talkTV: Roussillon Wines

Roussillon is a small, well-established, unpretentious, yet high class wine appellation in the South of France located within the greater Pyrénées-Orientales area, bordering Catalonia, Spain. It’s often bundled together with Languedoc as Languedoc-Roussillon due to their proximity to each other, but they actually have quite different characters. The area of Roussillon has quite the Spanish vibe thanks to its south westerly location down by the Pyrenees mountains. If you’ve ever visited Perpignan, you’ve been to the heart of Roussillon.

In the past, the still reds and whites have been pretty decent but were certainly not going to set the world on fire, whereas their special sweet wines, the ‘vins doux naturels’ (fortified sweet wines), have often taken centre stage. Vins Doux Naturels remain emblematic of Roussillon’s viticultural heritage and winemaking know-how  but the dry, still, wines (be they red, rosé or white), are anything but ordinary nowadays.

The VDNs, as the sweet wines are abbreviated to, are made a bit like Port, where fermentation is stopped by the addition of neutral grape spirit before all the sugar has been fermented out, leaving a viscous, sweet wine with an ABV of around 16.5%. The key types of Vins Doux Naturels are Banyuls AOP, Banyuls Grand Cru AOP, Maury AOP, Muscat de Rivesaltes AOPs and Rivesaltes AOP, many of which can have various age statements and subtle variations to style including a hint of nutty ‘rancio’ derived from extended ageing in cement tanks, wood casks or even glass demijohns.

Banyuls and Maury are particularly famous, not just for their quality, but for the fact that they really are the greatest go-to style of wine to have with chocolate!

Four Roussillon Wines to Try

Bila Haut Blanc, M. Chapoutier, Côtes-du-Roussillon 2021

Aromatic and citrus-smoky on the nose and round on the palate, with fruit, aromatics and a saline minerality. Made with Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu grapes from the steep, craggy limestone, arid soil, battered by the tramontane wind.

Find it for £12.68 at Laithwaites

Lafage Muscat de Rivesaltes 2020 (50cl, 15%)

Intense, grapey nose with fresh pear, apricot and lychee aromas. Powerful and well-balanced , refreshing citrus with notes of fresh lemon and icing.

Find it for £12. 98 at Vinatis.co.uk

Banyuls & Maury

The highly-prized wines of Banyuls are made from almost shrivelled, ripe to bursting, red Grenache grapes. The colour and style of Banyuls can differ hugely depending on how it is made and aged, varying from fruity, light red wines to nutty, funky, treacley brown wines. Banyuls also have Grand Cru wines, which have to see at least two and half years of ageing. Maury wines on the other hand are usually darker in colour with tangy, dark berry notes although they do sometimes come in more pink and tawny styles too. This difference in style is attributed largely to its more inland location than Banyuls.

Lafage Maury Grenat 2020, Maury, 50cl, 15%

A deliciously sweet, red dessert wine that’s full-bodied and rich, with intense flavours and aromas of dried red fruits, chocolate and coffee beans. A must with with chocolate.

Find it for. £14.75 - Vinvm and £14.29 at All About Wine

Gérard Bertrand, Banyuls, 2016 75cl, 16.5%

Full and well-balanced with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry jam and chocolate. Finishes with a fudgey, woody spiced note and goes on forever!

Find it for £15.26 at vinello.co.uk

Read the full article on Roussillon HERE!

TalkTV: Summer wine from the South of France

With airlines cancelling everyone’s holidays right now, let’s bring a splash of Southern French sunshine to our lives. These wines are made by two superstar winemakers of the South France who between them, make huge amounts of wines of all styles and levels across the key appellations of Languedoc and Roussillon. They are Jean-Claude Mas from Paul Mas and Gérard Bertrand.

Paul Mas Heritage Clairette du Languedoc 2020

Veteran wine producer Jean-Claude Mas, descendant of Paul Mas has launched an initiative to nurture the lesser known, heritage wine grapes from the region. This wine is made with 100% Clairette and comes from the smallest and most historic appellation in the Languedoc in the South of France. Clairette has been produced for over 2,500 years in the area, since the time of Greeks and Romans. Jean-Claude uses his expertise to see how the grape responds to different soils and microclimates and has coaxed it into a delicious, soft white wine here with floral notes and flavours of apple citrus and white flowers. Try this with grilled fish and white meats. This was voted as one of the top 100 wines of Southern France at a prestigious competition recently. 

