of fruit to be utterly alluring. For my money, with a glass of this glorious Gascony number, Tesco succeed in appealing to both the Sauvignon brigade and the adventure-seekers - no mean feat indeed. Cheers!

An Extra Special Garnacha

Following on from my inane ramblings on the virtues of Carignan earlier in the week, I return with more musings on another Spanish grape- this time, its Aragonese relative, Garnacha. Garnacha (or Grenache if you prefer the French) is another late-ripening, warm climate grape which is one of the most widely-planted in the Mediterranean, and which can produce hearty, brambly reds both as a varietal and as a constituent. For me, the best examples almost invariably come from plantings with a low-yield of fruit (look out for 'old vine', 'vieilles vignes' etc.) as the super-concentrated grapes they produce often result in food-friendly, fruit-driven reds. Grenache/Garnacha varietals are relatively common in UK supermarkets (see Ned Halley's informative annual guide 'The Best Wines in the Supermarkets' for the top ones) and are often very reasonably priced, so wine lovers really have little excuse for not getting accustomed to this exciting grape.

One of the best recent examples I've tried is the Asda Extra Special Old Vine Garnacha 2013, as was recommended by the ever-reliable Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW for the BBC's Saturday Kitchen on 27th December (http://susieandpeter.com/saturday-kitchen-nye-2/). I was tempted by the promise of a "bright and perfumed" red with "a generous fruit character" and "gentle spiciness" that Barrie and Richards found. In addition, the fact that it made for a good match with a mouthwatering-looking slow-cooked mutton dish by top chef Thomasina Myers was encouraging, as I normally cook a couple of tomato-based red meat dishes in any given week. When this was taken into account with the positive reviews in Decanter and the Telegraph for the 2012 vintage, which was almost £3 dearer (http://www.decanter.com/dwwa/2013/wine/asda-extra-special-old-vine-garnacha-2012/3324, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/10199616/Wine-tasting-notes-Garnacha.html), it was no wonder that I couldn't wait to get my hands on a bottle to taste.

And what a bottle it is. The wine is young-looking (2013 vintage, natch) with a bright and jovial cherry red hue. On the nose, seductive aromas of purple fruits tantalise your taste buds, with blackcurrant, blackberry and vanilla intermingling beautifully. The first thing I got in the mouth was a big hit of friendly vanilla, which slowly adds more purple fruits to cleverly evolve into blackcurrant ripple on the mid-palate. The balance of oak is extremely well-pitched, and the density of fruit is such that you forget the wine's substantial alcohol content (14% abv). The wine finishes pleasantly fruity, with a suggestion of leather and palate-cleansing acidity. As expected, the wine worked perfectly with some moderately spiced Jamie Oliver meatballs (for those interested: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/meatballs/#z1OuY2ppiOk4Muyd.97) and my very own lemon rice (recipe far too valuable to share), and will be making a reappearance on my wine list very soon.

Overall then, this is one of those wines that manages to put a smile on your face: not just because of its inviting nose and densely-packed bramble fruit palate, but also because of the incredible value it represents at £5. How Asda manages to offer such a good Garnacha at this price, I will never know. My advice would be to go out straight away and grab a couple of bottles for yourself, as you'll be very glad you did. An Extra Special wine at an Extra Special price: ¡viva Garnacha!

In defence of Carignan

Carignan, Cariñena, Carignane, Mazuelo... Whatever you prefer to call it, this much-maligned grape of probable Spanish origin is not one often mentioned when discussing desirable grape varieties and wine styles. This is certainly true in the UK, where good Carignan varietals are few and far between (Tesco's perennial Finest Côtes Catalanes Carignan at £6.99 being the best I have tried); the grape often being resigned to the rather undignified category of 'blending variety'. This unpopularity is not without rhyme or reason: Carignan has suffered horrendous press by association with France's 'wine lake', as well as it being one of the biggest victims of the European Union's vine pull scheme in 1988. Additionally, the grape has a reputation for being one of the most difficult to cultivate well, with great skill required on the part of the vintner to produce a wine that makes the most of Carignan's natural high acidity and aggressive tannins. When made badly, Carignan (as noted by Jancis Robinson MW in her well-written 2004 piece 'Can Carignan(e) ever be great?', http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/can-carignane-ever-be-great) displays "high acidity and green, unripe flavours", both of which wine lovers often wish to avoid. However, for me the picture is not so bleak for the poor Carignan grape, and I have firm belief in the grape's ability to produce red wines of great weight and complexity. If you are someone who prefers your punchy Primitivos to your Pinot Noirs, or your big-hearted Barolos to your Beaujolais, then Carignan is a grape with which you can fall hopelessly in love.

