Yes, Jonathan Ray is also on the chocolate matching search. While a Recioto della Valpolicella works a treat, beer seems a better option. Try Brakspear Triple or Worthington White Shield with everyday chocolate like Cadbury's Fruit & Nut or even Ferrero Rocher. Pick of the beers is Belgium's Bacchus Raspberry Beer (2.34 per 37.5cl bottle, Sainsbury's).
Read more...In the second part of her Valentine's special, SUSY ATKINS leaves pink bubbly behind for the second most seductive drink' - luscious, golden dessert wine.
Her recommendations include the 2003 Concha y Toro Private Reserve Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (6.99 for 37.5cl; Majestic); 2003/4 Chteau Liot, Sauternes (9.99 for 37.cl; Waitrose) and Hidalgo's Pedro Ximnez Viejo Napoleon (9.99 for 75cl; Majestic).
Sommeliers might have become less "snooty", says Susy Atkins but that doesn't mean it's any easier to order a bottle of wine in a restaurant. She recommends heading for the mid-section of the list which, in her opinion, offers the best value and starting with a glass of fino or manzanilla while you are trying to make your mind up. In her "Try These" section Marks & Spencer's 2005 Valpolicella Ripasso (7.49) is worthy of mention for its versatility with rich pasta dishes, steak, duck and mature cheeses.
Read more...Hats off to Rioja for doing so darned well, but what a shame for other Spanish regions that don't get a look in. Joanna Simon concedes that Ribera del Duero and Priorat are well established, and Rias Baixas has become fashionable but it's worth trying Campo de Borja, Jumilla and Yecla amongst other, she says. Recommendations for this week include the 2006 Piedra Azul, Toro (7.95, BBR).
Read more...Victoria Moore is dismayed that German Riesling can still be a lottery. The German wine grades don't give you much help on the sweetness level of the wine so you don't know what you're going to get until you've actually opened the bottle. Having paired a number of German wines up with food to find a bottle to match with dinner, she was even more disappointed: "in some cases it was like trying to dress a wrestler in Alberta Ferretti - we have to give up altogether on some very good wines because none of the food we were tasting did them any favours at all." Oh dear indeed. However she does manage to find a few that tickle her fancy including the 2006 Prinz Riesling Trocken, Rheingau (9.99, The Winery) and top scoring, roll-off-your tongue 2005 St Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Sptlese Feinherb from the Mosel (17.20, The Winebarn).
Read more...Fierce drought in South Australia has left the wine industry in a state of flux, says Jancis Robinson this week. Although there has been a slight rally in the levels of the 2007 harvest "it is still likely to be much smaller than the 21st-century average". Robinson feels her long-standing belief that consumers must familiarise themselves with "the interesting nooks and crannies on Australia's wine map," is now a reality. So with cheap Australian wine a "thing of the past" she precedes to recommend the 2004 and 2005 Crawford River Rieslings and Lusatia Park Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (17.95 at Noel Young, also from Oddbins Fine Wine).
Read more...Following the recent Climate Change and Wine Conference in Barcelona, Tim Atkin MW discusses the consequences of global warming on the world's vineyards. He warns that in fifty years time the likes of red Bordeaux, Mosel Riesling and Barossa Shiraz could be "unrecognisable". Viticulture in hotter regions such as southern Italy may no longer be viable by 2050. If this is the case, get drinking the 1006 T Toro Covitoro (6.99, Wine Rack) before it's too late. Ok, so there are ways of mitigating the effects of climate change such as planting at altitude or picking earlier, but he does not seem convinced this will be enough to save some areas. However, it's not all bad news for cooler countries that have never even had a vine growing culture. He claims Denmark and Sweden could have a future making drinkable wines. Typically cool wine growing regions may no longer be able to make the steely wines they can so enjoy Marks and Spencer's 2005 Leitz Rdesheimer Berg Roseneel Sptlese Old Vines Riesling (17, M&S) now.
Read more...Malborough Sauvignon Blanc is the most profitable wine in the world, reveals Tim Atkin MW. He adds "it rarely sells for less than 6 and often costs considerably more". What is most surprising about this, he says, is that "if you'd visited the region in the early seventies, you'd have seen enough sheep to set up a knitwear empire". The average bottle price given the high demand is 6.26, which is "the envy of every other wine-producing country". So down to business then and Atkin suggests the "fabulous" 2007 Malborough Blind River Sauvignon Blanc (Oddbins, 10.99) and the "richer, more perfumed" 2007 Fern Bay Sauvignon Blanc (Tesco, 4.99).
Read more...Joanna Simon's Sauce column broaches the topic of Chilean wine. Despite sales of the country's wine products booming, it was not the hot favourites that impressed at last month's Wines of Chile Awards in Santiago. Simon said the event where she judged "left producers reeling - not because the results were poor, but because they were not what was expected". No trophies or gold medals were given to Chardonnay, Simon continued, with the 2007 Alta Tierra winning out as the top Sauvignon regardless of its production in the Elqui Valley - "an area that didn't even grow grapes for wine until 2000". Her top picks include the 2007 Viognier, Anakena (8.49, Thresher) for its "seductive perfumes" and a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Luis Felipe Edwards (5.99 Tesco).
Read more...French wine sales are rocketing at present, says Anthony Rose, with exports hitting around 7 billion. Champagne is leading the charge on this front which, he feels, is little wonder when you have the likes of Premier Cru from Mdot's Philippe Guidot and Thierry Lombard (Selfridges, 22.99). Burgundy is on the up with sales increasing 20% as is the Vin de Pays category. He picks out the 2006 Domaine Saint Ros Cabernet Syrah (Majestic, 9.99) from the little-known Ctes de Thongue for its "aromatic, smooth and richly blackcurranty" qualities.