Find it for £9 from Sainsbury’s

Gérard Bertrand 'Côte des Roses' Rosé 2021

You may recognise Gérard Bertrand as he’s a famous  ex rugby rugby player turned acclaimed winemaker. Rosé from this part of France tends to have a little more generosity of fruit than the drier, Provence styles. This bottle is beautifully sculpted too to look like a rose. You’ll want to keep it for your water in any case. Think summer pudding, redcurrant, strawberry, pink grapefruit and roses and grapefruit. Try it with baked white fish and fresh seasonal salads. In 2022, this wine won an IWC award for the 2021 vintage.

Find it for £10.99 mixed six price from Majestic

Orange Gold Organic 2020

Another from Gérard Bertrand, this is his first organic orange wine, made in a Georgian style with southern French flair. Orange wine was the original wine style first practiced over 4,500 years ago. It's a blend of seven classic French white grapes, Chardonnay, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Mauzac and Muscat where the wine is left in contact with the grape skins to give colour and complexity. Think layers of peach, pear, flowers, lemon and ginger with a light bitterness on the finish. Try it with with hard cheeses and spicy dishes.

Find it for £14.99 mix six price from Majestic

See what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV here!

English sparkling wine to celebrate the Jubilee

With the Platinum Jubilee around the corner, it feels ridiculous to reach for Champagne when we have properly world class fizz on our doorsteps. English sparkling wine has come of age with even the most ‘basic’ bottles now really packing a punch in terms of flavour and complexity. This is thanks partly to more and more stocks of ‘reserve’ wines, which is wine from previous vintages held back deliberately to add to more recent, non-vintage blends. These older, reserve wines tend to add the toasty, brioche and apple pie crust notes to sparkling wine that we have come to love in the traditional method of sparkling wine. Here are some top English sparkling wine picks that should be on your radar.

Hampshire

Hattingley Valley, Classic Reserve

Hattingley Valley winery is found in rural Hampshire where the first vines were planted in 2008 and the first wines released in 2013. Made by multiple award-winning female winemaker Emma Rice with 53% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir and 16% Pinot Meunier grapes, the Classic Reserve is Hattingley’s most widely available and most loved wine. A non-vintage sparkler based on the somewhat challenging 2015 vintage, this is the wine that gives you a true flavour of the Hattingley house style: Golden with fine bubbles, elegant notes of brioche, nougat and a touch of oak with a characteristic hedgerow note on the finish.

Find it at Waitrose for £30 a bottle.

Hambledon Classic Cuvée

Established in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon is England’s oldest vineyard and can be found nestled in the home of Cricket at Hambledon in Hampshire. Their Classic Cuvée is again, a blend of all three traditional grapes, (56% Chardonnay, 27% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Meunier). Grapes are handpicked on the estate and this cuvée uses the 2017 harvest as a base with 20% reserve wines added, giving it the characteristic toasty richness that Hambledon has become famous for. Hambledon also does fantastic tours, tastings and events. 

Find it at Majestic for £34.99 (or £23.99 as part of a mixed 6 case)

Sussex

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs 2018

Rathfinny has an enviable position on the sunny, south-facing slopes of England’s South Downs in Alfriston, Sussex. It has quickly made a name for itself as one of England’s finest wine producers. Blanc de Noirs is a sparkling wine made only from black /red grapes which in this case are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and these wine grapes came from just one single harvest in 2018, which has been dubbed the vintage of the decade. Rathfinny has a style that is rich but precise with a fantastic, lean, mineral character. Seriously elegant and will keep for a while. Rathfinny is another great place for a vineyard picnic too!

Find it at Lea & Sandeman for £38.95 (or £36.95 when in a case of six) 

Kent

Balfour Brut Rosé 2018

A renowned winery located on the Hush Heath Estate in Kent, the Balfour sparkling brut rosé was the first ever English wine to win a gold medal and the Trophy at the International Wine Challenge. This 2018 vintage wine is only ever made in tiny quantities from a single vineyard and it has a special story. The estate has belonged to the Balfour-Lynn family for three generations, but it was Richard and Leslie’s idea to plant vines at Hush Heath in 2002, with a view to making a pink sparkling wine like their favourite ever Champagne: Billecart Salmon Rosé. Their thinking was “If we can’t sell it, we’ll drink it”. But they did sell it and the rest is history. It’s a great place for lunch and a tasting with a lovely walk around the vines and the apple trees too. 

Find it at Waitrose for £39.99

See what else Helena has been tasting with talkTV here.

Top Jubilee Tipples for Every Budget

Whether you’re having a street party or not, with a double bank holiday, chances are there will be some celebrating going on! Here are a few Jubilee- tastic drinkies that will suit every budget. 