I do hold some sympathy, however, with those like Robinson who are not partial to the misunderstood grape's charms. In my experience, the sad truth for those of us who don't have the good fortune to live in Languedoc-Roussillon is that the very best Carignan wines tend to be reserved for the domestic market (a constant source of anguish for my Uncle Loz and I). Pop into any Carrefour or other retailer in any major town in France's picturesque south and you can leave awash with plenty of big, heady Carignans around the €5 mark, whereas - aside from the Tesco offering mentioned above - I think you'd struggle to find a good one in the UK for anything less than a tenner.

Yet, perhaps the grape's fortunes in the UK are changing. In a fascinating 2012 article entitled 'The rise in popularity of the Carignan grape', the Telegraph's wine correspondent Victoria Moore spoke of the variety's brighter outlook and reported positively on her feelings towards Carignans under the £15/£20 mark (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9103680/Red-wine-the-rise-in-popularity-of-the-carignan-grape.html). One such wine, which was rated highly by both Moore and Robinson, was the 2011 vintage of Alain Grignon Vieilles Vignes. In his superb video blog series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sniA7zOICac - I haven't seen a bad one yet!), Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com also spoke highly of the 2011 vintage, noting the spice and black fruit nose and the "creaminess to the texture and the fruit" on the palate. For me, Carignan should always announce itself boldly, so it was pleasing to hear of the wine's vinosity too (as Cannavan remarks, "it smells like red wine!"). Overall, the reception to the wine boded very well indeed for my tasting of its younger 2013 sibling.

And once the top came off (irritatingly a screw cap, which should never be the case for Southern French reds) I certainly wasn't disappointed. The wine displayed Cariginan's softer side, with its medium body and its slightly peppery edge - I'd be surprised if there wasn't a dosage of Grenache involved - as opposed to its big, bold personality: but it was nevertheless a lipsmackingly-good quaffer. On the nose, I found a touch of cinnamon mingled amongst juicy red berries and savoury notes, which evolved into redcurrants and cranberry on the palate. The merest suggestion of vanilla oak lingered in the background, which added to rather than overshadowed the wine's character. As so happened, I enjoyed the wine with moderately spiced Mexican food: a combination which worked surprisingly well (I normally avoid red wine and spice at all costs). Perhaps this was not so unexpected however, as one of Cannavan's food pairing suggestions was chilli con carne. This was then a good value, well-poised wine with characteristic Languedocien charm, which proved the renaissance of the Carignan grape is well on-track. However, it missed out on the dense, brooding and heady characteristics of some of the best that I've tried, and this will heart-wrenchingly lead to another sortie to the South to pick up France's finest examples. Yet somehow, I don't think either myself or Loz will mind.

Christmas & New Year: A summary

I think that I'm a lot kinder to white wines than I am to reds. Generally speaking, and all things being equal, I will predominantly opt for the latter's darker charms and sleeker nuances over the lighter, brighter delights of a decent bottle of vin blanc. This is not to say that I am not a huge fan of white wine (quite the opposite actually: I am of the school of thought that believes many whites are actually much better suited to food than the traditional reds), however given the perfect set of variables, I would sooner slurp on a sleek, juicy Claret than a seductive Sauvignon Blanc. Which is why, over the festive season, a worrying trend in my drinking preferences struck me: that I am generally a lot more favourable towards white wines than their similarly-priced red bedfellows.

