Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Great Value Italian Wines

Today on the Thursday Club with talkRADIO, we sing the praises of three Italian wine grapes you might not have heard of but certainly need to be tasted: Fiano, Nero D’Avola and Primitivo. They also often make wines that are fantastic value too, like these three below.

All wines this week have been sent courtesy of Corney & Barrow , who also happen to be doing a celebrity wine tasting tonight (May 13th) at 8pm to raise money for hospitality. See more here on that.

Fiano Masseria Bianca 2018

The white grape of Southern Italy is Fiano, which makes universally loveable white wines that combine a citrussy freshness with riper, tropical notes of nectarine and pineapple.  This one is grown on limestone-rich soils near the Ionian Sea in Puglia, which gives it a particular freshness and cool slick of chalkiness. Campania is the main Italian region for this grape but you can find i elsewhere like Puglia and Sicily too. If you like un-oaked, new world Chardonnay.

Find it here for £10.25 from Corney & Barrow.

Mucchietto IGT Primitivo del Salento 2019

The Primitivo grape is said to be the old cousin of Zinfandel, which is famous over in California for making equally rich and brooding reds. It thrives in its Puglian homeland in Italy, where it makes wines that are particularly ripe, figgy, soft and juicy, often with notes of chocolate dipped cherry, sweet spice and beeswax. This is the comfort blanket of Italian red wine styles. If you like red Zinfandel, you’ll like this.

Find it here for £10.25 from Corney & Barrow.

Cipollina IGT Rosso Terre Siciliane 2018

For this wine, we head over to Sicily where the native Nero d’Avola grape rules the roost for rustic, easy-drinking and inexpensive red wines. This one by Cipollina is Nero d’Avola dominant with a cheeky splash of Syrah. Brooding and dark red, thanks partly to the sun’s heat, it has notes of rich, baked cherry pie, warm spice, plum and violets. The perfect party or barbecue wine, it’s a crowd pleaser that looks and tastes much smarter than its price tag would suggest.  If you like Shiraz /Syrah, you’ll like this.

Find it here for £8.50 from Corney & Barrow.

8 Reasons to Try Boxed Wine

Click above to play the video!

Words by Helena Nicklin

Boxed wine, also known as bag-in-box wine, was one of the industry winners during lockdown with more than one in four people aged 25-34 buying them during this period, according to a recent report from Sainsbury’s. Fewer trips to the shops might have been an initial, very real cause for this during the pandemic, but it seems that people soon realised that you can now get some pretty decent wine in boxes. Add some astonishing green credentials to the mix and it's little wonder that boxed wine / bag-in-box wine is a trend we are seeing exploding, with more and more brands available, many of them looking super swish and containing delicious, premium wine. Here are eight reasons to buy boxed wine in 2020 and eight suggestions for great ones to try:

1) Tighter Technology

Boxed wine no longer has to mean oxidised, vinegary wines thanks to huge leaps in quality with the technology, with many companies using special vacuum taps and collapsible bag inners that keep out oxygen properly. Oxygen after all is the killer of wine! Tip: If the tap looks like the one in the picture, you’re looking at the top of the range tech.

2) Longer lasting than bottles

Thanks to this technology, boxed wine, once opened, can stay fresh for a month when stored upright and cool in the fridge (even the reds). Some even say six weeks but who keeps it that long anyway?!

3) You can have one glass...

… without feeling obliged to finish the whole bottle - or waste the rest of an opened bottle. 

The BIB Wine Company have quickly gained a reputation for good looking, luxury bag-in-box wines.

4) Cheaper than bottle equivalents

Most boxed wines now come in 2.25L sizes, the equivalent of 3 bottles of wine. Given that the packaging for boxed wine is a lot cheaper to produce than single use glass bottles AND the packaging works for three bottles worth of wine at a time, that value can be passed back the customer. 

5) Greener than glass

A recent study has shown that the CO2 produced during the manufacture, transportation and disposing of a single use glass bottles can be up to ten times that of the infinitely more recyclable BiB wines. Producing bag-in-box wines consumes around 80% less water than glass bottles too. Many companies are now also going a step further, making sure their boxed wine packaging is as sustainably sourced and recyclable as possible. You’ll even see several boxed brands with environmental initiatives such as the BIB Wine Company, who are planting a tree for every box sold. What’s not to love? #lowcarbondrinking is real.