La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé Millesimato Brut

La Gioiosa Prosecco has released a Limited-Edition Prosecco Rosé Millesimato in collaboration with British designer Yvonne Ellen just in time for us to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!

The label features Yvonne’s pet budgies, Paul and Simon as well as a parakeet - a breed found in abundance in London’s Hyde Park. The flowers are versions of some beautiful native Italian plants intertwined with leaves from Glera and Pinot Nero grape which are the two grapes used to make this fizz. It’s elegant and aromatic with notes of pear, cherry and almond. 

Find it for £9.50 - £10.99 at Sainsbury’s (on offer),  Waitrose and various supermarkets.

Lateral Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 2021

With the cost of living crisis, everything is getting more expensive. Enter Tesco to save the day, with a range of wines for £5 and under. This Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon does a great job of actually tasting like the grape it’s made from with notes of ripe blackcurrant, mocha and spice. It’s smooth and medium-bodied - awesome with steak and grilled meats. There are 11 wines in the range from Malbec to Pinot Grigio and Chenin Blanc. 

Find it for £3.89 at  Tesco

M&S Strawberry Gin Liqueur (20% abv)

With a bottle that is so pretty you might not want to open it, M&S are offering a sweet, Strawberry gin with very very subtle juniper notes that’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. Try it neat over ice, with lemonade or in cocktails. Made by the famous Warner’s Distillery in Northamptonshire and a great idea for gifting. 

Find it for £16 at M&S in stores only

Buckingham Palace Gin (42%)

Your splash out option is this small batch, elegant and aromatic gin that has been made with botanicals hand-picked from Buckingham palace’s very own grand including Lemon verbena, hawthorn berries and mulberry leaves. This is an exclusive bottling for Waitrose and it would make the perfect gift. You’ll want to keep the bottle afterwards too.

Find it for £40 exclusively at Waitrose

See what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV here. 

Top white Wines from Sainsbury’s Under £10 for 2022

We’re all feeling the pinch at the moment and it doesn't look like things are going to change any time soon. The impact of Covid, Brexit and war in Europe is taking its toll on the availability and the pricing of  so many things we used to take for granted and wine is no exception. The good news for wine is that as technology and winemaking has come on so much, a cheap wine doesn't have to mean sulphurous vinegar; these days, you can actually taste what the wine is meant to be! Here are four wines you should get into your fridge right now.

Taste The Difference Portuguese Alvarinho, £7.50

In the UK, we tend to know this grape better in its Spanish guise as Albarino. It’s equally famous in Portugal, where you’ll find a lot of it in the north of the country both as a single grape wine or as part of a blend in teh famous, light and spirtzy Vinho Verde wines. This one is still very light and elegant with subtle, peach and lemon notes and a hint of smoke. Super refreshing. 

Find it here at Sainsbury’s.

Taste The Difference Viognier 2021, £8

Viognier is the famous white grape of the Rhone Valley in France, famous for its oily weight nda texture and its gorgeous, ripe aromatics and flavours of peach, honeysuckle, white chocolate and citrus. Made by top French producer Laurent Miquel, this Viognier hails from a little further south. It’s beautifully balanced, showing great Viognier character - hard to do at this price level, but they’ve smashed it.

Find it here at Sainsbury’s.

Taste The Difference Grüner Veltliner ‘Traisental’ 2021, £9

Gru-V, as I like to call it, is the flagship Austrian white grape that is really finding its way into people’s hearts today - and this one is sensational for the price. Steely, bone dry and minerally with notes of baked apple, white peach, white pepper and a ginger kick on the finish. Serious and easy going at the same time. This rally punches above its weight.

Find it here at Sainsbury’s.

Taste The Difference Jurançon Sec 2021  £9 on offer for £7

Jurançon is a little region in South West France in the sun-drenched foothills of the Pyrenees. Here, they use lots of indigenous grapes including the brilliantly named Gros Manseng & Petit Manseng, which are the two grapes in this particular blend. Often, these grapes can make sweet wines but this one is dry, zesty and incredibly refreshing while also having a ton of ripe greengage, tangerine and melon notes. A bit different and totally loveable. 

Find it here at Sainsbury’s.

See what else I’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!

talkRADIO: Drinks supporting Ukraine

Today on talkRADIO, we raise a toast to some brands that are raising much needed funds to support charities helping those in need in Ukraine. From beer to vodka and even wine, there;’s something for everyone, so buy what you can and call it a party!

