7 Wines for an Indian Summer!

The sun is back out and we’re in for some glorious, warm evenings. Here are seven of my favourite summer sippers from this year to elongate that holiday feeling!

Mar de Frades Albariño Atlantico

Razor sharp, dry and saline, this is citrusy white hails from Rias Baixas in Galicia, northwestern Spain. It tastes as fresh as squeezing lemon juice on your fish and chips and is delicious with all seafood but great on its own too.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £17

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Misco Tenuta di Tavignano 2021

Once a staple in our fridges, the Verdicchio grape fell out of favour here in the UK when the bold Aussie Chardonnays stole the limelight in the nineties. Now as our palates have matured, the lean, cool yeastiness of this Italian white from Le Marche appeals once again . This Misco is a serious version with compex notes of apple, green almond and subtle apricot.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 13.98%
Find here: £25

Pasqua “Hey French You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t”

This multi-vintage white is a juicy blend of Garganega, Pinot Blanc & Sauvignon Blanc from 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 and Pasqua’s finest vineyards in Verona, Italy. Lots of aromatics, texture and flavours of greengage, peach and candied peel.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £32

Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko

Of all the Assyrtiko wines I have tasted this summer, this is my favourite. A fabulous combo of zesty lemon, quince and peach with a slick of saline making it ridiculously glugworthy. A really special wine that sets the benchmark for balance.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: £40

Hidden Sea Chardonnay

Fans of easy-going, Aussie Chardonnay will love Hidden Sea, not just for its generous, melon and honeysuckle-scented juice, nor for its super stylish bottle but each product purchased helps remove plastic from the oceans! What an excellent reason to stock up. A great, affordable, all rounder wine.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 13%
Find here: £10

Hampton Water Rosé

This elegant but ripe Grenache-based blend hails from the Languedoc and is the brainchild of Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse with wine skills by vinous Languedoc legend, Gerard Bertrand. Think wild strawberry and creamy, raspberry compote. A real easy drinker but smart with it.

Size: 750mL
ABV: 13%
Find here: £19

Babylonstoren Rosé

This lively, pale, South African pink cuts a stunning figure in its smart, screen printed bottle. Fans of Bandol in Provence will like this more savoury, fuller-bodied rosé made with the meaty Mourvèdre grape. It’s a BBQ in a bottle with its aromatic nose, ripe strawberries and cream notes and crisp acidity. Lush!

Size: 750mL
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £16

If you’re looking for more end-of-summer sips, then take a look at these wines from Santorini, and for recipes to pair perfectly with Albariño, check out this article.

One Minute Wine Ace: Albariño

The 1st August is Albariño Day! If you haven’t tried Albariño before, listen up as this is going to be your new, go-to, all rounder, white wine. Trust me…

What is Albariño wine and where is it from?

Albariño is a white wine grape whose spiritual home is the naturally beautiful region of Rías Baixas in Galicia, northwestern Spain; a place characterised by its wet and wild,coastal climate given its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and a lot of granite in the soils. 90% of wine grapes planted here are Albariño; it is the white, fine wine region of Spain.

If you think of stormy seas, ripening lemons, wet rocks and sea spray, you’ll have an instant feel for these wines. 

Albariño vineyards in Rias Baixas with their characteristic vine training system and granite poles to keep air circulating.

What does Albariño wine taste like?

Albariño has thick skin and ripens slowly. This contributes to its famously vibrant acidity and elegantly intense aromatics of citrus and peach. It also has a deliciously cool minerality, which makes it a wonderful pairing for fish and seafood. 

Styles of Albariño 

Winemakers in Rías Baixas have been experimenting with Albariño in recent years in order to offer varying styles of wine. Traditionally, the wine has been fermented in stainless steel and is made to be drunk young to preserve its super fresh character. We are however, seeing more and more wines that have seen some oak ageing and /or time spent on the lees (dead yeast cells from fermentation), which give the wines a creamier texture and more complexity of flavour. Wines made like this are more gastronomic, meaning they can handle richer flavours and textures when it comes to food pairing. 