Read more...Your choice of glassware can enhance your wine selection immeasurably, Victoria Moore explains. And while being pernickety on this point will often mean you attract odd looks it is an important distinction to make, she continues. "Wine tastes better out of glasses that taper slightly at the rim" as "the tapering traps more of the aromas," Moore explains. And what has she being cracking open from the cellar this week? The 2005 Domaine du Colombier Chinon (Sainsbury's, 5.49) is commendable for its "gentle fragrance of red berries" while the 2006 Gavi Cristina Ascheri (Sainsbury's, 9.99) needs "a half-decent glass to reap the full benefit of this streamlined lemon- and grapefruit pith-scented Piedmont white".
Read more...Gewrztraminer, "one of the most highly perfumed wines around", is Susy Atkins' talking point this week. Suited particularly to Asian cuisine the best bottles tend to emerge from Alsace in eastern France, she says, with New Zealand and Chile also producing some good examples. Atkins selects 2006 Vin D'Alsace Gewrztraminer (M&S, 6.99) for its "clean, dry, citrus finish" and New Zealand's 2007 Villa Maria Private Bin Gewrztraminer (Waitrose, 8.49).
Read more...Joanna Simon debates the merits of Beaujolais despite her belief that many leave it to one side at this time of year. Suited to "fish, fowl or meat", she mentions it is "the bottles that don't mention the B-word that are the best the region produces". And while we may be familiar with Fleurie, Brouilly and Morgon, it is instead worth investigating the likes of Chnas, Julinas and Chiroubles. She picks out the 2006 Julinas, Domaine du Clos du Fief, (9.99, Wheeler Cellars) and 2005 Chnas, Bernard Sant, (8.50, Stone, Vine & Sun) as good options.
Read more...When friends pop round for dinner, you'll need to crack open at least a bottle or two, says Jamie Goode. The "expensive" 2005 Maycas del Limari Syrah (Majestic, 10.99) which is a "slightly spicey" Chilean with "ripe fruit flavours" is among his suggestions while the 2003 Muscat & Flora by Brown Brothers (Asda, 5.98) scores highly for being "fruity and perfumed, but not too cloying".
Read more..."Slovenia is possibly the most unusual wine culture in the world, certainly in Europe," states Jancis Robinson. It mixes the "distinctively delicious" with "some of the worst" wines to have passed her hallowed lips, she continues, with white wines filling the former category and poor Cabernet and Merlot impersonations the latter. Primorska, Brda, Posajve and Podravje are all on Robinson's list of Slovenian wine regions to look out for. Specific bottles to hunt down include the 2006 Zarja Vipava Mansus and 2003 Vizija Vipava from Batic and the 2003 Klinec Verduc Riserva Brda.
Read more...Anthony Rose touches on the Climate Change debate this week, revealing one of his favourite tricks at tastings is to ask a member of the audience which of two wine bottles is heavier at which point he "pours" their choice over their head. The point of the exercise is to prove the offending item "is the horrendous dark green 1.2kg affair that weighs more when empty than a light bottle that is full of wine". Honing in on some of the alternatives, he says bag-in-box is ruled out of recycling through its use of aluminium, while Tetra Pak is better known as a cheap sake container in Japan. One option that has been adapted by Wolf Blass is the recyclable plastic bottle (PET). And if you're veering in this direction Rose recommends its " crisp and pineappley" 2006 Green Label Chardonnay and the 2006 Green Label Cabernet Shiraz for its juicy blackcurrant notes (Both available from Asda, 7.49)
Read more...Mother's Day is on Sunday and JAMIE GOODE has recommended five lighter wines to serve with late breakfast or brunch, so you can ensure that Mum can celebrate in style. He picks two Champagnes: Mumm's Ros NV (28.99; Oddbins) and Duval Leroy Fleur 1er Cru NV (19.99, Waitrose) and three aromatic varietals under 6: a demi-sec Vouvray, an Argentinean Torrontes and an off-dry Mosel Riesling.
Read more...There is a distinction to be made between "dead-as-a-dodo, brown, oxidised" Burgundies most drinkers can spot a mile off and paler white Burgundies, which are past their best, says Jane Macquitty. The latter can slip through the net easier, she feels, meaning you may not realise an expensive white Burgundy is out of condition until it's too late. So what steps should we take, muses MacQuitty. The full ten years wine merchants recommend "no longer seems a safe bet," adding "my advice is to shrink the drinking window dramatically". Among her recommendations this week are the 2006 Beerenauslese Riesling from Dr Loosen (Waitrose, 9.99) and the "verdant" 2007 Chardonnay Lindemans Winemakers Release (Somerfield, 3.99).
Read more...Jonathan Ray recommends a "cracking" Zinfandel in the form of the 2005 Bonterra Vineyards (Waitrose, 9.99) which "is full of luscious brambly fruit, plums, spice, pepper and even chocolate". On his radar also are the Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV (Somerfield, 16.99) for its price and "high proportion of Pinot Meunier," while the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Ned Waihopai River (Wine Society, 8.95) registers for its gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours.
Read more...Easter seems to have come around particularly early this year and Susy Atkins believes the occasion merits wines of distinction. She does offer one small warning though, "beware relations bearing scary bottled gifts" such as any type of cream liqueur to accompany your chocolate. And what egg-cellent suggestions does Atkins suggest? Well the 2006 Burgundy Mcon Villages (Tesco, 4.96) surpasses its "boring" market alternatives with its "note of citrus and buttery roundness". Also on her list is the 2005 Scheurebe Beerenauslese Darting Estate (Marks & Spencer, 13.50), which is "a crisp sweet wine" that pairs well with desserts.
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