A world beyond Pinot Grigio.

Many wine producing countries have only certain areas where they are able to grow grape vines, due to environmental and climate conditions. With Italy, you can grow vines almost everywhere. Currently there are around 500 000 growers in Italy, together producing 28% of EU wine production. With the average bottle price for Italian wine in the UK being just over £4, there are some bargains to be had.

There are over 800 grape varieties planted in Italy, a lot of these being indigenous varietals which have been around for centuries. These grapes have adapted to their conditions and are well suited to their warm - sometimes exceptionally hot - continental and Mediterranean climates.

A problem, which many growers face in warmer growing conditions, is the grapes can become too ripe. This can cause the sugar levels to rise and acidity levels to drop. Leaving us with a grape that will produce an unbalanced and potentially highly alcoholic wine. This is due to the high amount of sugar in the grape, that can be converted into alcohol. With high sugar levels, high acidity is needed.

This is where the magic of Italy begins. With the vines adapting to their growing conditions over centuries, they have what the industry terms good 'hang time'. The grapes ripen normally in their environment, however the acidity levels remain high. Enabling a balanced wine to be produced.

And good acidity in a wine is what you need when you're about to munch your way through a big cheesy pizza, creamy pasta or Italian sausage stew. The acidity in the wine helps cut through the food and leaves your palate refreshed and ready for more.

A few wines that are worth checking out are the Olive Hills Nero d'Avola from Sicily, available from Union Market in Fulham for £6.50. Bright cherry and a touch of blackberry on the palate, this wine is relatively light in body and has great refreshing acidity and very faint, smooth tannins. Exceptionally easy drinking and perfect with pizza.

From Sainsbury's you can pick up the 2008 Sardelli Chianti for the bargain price of £4.29. Simple yet effective are the key words for this wine. Along with bright cherry and red current there are earthy and vegetal notes along with that refreshing acidity. I tasted this wine blind and estimated the bottle price at around £10 so for £4.29 I will be picking myself up a few bottles.

Sometimes we all need a real treat and my final wine is certainly this. Amarone, produced mainly from the Corvina grape variety, is to me and I'm sure many others, the King of Italian wine. After picking, the grapes are dried out in huge rooms, enabling the flavours to concentrate and develop raisin characters. The dried grapes are then used to make the wine which is deep, smooth, concentrated and luscious. By law Amarone must be at least 14% abv and most are above and beyond.

The 2004 Amarone Della Valpolicella Corte Sant Alda is an excellent example. Available at Berry Bros and Rudd for £43.95, this wine may be 15.5% abv but you wouldn't know it. The alcohol is superbly integrated into the deep, rich, smooth body which is full of concentrated raisin, prune, black cherry, vanilla, and black pepper notes. The finish is long and smooth. I can't recommend this wine highly enough.

These are just three examples of a multitude of Italian wine that is
awaiting your discovery. Don't be put off by the wine labels. Key things to look out for are DOC and DOCG which are guarantees of origin and (usually) quality. As I hope you've learned from reading this, there is a world beyond Pinot Grigio!

Happy drinking.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Good old Australia. Number one in the world for swimming, netball, cricket and they are also topping the rankings in the world of wine. Australia sold over £1 billion pounds of wine in the UK in 2009, extending its lead on its nearest rival, the USA, which sold a mere £764 million (Off Licence News Wine Report 2010).

Even with these fantastic results, the Australian wine industry is in a debacle. Its share of the UK market is in slight decline and there is a pool of wine from previous vintages, sitting in Australian wineries, awaiting a home.

This wine pool would be easily swallowed up by the major UK supermarkets, however they would command low prices, allowing them to sell the wines on massive promotions. Australia is trying to alter its reputation from being the one trick promotion pony, so for the time being the wine pool will stay put.

Wine Australia - the corporation that promotes Australia's wine to the world - is trying to get wine lovers in love with the idea of regional, quality, Australian wine. It is not sustainable to sell most of Australia's wine on promotion. With the UK consumer becoming accustomed to seeing brands - such as Jacobs Creek and Hardy's - on half price deals, it will become increasingly difficult to sell Australian wine at full price.

We've all gone down the Australian chardonnay and shiraz road. With the results reminiscent of chewing on an oak barrel and / or tinting our teeth a vivid purple hue. Allow me to let you in on some fabulous news - there are some amazing Australian wines out there that are a taste sensation and won't break the bank. Coming from a New Zealander, this news should be taken seriously.