A classic fish dish made to go with Albariño

There are also some subtle differences in the wines from each of the five sub regions of Rías Baixas:

Val do Salnés: This is the largest sub-region, famous for its sandy soils and traditional vineyards and style of Albariño. 

O Rosal: This subregion is near the Portuguese border where soils are more granitic. Other white grapes such as Loureiro and Treixadura are also grown here, so it’s a good place to try blends. 

Condado do Tea: Located inland along the Tea River, Albariño here is a little more floral, thanks largely to the alluvial soils.

Ribeira do Ulla: Towards the north and along the Ulla River, this small subregion has a mix of granite, schist and alluvial soils and a slightly milder microclimate thanks to the river. Wines here are floral and vibrant with a particular tropical note.

Soutomaior: The smallest sub-region near the town of Soutomaior with granite soils and vines on steeper, terraced slopes, which help bring more minerality and salinity to the wines as well as a pronounced white blossom note.  

More Albariño vineyards with granite buildings and supports.

Where to taste Albariño in the UK?

Head over to www.albarinoday.co.uk to find stockists as well as venues for tasting Albariño wine. Here are some of my favourites:

PLANET OF THE GRAPES

Leadenhall, Bull's Head Passage, London.

Planetofthegrapes.co.uk

THE TAPAS ROOM TOOTING

Broadway Market Tooting, Tooting High Street, London SW17 0RJ.

thetapasroom.co.uk

EVUNA NORTHERN QUARTER

Evuna NQ, Thomas Street, Manchester.

evuna.com/restaurant/manchester-northern-quarter

THE ELM TREE INN

Shop Lane, Langton Herring, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4HU.

theelmtreeinn.co.uk

Six Albariño wines to try:

Condes de Albarei 2022, Val do Salnés

Made by Adega Condes de Albarei, this is a super fresh, zesty white with delicate flavours of apricot and white peach.

£14.99 from The Wine Flyer

@condes_de_albarei

Torre la Moreira 2022, Condado do Tea

Made by Bodegas Marques de Vizhoja, this is a cracking, youthful Albariño with a soft texture and a pretty, floral character. 

£13.40 from Vinissimus

@bodegasmarquesdevizhoja

Albariño Martin Codax 2022, Val do Salnés

Made by Bodegas Martin Codax, this is a brilliant introduction to Salnés Albariño with its lemon citrus acidity and salty kick. 

£14.58 from The Great Wine Co

@bodmartincodax @martincodax_uk

Santiago Ruiz 2022, O Rosal

Made by Bodega Santiago Ruiz who are considered to be the fathers of Albariño, being the first to sell these wines from Galicia. This particular bottle is a blend of Albariño with Loureiro, Treixadura, Godello and Caíño Blanco.

£22.25 from DrinkFinder

@bodegasantiagoruiz

Turonia 2021, O Rosal

Made by Quinta Couselo with a touch of oak and 4 months on lees, this is a zesty, concentrated, lemony white with refreshing acidity. 

£21 from Bottle Apostle

@quinta_couselo

Silandeiro Sobre Lías 2022, Val do Salnés

Made by Bodegas Gallegas, this lees aged Albariño has a gorgeous, lemon peel, white peach and honeysuckle nose and a deliciously silky mouthfeel.

£23.95 from Mothervine

For more in depth information on the delicious wines of Rias Baixas, visit www.riasbaixaswines.com

TalkTV: Award-Winning Wines From Spain

When we hear the words Spanish wine, what do we immediately think of? Rioja? Certainly. Cava? Probably. Anything else? Today is all about discovering some grapes and regions that wine buffs love but that don’t get enough recognition in our normal, wine-drinking consumer world. Below, I’ve picked three wines that recently made the top 100 list at the prestigious Wines of Spain Awards, judged by a top team of wine pros. CLick the button below to see the full list.

Godello

Godello is a Spanish white wine grape that has been finding favour over recent years as a great alternative to Sauvignon, Soave, Gavi and the usual suspects. It’s most popular in Galicia where Albariño is king, but can be found in other Spanish regions as well as across the world where it is also known as Gouveio (Portugal) and Agudelo (France). It’s a grape whose style will change based on terroir and winemaking techniques but very generally, is often zesty, refreshing, saline and textured with notes of grapefruit and lime and a hint of smokiness. 