6) Portability

It’s much easier to carry the equivalent amount of wine when it’s in a box than when in a bottle. That picnic in the park when we are allowed to see other humans again, or dinner parties, stocking up for Christmas… Imagine lugging three heavy, clinky, wine bottles around, when you could just pick up a pretty box with a hand strap.

7) Quality wines

It may not have been the case in the past when bag-in box wine was known as ‘hangover juice’, but nowadays, you’ll find the same wines you’ll find in bottles inside those bags and boxes. The common misconception that it’s inferior wine needs to be rethought. 

8) No light strike

Light strike is a phenomenon that’s becoming a bit of a buzz word this year. Generally speaking, it refers to the negative effects sunlight can have on wine, where funky, stinky aromas and flavours are produced. It doesn't take long to happen either, which is why you should avoid bottles sitting in shop windows. Wine in glass bottles are obviously much more susceptible to this than boxed wine, which is protected by the cardboard outer layer. 

Have we convinced you yet? Here are some boxed wines to try. Let us know what you think on Twitter @the3drinkers or Insta @thethreedrinkers:

WHITE WINES

Maree d’Ione Organic Fiano 2.25L

Fiano at its best is a great all-rounder grape, making easy-drinking, pineapple and orange scented whites. This one is exactly that with a lovely weight and balance of fruit and acidity. Very classy.

£25.99 / £8.66 per bottle equivalent. Find it at Waitrose here 

BIB Wine Company Dry Furmint: 2.25L

Furmint is one of the grapes that makes the famous Hungarian sweet wine called Tokaji. We’re seeing more dry Furmints on our shelves these days and we think it’s going to be the next big thing in wine. Crisp and refreshing, with subtle notes of honeysuckle. It’s a little bit different, versatile and very easy to love.

£38 / £12.67 per bottle equivalent. Find it at bibwine.co.uk here

When in Rome Grillo 2.25L 

Grillo is the Sicilian grape that will transport you back to a foreign summer holiday with warm winds and fresh seafood on the beach. Golden and tropical with a cool mineral core, this is rustic wine that’s easy going and perfect with simple weekday meals like pizza and pasta.

£26.99 inc delivery / £8.99 per bottle equivalent. Find it on Amazon here

Clearsprings Sauvignon Blanc 2.25L

A benchmark Sauvignon Blanc that’s lemon citrusy and leafy with classic grassy notes. Softer on acidity than some and for the price tag, it’s remarkably good value. Have it with goats cheese or quiche with salad and it will sing.

£16 / £5.33 per bottle equivalent. Find it at Sainsbury’s here.

RED WINES

Terre di Faiano Organic Rosso 2.25L

A big cuddle in a glass, this Primitivo blend from Puglia tastes like chocolate-dipped raisins and honey. Silky smooth and rich with lots of ripe fruit, if you like it big and bold, this wine is for you. Beautifully packaged too, it would also make a great gift.

£25.99 / / £8.66 per bottle equivalent. Find it at Waitrose here

BIB Wine Company, Domaine les Caizergues, ‘Terrasses du Larz’ 2.25L

The BIB Wine Company is currently the go-to place for luxury bag n box wines. Beautifully packagedin sleek grey board, their wines are serious and delicious. A blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan, this elegant Southern French red blend from the Languedoc is concentrated and fresh, packed with crunchy, red berry fruit, subtle tobacco spice and a food friendly slick of saline. Proper wine, glass after glass.

£37.50 / £12.50 per bottle equivalent. Find it at bibwine.co.uk here

Co-op Fairtrade Chilean Merlot 2.25L 

Here’s where cheap is very cheerful. A classic Chilean Merlot with its up front, smoky nose giving way to rich, dark red fruit and cedar. It’ll warm the cockles on an Autumnal day and at under £5 a bottle, there is nothing to complain about!

£14.50 / £4.83 per bottle equivalent. In store only at Co-op.

Most Wanted Shiraz 2.25L

Fans of Aussie Shiraz will not be disappointed by this friendly little number. Think spicy jam tarts and licorice with a touch of smoke. A little lighter than some Shiraz wines, but all the more drinkable for it. Great value too. 

£17 / £5.67 per bottle equivalent. Find it as ASDA here

Want more wine recommendations? Try this Guide To Prosecco Styles, Celebrity wines available now and The Best Red Wines To Have Chilled.