Majestic has a great offering, including The Parcel Series Sauvignon-Semillon from Margaret River (£5.99 each when you buy two as part of a mixed case). This wine 'explodes with citrus and tropical notes on the nose, with nuances of passion fruit and jasmine'.

If you're a fan of crisp, dry riesling's, try the Knappstein Riesling from Clare Valley which has a beautiful floral nose with citrus - especially lime - coming out on the palate. At only £6.99 (when you buy two bottles as part of a mixed case) this wine is a bargain and would be great as an aperitif for Christmas.

These wines are examples of some of the regional gems that Australia has to offer. The trick is to explore what is out there. It's amazing the extra quality and personality you can find in a wine through looking outside the major supermarkets.

I know I will be indulging in a few Aussie gems over Christmas - I hope you do too!

£4.49! It's gotta be a bargain...doesn't it?

English summer... wine; picnics... wine; festivals... wine; holidays....I could go on.

With the summer in full swing and our social lives hitting their peak, it goes hand- in-hand that our friends - the big supermarkets - are bombarding us with offers of exceptionally cheap booze. This all sounds good to me. However, are these unbelievably cheap offers of wine really all that?

Well they are cheap but are they good value?

Now value is very subjective. My definition of what constitutes value may be completely different to yours. I define value in a wine as something that tastes good, has a bit of personality (i.e doesn't taste like watered down chardonnay or a liquid resembling something so acidic I can feel a layer of stomach lining shrinking away with each sip) and is very appealing price wise which for this article will be around £4 to £6.

With my budget and broad definition declared, I am off to pick myself up a bargain.

My first stop is Sainsburys. Here I am greeted with an amazing deal, £3.99 for a drop of Vina Maipo sauvignon blanc from Chile. This is on promotion from £7.99. Chile produces some fantastic wines at relatively inexpensive price points and for £3.99, this wine is good value. It still has noticeable citrus fruits and is relatively light, crisp and refreshing. There is a touch too much acidity so is best enjoyed quite chilled. Would I pay £7.99 for this wine? Probably not, especially when you can purchase some outstanding sauvignon blancs from producers such as Villa Maria (New Zealand) and Errazuriz (Chile) for around £8.

Next I'm off to Tesco. Being summer, I'm in the mood for a rose, so I select the Kumala shiraz rose from South Africa, which at half price is setting me back only £4.49. The wine has a very appealing and vibrant pink colour. If only the appeal carried through to the taste. I found this wine rather unbalanced. First my mouth was assaulted by the high acidity in the wine, which was followed by a smack of sugar, and after all this, in the depths, I discovered some exceptionally light strawberry and raspberry flavours.

I think it's criminal that Tesco believes they can charge consumers £8.99 (the full retail price of the wine) for this rose. Of course this wine is worth no where near £9 and even at £4.49 I'm sure Tesco are still making a small profit, so selling it at £8.99 is basically ripping consumers off.

In Kumala's defence, I did sample their Zenith chenin chardonnay which was on promotion at Sainsburys a while back for £4.49. This wine was not too bad - in fact it's relatively enjoyable. Soft tropical flavours, light acidity and a rounded body, the main issue was that the neutrality of the wine made it very easy to drink. Whether this is a problem or not - I'll let you decide. This wine is currently back to £8.99 at Sainsburys and other Kumala wines have been discounted to half price. So wait till it's back to £4.49 before you give it a whirl.

Enjoy the promotions as there are some bargains to be had. However, there are many inexpensive wines not on promotion that I believe are great value. Odd Bins currently have a Nero d'Avola, from Italy, for around £6. Basically it's a cheeky little red with vibrant red fruits, excellent depth and a touch of spice. A great wine to enjoy as the summer winds down.

Happy drinking!

Marlborough vs Nelson

All you Kiwi's out there will understand the competition that exists between Marlborough and Nelson. For everyone else, the rivalry may be akin to that between Chelsea FC and Manchester United, or Andy Murray and Nadal.

Sports aside, Marlborough and Nelson are now rivals when it comes to producing top notch Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough has traditionally lead the way for producing amazing Sauvignon Blanc with brands such as Villa Maria, Oyster Bay and Montana now staples on most wine store shelves.

There are many reasons why Marlborough is so well suited to Sauvignon Blanc. The soils in the region are exceptionally well draining, which leads to slight stress of the vine. This is perfect as the water that is available is sent straight to the grape and aids in concentrating the fruit flavours.

Lots of sunshine hours are also essential for wine production and Marlborough certainly has this. In fact this is where the rivalry between Marlborough and Nelson begins. Every year the town with the most sunshine hours in New Zealand is announced on the 6pm National News. Most of the time Marlborough just sneaks through, however Nelson is never far behind.