Two wines that were the bearers of this disturbing news were the supple and elegant Alain Grignon Sélection Vieilles Vignes Carignan 2013 (Majestic, £5.99 down from £7.99 - separate blog on the way) and the beautifully balanced Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Verdicchio Classico 2013 (£6 down from £7.50). Both wines brought a little bit of their own magic to my December proceedings: the freshness and vivacity of Sainsbury's Italian number went down very well with BBC Four's brilliant two-part Queen documentary 'Days of Our Lives', whilst the well-poised Languedoc soother rounded of a joyously lazy January day on our annual family winter getaway. However, I became aware that whilst I was drinking the Carignan I was constantly searching for more from the wine, and ignoring the attractive redcurrant and soft cinnamon flavours present in what can sometimes be a very tricky grape; yet with the Verdicchio I was prepared to let myself be amazed by what was admittedly a very good Italian white. In truth, both bottles represented excellent value for money, and my choice between them in the future would simply be a question of the food I was trying to match. Yet, the uncomfortable truth is that this constant search for more in already perfectly good reds seems to be systematic in my drinking experiences. Am I unjustly scrupulous when drinking reds? Does my palate harbour stronger feelings towards white grapes than I have heretofore been able to admit? Or, is it perhaps a case of better value on the white wines shelves at my normal pricepoint (£10 and under)? Whilst I mull over these troubling self-revelations, here is a round-up and tasting notes of my Sainsbury's Christmas wines in order of personal preference (See blog 13/12/14):

• Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Verdicchio Classico 2013: A top wine as mentioned above, handsomely bottled with a real 'verde' tint. The nose is characteristically Italian (dry and restrained white fruits), with apples, pears and lemon peel freshness and acidity on the palate. A well-balanced wine that is simply delightful as an apératif, but which would also marry extremely well with creamy spinach and ricotta ravioli.

•  Kanonkop Kadette 2012: A ruby-red Pinotage dominated blend, inspired by Bordeaux and which does a fairly good job of imitating it too. The nose is a pleasant array of plum, blackberry and oh-so-delicate banana, leading to an uncharacteristically un-South African elegant palate suggestive of stone fruits and white pepper. The oak treatment results in cedar rather than vanilla, and the absence of fruitiness on the mid-palate is reassuringly plumped out with a European-esque savouriness. A difficult one to match with food, but after a mouthful of this moreish Stellenbosch red, you probably won't care anyway.

•  Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Chilean Pinot Noir 2012: From the Pacific region of Chile's Valle de Casablanca comes this inviting 'rosado'-coloured Pinot, brimming full with a nose of cranberry, redcurrants and cedar. These flavours are carried through on the palate, where they mingle happily with notes of vanilla. A wine with good length and an easy-going nature which makes for a good quaffer, but whose oak-aging is slightly too overdone for my palate.

• Sainsbury's Winemaker's Riesling 2013: I feel slightly harsh giving fourth place to this eager, fruit-forward, bouncy Riesling, whose nose of fleshy green apple and flavours of sweet orchard fruits and syrupy melon shame many more expensive Teutonic counterparts. Nevertheless, unfortunately the wine is overly sweet for my palate (Off-dry on the label is very generous) and I can't help feeling that many more like me in our nation of dry white drinkers would feel likewise. A very good match with the dry heat of an Indian curry, however!

Torrontés? Oh yes!

Just before the big Christmas shutdown, I scrambled hastily into my local Majestic Wine shop in Milton Keynes, armed with a five bottle-strong list of wines to see me through the final days of 2014. I like the ethos of Majestic: a strong and diverse selection of high-quality offerings, with perpetual good offers and a minimum six bottle purchase. This mindset is unaffected by the festive season, and among my choices was an excellent bottle of Gérard Bertrand Viognier Réserve Spéciale 2013 priced at £7.49, which went down very well with my girlfriend's family on Boxing Day. However, the star purchase was my lucky dip sixth bottle: the alluringly-packaged Viñalba Selección Torrontés 2014.

In his informative video blog on the 2012 vintage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDLuTQbkKoc), Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com likens the fragrant Argentine grape to Muscat and Gewürztraminer, and says that the 2012 Viñalba wine strikes a good balance between the highly-perfumed varieties and the more fruit-driven styles. He notes the hint of lychee, fresh pear and nectarine on the nose, and the "tangerine/mandarin orange blast" on the palate.

For me, the delicate aromatics of the 2012 vintage are consistent in the 2014 offering, with a slight florality and melon, kiwi and citrus fruits on the nose. These tropical fruits are reflected on the palate, with a suggestion of spearmint in the finish. I would certainly agree with Cannavan's assessment of this Torrontés as an excellent food wine (think lightly spiced Thai dishes) but equally I would be more than happy to quaff this beautifully classical and elegant number on a warm Summer's day. A winner from Viñalba and a winner from Majestic. Torrontés? Oh yes!