Dima’s Vodka (40% ABV)

Dimas Vodka is the Ukrainian Vodka brand that has been on every drinks writer’s radar since it won gold at the IWSC awards at the start of the year and then massively since the conflict began. Owner Dima Deinega has been spearheading various charitable events and creating producing to raise funds to support Ukraine so it’s worth checking out their instagram @vodkadimas so see the latest. The vodka itself hails from a 125-year-old distillery on the outskirts of Kyiv and is made (unusually) with three grains: barley, rye and wheat. This combination along with Ukraine's black supersoils give the vodka  a velvety smoothness,. Making it a good sipping vodka. On the bottle, you’ll see a modern version of the national coat of arms of Ukraine. Try it with a pickle the way they do in Ukraine!

Follow @vodkadimas for various charity events such as Feast for Ukraine this Saturday at Brigade, 139 Tooley Street, London.  There’s also currently a limited edition, painted bottle auction happening. 

Vodka is £35 from dimasvodka.com



Copper Rivet Distillery

Copper Rivet Distillery based in Chatham’s Royal Dockyard iis Kent’s only grain to glass distillery, producing excellent gin, whisky and vodka from scratch in small batches from bespoke stills. To help Ukraine, they are pledging £5 from every Copper Rivet Distillery webstore purchase of 50cl bottle of Dockyard Gin, Masthouse Whisky, Vela Vodka and Son of a Gun to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal and Unicef to support the invaluable work they are doing in and around Ukraine. You can now visit them and take a tour before stopping for lunch in their glorious new restaurant too. 

We’re showing the strawberry gin today, made with real strawberries infused into the spirit for a natural, elegant strawberry sweetness.

Strawberry gin is £32 from Copperrivetdistillery.com

Virgin Wines: The Benevolent Range

Virgin Wines has launched The Benevolent Range, which is a special, charitable wine collection to raise funds for its charity partners, British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, The Leeway Domestic Abuse Charity and Bright Start. They have teamed up with some outstanding winemakers to create three phenomenal new wines; a South Australian Cabernet Blend, a Chilean Pinot Grigio and a Carménère, also from Chile at accessible price point of £9.99 with £1 from each bottle going to the company’s charity partners. Each of the wines are available at to buy by the case, mixed case with 4 bottles of each. Virgin Wines will donate £12 to charity for every case sold.

See more here at Virgin Wines

The Harbour Beer Co. Stand with IPA (5.5% ABV)

The Cornwall based Harbour Beer Company have created this hazy IPA beer to show solidarity with Ukraine, with profits from sales going to the @disastersemergencycommittee who bring together 15 leading UK aid charities, raising funds quickly and effectively for overseas disasters.

Labels were created and donated by @eclipselabels for free to maximize profits. YOu can buy a pack of 12. X 330ml cans on their website. 

Find them here for £24 from harbourbrewing.com

See what else we have tasted on talkRADIO here!

talkRADIO: Hot Cross Bun flavoured booze for Easter

Easter is coming! Cue a load of Easter-themed boozes on your shelves. Here are some I rather like and all with a Hot Cross Bun theme.

Hot Cross Bun Cream Liqueur (35cl, 15%)

Super indulgent, this lusciously rich, spiced cream liqueur is  made with fresh cream from the Ballyrashane Creamery; Northern Ireland's oldest dairy. Like a creamier Baileys but with that unmistakable currant bun spice note, it’s properly naughty. Serve neat over ice or pour over ice cream. 

Find it in store at M&S for £5 

‘One a Penny’ Beer (44cl, 5%)

They say: “Inspired by the classic Easter Hot Cross Bun, this is a smooth, full, hazy body, like a New England IPA, but without the hops. There is sweetness from vanilla, a distinct fruitiness from raisins and citrus peel, and the slightest hint of complimentary spice.”

Find it at wildbeerco.com for £2.75 a can

Rum: Sweet Little Hot Cross Rum Liqueur (50cl, 18%)

Sweet Little Hot Cross Rum is a unique blend of golden, spiced rum with orange, cinnamon and vanilla with a little sugar to go. It’s sweet but not cloying and has a lovely aroma of spiced dough. Sip cool over ice alone or add it to your Easter cocktails!

Find it at Master of Malt for £24.95

Premium Cocktail: Hot Cross Bun-Hatten (50cl, 24%)

Another delicious creation from Pritish Mody at World of Zing, this is a fabulously balanced cocktail with lots of flavour and a decent enough nod to those currant bun spices. Made using Mount Gay rum and rich vermouth, simply pour over ice, garnish with orange and serve. YOu can add a gift message too when ordering online.

Find it at Worldofzing.com for £25 

Find what else we’ve been tasting on talkRADIO here.