So, Nelson has lots of sunshine hours, is only an hours drive down the road from Marlborough, and has an undulating landscape - which is possibly the main difference between Marlborough and Nelson. Many vineyards in Marlborough are planted on the flat or gentle slopes whereas Nelson utilises its steeper slopes and valleys. This is perfect for accentuating the sunshine hours that are available as vines on North facing slopes will get longer sunshine hours that those on flat land. The slopes also help with drainage as well as frost protection through air currents drifting down the slopes.

Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough are known for their vibrant and punchy gooseberry and grassy flavours. These are also apparent in Nelson Sauvignon Blanc but to a slightly lesser extent, with tropical fruits often shining through.

Bargains of the moment are The Reach Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 75cl
Special Offer - 33% off a case of 6, £34.02, from Tesco wine online www.Tesco.com/wine

"A classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with passion fruit, guava and gooseberry flavours...'

For a Nelson option, give the Old Coach Rd Sauvignon Blanc a whirl. Available from Union Market in Fulham, this wine is fab. Tropical and citrus fruit dominate with just a hint of gooseberry. Super clean and fresh, although a tad pricier at £9.50. www.unionmarket.co.uk/wine-online

Lots to try!

I'm not sure if you have all noticed but there are a lot of 'half price' wines on supermarket shelves at the moment and all retailing for £4.99. Next week I will be investigating if these wines were ever worth their full £9.99 price.

Till next week, happy drinking!

Is English wine drinkable?

The resounding answer to this question is yes, in the majority of cases. With over 100 vineyards throughout England and Wales, English wine is developing dramatically which is due to many factors, including climate, selective vineyard practices, modern winemaking techniques and demand.

Let’s kick off with climate. To ripen, the grape vine requires a warm growing season with some sun and a little rain. This may seem the complete opposite to the climate we have in England. However, even though summer may seem slow to start at times, we often have an extended, warm autumn, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly over a longer period.

Another factor that influences our climate is the Gulf Stream. This acts as a moderator of the climate by gently cooling the hot days and warming the cooler days.

Even with the extended ripening period and the moderating Gulf Stream, measures need to be taken within the vineyard to compensate for such a marginal climate – one of the most important measures being where to plant the vines. Sunshine hours can be extended by planting in the warmest areas and on south facing slopes, which is why the majority of English vineyards are situated in Kent and Sussex.

Canopy management is undertaken in the vineyard, which can help make the most of a given climate and weather conditions. Through adjusting the amount of leaves on the vine, this enables the sun to penetrate the bunches of grapes as well as the remaining leaves, allowing photosynthesis to occur, which produces sugars to help ripen the grapes. Slightly reducing the amount of leaves around the bunches of grapes increases aeration, which in turn aids in reducing pests and diseases that thrive in damp or humid conditions.

One of the most outstanding and surprising English wines I have sampled is the Limney Estate Diamond Fields Pinot Noir.

The most surprising part of this wine was its colour, which is an intensely deep ruby. Winemaker Will Davenport comments that the colour was achieved through selecting only the ripest grapes for the Pinot and leaving the skins in contact with the juice for 7 days. During these days the juice is pumped over the skins, which aids colour and flavour extraction. This wine is definitely worth hunting out and is available through the Vintage Roots website, and from early July will be available in store at Union Market near Fulham Broadway station.

Aside from the outstanding Pinot Noir, English Sparkling wine is essential drinking for all of us this summer. Another area that shares England’s marginal, cool climate as well as some of our soil types is…Champagne. Although many of the English sparkling wines also use the same grape varieties as Champagne, as we have no restrictions in England as to which grapes we use to make a sparkling wine, other grape varieties have been used to magnificent effect. The Champagne method or ‘methode traditionelle’ is also embraced in England which aids in the quality of the wine.

Chapel Down Rose is a prime example of a successful English sparkling wine. Light salmon in colour, this wine glides down the throat. The bubbles are delicate and soft, strawberries and a touch of green apple come through on the palate and the finish is rounded off with balanced, refreshing acidity. This wine is available in good pubs, restaurants and off licences and is great value for money at around £23.

The Limney Estate sparkling wine, which is made up of 65% Auxerrois and 35% Pinot Noir, is yet another outstanding example. The 2006 vintage has just been awarded a gold medal at the UKVA wine of the year competition. This wine has considerable depth on the palate with layers of biscuit and toast intertwined with refreshing citrus notes.