Try: Godello Pepa Porter, Adegas Terrae 2021

Hailing from the lesser known, dry and granite-rich D.O. Monterrei, which is located in the southeast corner of the province of Ourense in Galicia, this wine made the top 100 list and is cracking value. Think savoury stone fruit and a slick of salty licorice and lime. Delicious. 

Find it for £12-13 from Vinissimus & VinoDirect.com 

Garnacha Blanca (White Grenache)

White Garnacha, aka Grenache, to give it its more usual French name, is a grape that has been on the rise in Spain recently and does fantastically well. This is probably due to the popularity of red Grenache (Grenache Noir), even though it’s technically a different grape that behaves very differently. We are seeing a revival of Garnacha Blanca in the regions of Priorat,  Aragón and Montsant but it is also increasingly common in Rioja blends as well as in top end, single-varietal wines. It’s storming it in Navarra too at the moment, with acreage growing from 2.5 to 123H in fifteen years. It is no longer a minor grape variety so if you like rich and weighty white wines, seek out a Garnacha Blanca. Try this grape with rich and creamy poultry or rice dishes. 

Try: Perelada Només Garnatxa Blanca 2021 (Best White Over £10)

Hailing from the region of ​​Empordà in Spain, this is 100% white Grenache and a great example of it at that. Think weighty, fleshy and creamy white wine with notes of melon, vanilla, baked apple and white chocolate. Great with food like hard cheese, nuts and poultry. 

Find it from £10.50- at Vinissimus & AMPS Wine Merchants

Ribera del Duero

Not a grape but a wine region, Ribera del Duero D.O. is located about 200 miles southwest of Rioja in the greater region of Castilla y León on the banks of the Duero River. It is famous for making powerful red wines predominantly with the Tempranillo grape, like Rioja but while the wines tend to use the same blends as their more famous neighbour, the style is more concentrated, pure fruited, complex and powerful thanks to harsher, hotter conditions and slightly different soils. They are beefy wines that do well with hard cow cheese and meaty dishes. 

Try: Laderas del Norte, Arzuaga, Ribera del Duero 2020

The powerful, organic red is concentrated but silky in texture with wild strawberry and spice notes, licorice and chocolatey notes. Needs some time open and it will age beautifully. Find an older vintage if you can.

Find the 2017 vintage at Harvey Nichols & Wadebridge Wines for £20- £21.50

Find out what else we’ve been tasting with Mike Graham on talkTV here. 

What are the key styles of Malbec?

It’s World Malbec Day on the 17th April! As if we needed an excuse to open a bottle of this chocolatey, velvety wine. To celebrate, let’s get up close and personal with some of the keys styles of Malbec, from France to Argentina. 

While Malbec may be the flagship red wine grape of Argentina these days, its heritage is actually French. It hails from the small French appellation of Cahors in France, which lies inland from Bordeaux on the river Lot. Malbec here is better known as Côt or even Auxerrois in some places and will be found in bottles labelled ‘Cahors’ (remember, in France, wines are very often named after place rather than grapes). When from Cahors, Malbec is darker; more inky, tannic and intense than in its fruitier, Argentinian guise. 

It was only in the 1780s that the grape was planted in Bordeaux by a Monsieur Malbeck and the name for this ‘new’ Bordelais blending grape stuck. It flourished here for a while but gradually got replaced with Merlot as it was a hardier grape for the weather. Its real moment came in the 1880s when French immigrants arrived in Argentina, bringing with them vine cuttings from Bordeaux. Malbec, who had not exactly shone in Bordeaux with the cool weather, flourished here in the sunny dry conditions and the rest is history!

Here’s a Cahors and three Malbec wines from Argentina’s three key provinces: Patagonia, Mendoza and Salta.

Cahors, France

Malbec from its homeland in Cahors is full-bodied and inky black with notes of dark, mulberry spice and a flash of baked red fruit. This is an approachable starter Cahors. The more you go up the price scale, the more intense and heavy they become. Try with hard nutty cheese and braised meats!

Cahors, M&S

Find this one for £8 at M&S

Patagonia, Argentina

Cooler than the more famous region of Mendoza, Patagonian Malbec from the south of the country tends to have a little more elegance, silkiness and freshness with crunchy raspberry and black cherry notes. Think of frozen raspberries dipped in dark chocolate! This one has a bit of age on it too so enjoy those secondary aromas of spice and leather. 

Vinalba Patagonia Malbec

Find it for £10 at Morrisons

Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza is the best known wine region in Argentina and for good reason. Its warm, dry climate and fabulous light give Malbecs that are ripe and velvety, packed with baked blueberry and milk chocolate notes. Seek out higher altitudes such as this one and you’ll be rewarded with more concentration and complexity. It’s a Fairtrade Malbec made sustainably from grapes grown in the Finca Altamira vineyard in the premium sub region of Uco Valley, 1,100 metres above sea level. It’s aromatic and vibrant red wine with notes of red fruits, herbs, and a great mineral character.

Argento Altamira Single Vineyard Organic Malbec

Find it for £13.50-£13.99 from urbangrapes.co.uk and allaboutwine.com.

Salta, Argentina

Way up in the north of Argentina with extraordinarily high altitude vineyards (think 1700 ml ASL and above!) and exquisitely pure sunlight, is the province of Salta. Within Salta, sits the town and region of Cafayate, which is surrounded by the dramatic, red rock and desert Calchaquí Valleys. Wines from Salta have their own personality. As the light is so strong here and the attitudes bring huge diurnal temperature swings, the malbec grapes develop a thicker skin here (like their own sun protection), which gives the wines a darker colour and more tannic structure together with a cool elegance. Think sea salted dark chocolate with mint at that’s the style. Yum!

Cafayate Estate Malbec

Find this one for £11 at Sainsbury’s 

See more of what we have tasting on the Thursday Club with Mike Graham on talkRADIO TV here!

Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Top Wines from Morrisons

It’s Thirsty Thursday and that means time for the Thursday Club with talkRADIO! This week, we continue the supermarket theme and taste three wines that impressed me from Morrisons. Two whites and red. Have you heard of any of these?

Morrisons ‘The Best’ Rioja Blanco

White Rioja is a totally different animal to red Rioja, even though it is made in the same region.  While the reds are based largely or entirely on the Tempranillo grape, white Rioja is all about white grapes, especially one called Viura, which has to make up at least 51% of the blend. Other local white grapes can be added too, such as  Malvasía de Rioja, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca, Turruntés de Rioja, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo. The style of these can be light or heavy and there is often a bit of oak involved. They have age statements too like the reds, from Joven, which means young, up to Gran Reserva, which will be released after a minimum of 48 months. This one is fairly young and has a good balance of ripe fruit, oak and texture. 

Find it here for £7.75

Masseria Pietrosa Verdeca 

We’ve talked previously about how Italy has some really interesting and brilliant value grape varieties, so here’s another one for you: Verdeca. It’s fairly rare, comes largely from Puglia and Emiglia-Romana and tends to be aromatic with herbal notes and ripe, citrussy flavours with a mineral core. It’s often used in blends from smaller DOCS around Southern Italy, so it’s interesting to see it here as a varietal wine (With just one grape on the label). Masseria Pietrosa means old stone farmhouse and refers to the famous trulli houses in the area. 

Find it here for £7

Morrisons ‘The Best’ Barolo 2017

Barolo is the famous Italian wine hailing from Piedmont in the North and made with the Nebbiolo grape. It’s often a bit of a surprise as it often looks pale and delicate and has pretty, aromatic notes of rose petals and violet but then get it in your mouth and it’s hugely powerful and full-bodied. Think tar and roses, truffle and marzipan. Needs time open and an amazing meat stew. This one won a gold in the recent International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). 

Find it here for £14

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.

Drinker Discoveries: Six Refreshing Sips for a Sizzling Summer

We’re lucky enough to taste all kinds of drinks given what we do and in Drinker Discoveries, we pick the best of the bunch. This week, I bring you a wealth of stunning sippers for the sunshine, from European aperitifs to perfect pinks and even a new generation of cocktail cherry.

Enjoy!

Helena x

Rosé Wine Star

Le Grand Cros ‘Aurelia’ 2019

This rosé wine stood head and shoulders above its peers in a recent tasting; I was blown away! Hailing from the Côtes de Provence, it was a wine created by Julien Faulkner at Le Grand Cros to showcase the very best of their terroirs and he named the wine after his eldest daughter, Aurelia. Made in a fuller-bodied, creamier style thanks to lees ageing, more skin maceration and a touch of oak ageing, it’s packed full of fresh peach and ripe strawberry with a subtle note of rose and red appleskin. Its rich texture makes it an ideal gastronomic rosé and one that can be tasted all year round. This is going to be my Christmas lunch wine!

Find it here at Faulker Wines for £28.95

Awesome Aperitifs

Graham’s Blend no. 5 White Port (19%)

Port & tonic is the refreshing aperitif they’ve been drinking in Portugal for years, but it’s now making a splash in the UK. If you're thinking ‘how can Port be white?’, it’s when white grapes are used to make this famous fortified wine, such as Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Códega, Sercial and Viosinho. White Ports are usually made to be drunk young and work really beautifully with all sorts of tonics. This very pretty one from Graham’s was created with Port and tonic in mind, so it’s citrusy and floral with notes of lime, orange and subtle fresh herbs. A great gin alternative.

Find it at Waitrose and Master of Malt for £21.99 - £24.99

La Gitana Manzanilla En Rama 2020 (15%)

Following the fortified wine theme, this savoury, dry sherry is a special version of Manzanilla called ‘en rama’. This is a style that’s released more in its natural state than standard Manzanillas, and so has more texture and complexity. Sherry lovers go mad for them and their twiglet-esque, yeasty notes. Made with pure, free run juice directly from the barrel, it boasts concentrated but tangy flavours of salted almonds and baked bread with a classic chamomile note. The perfect aperitif in hot weather and an ideal drink for salty snacks and cheeses.

Find it at Virgin Wines for £16.99

No and Low

Fortnum & Mason Rosé Sparkling Tea (0% abv)

This elegant looking bottle is the perfect, non-alcoholic replacement for Champagne and Prosecco  in looks and taste. Made with a blend of eight of Fortnum’s certified organic teas, it’s a delicious drop that feels like a treat thanks to the complex aromas and flavours from all the teas as well as a very wine like tannic grip. Aromatic, with stronger notes of jasmine tea and hibiscus, it’s light in its feet and a great food drink too. I’m stocking up! 150mg Caffeine per 1L

Find it here. For £16.95

Something and Nothing Seltzers (0% abv)

Finally! Something lighter and drier than a soft drink and that tastes all natural. These look great too with their super smart, matte white packaging. These elegant drinks are made with fresh, carbonated spring water and infused with subtle, all-natural flavours. They are incredibly refreshing alternatives to tonics and more sugary, soft options and come in three flavours: Cucumber, Yuzu and Hibiscus and Rose. Try them alone or go from day to night and mix it up with a spirit or Prosecco in spritzers. As a bonus, these are low calorie, vegan and come in recyclable aluminium cans and cardboard packaging.

Find them here on their website  in cases of 12 for £23.75.

Drinky Product

Cocktail Cherries (400g or 1kg)

The cocktail cherry is back and it’s absolutely delicious! Made by hotel Starlino based in Piedmont, Northern, Italy, these Italian Marasaca cherries are sourced from Naples and are bright and plump, delivering a concentrated hit of sweet cherry and a natural tang to keep it all fresh. De-stoned and ready to go, they make the perfect garnish for Manhattans, Negronis or other cocktails but you could also use them in desserts too -on top of cheesecakes or ice cream particularly. Yum! 

Find the 400g pot at Amazon for £8.89.

Like these? See our other Drinker Discovery articles here and here!

English Wines to Rival Champagne

England is producing some world class sparkling wines these days. Here’s why, with some names you need to know. Written for Luxurious Magazine by Helena.