And this is just the beginning. There are swathes of beautiful English wines out there to try, along with the not so beautiful ones, of course. All I can say is give them a chance, support your local growers and producers and indulge in some amazing wines which have been grown on your doorstep.

Let's talk about France...

A work colleague of mine headed off to Sainsburys last week to buy a bottle of Bordeaux as a gift for a friend. He returned twenty minutes later completely dismayed by the fact that such a large supermarket only had one Bordeaux, which was half price and at £5, looked ‘a little cheap’.

He asked me why there would only be one Bordeaux in such a large supermarket and my response of, ‘the wine may not have had ‘Bordeaux’ on the label’, made him even more frustrated. How can a product, that is something, not advertise the thing that it is?

French wine labels, although often looking prestigious and traditional, can often be the Achilles heel of French wine. We all want to know what it is we are buying and often have a type of wine in mind when we hit the shops.

New World countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, have helped consumers out buy splashing the grape variety over the front label. A technique that has aided sales of New World wines to increase from 27% of the UK wine market in 1998 to 54% in 2007 according to IWSR, June 2009. France, however, has kept the majority of their wine labels traditionally mysterious, with names of villages and producers often the only clues given as to what’s inside.

This all stems from many regulations that control the wine industry in France. To gain certain classifications, only permitted grape varieties can be grown in certain areas. Therefore, by recognising the village or commune name, you can figure out the grape variety….simples!?

To give you a bit of assistance when navigating French wines, I will list a few grape varieties, their corresponding areas and key words to look out for on the wine labels.

If Sauvignon Blanc is your flavour, the Loire Valley is the area to look out for. Although quite a few grape varieties are grown here, areas such as Menetou-Salon, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume are renowned for excellent Sauvignon Blanc.

Burgundy is the home of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For Chardonnay the names to look out for are Chablis, Macon, Meursault and Pouilly Fuisse. For Pinot Noir try some Beaune, Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard and Vougeot. Most supermarkets stock generic white and red Burgundy which will be Chardonnay or Pinot Noir from a mix of vineyards throughout the area and can be delicious and a tad more affordable than those from single villages.

For Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Bordeaux is the place to taste. Almost all wines from Bordeaux are a blend of these two varieties and sometimes seasoned with Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Although wines from Bordeaux can fetch eye watering prices, the majority of those in your local supermarket can be very affordable. Key words to look out for on the label are Medoc, Haut-Medoc,
Saint-Emilion and Bordeaux Superieur.

The white grape varieties grown in Bordeaux are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. A lot of these grapes go into making beautifully luscious sweet wines; however drier styles are being produced to fulfil consumer demand. For sweet styles look out for Sauternes and Barsac.

The Rhone Valley, in Southern France, being a very warm area is perfect for growing Syrah, and Grenache. Again, a lot of grape varieties are often blended to produce the wines from this area. However the style is often full bodied, fruity, with a touch of spice and soft tannins – pretty much perfect for a quaffable red. On the label look out for Cotes-Du-Rhone which are often very affordable. Going up the price scale we have Hermitage and Vacqueyras and for a real treat try a Chateauneuf-Du-Pape.

Of course, this outline is just for starters. The beauty of French wines is that there is always so much to learn as well as taste. Hopefully this will help you embark on your next wine choice with a touch more confidence and knowledge. If you want to explore the French wine shelves further, my best advice is to leave the supermarket, walk down the road to your nearest Odd Bins, Wine Rack, or any other wine specialist and fire all your questions at the staff. Most of them would have attended wine courses and I’m sure they would love to help!

Taste the night (or day) away

What could be better than being offered a free wine sample whilst in the midst of your Saturday morning shopping?

Not only is it free wine, but can also bring added benefits such as taking the edge off the rather large night before and making navigation of those packed pavements a much more pleasurable experience.

So, where can I find this free wine?

Most off licences provide free tastings over the weekend. Oddbins have a wine club that you can join in-store with wine tastings held most Saturday mornings. These are completely free and there is no obligation to buy.

Smaller chains and independents also hold regular tastings and these are great places to try more unique wines as they tend to stock products that aren’t available in supermarkets and larger chains.

If you’re a South Londoner, Green and Blue Wines in Dulwich has a bottle open for customers to sample most Saturday mornings. They stock a great selection of organic and biodynamic wines (more to come on this subject next week). They also host ticketed tasting events for very reasonable prices, check out www.greenandbluewines.com for more details.

Philglas and Swiggot on Northcote Rd in Battersea, provides free tastings whenever suppliers or wine makers are passing through town. On the 8th of May, Charlie from Nyetimber will be in store from midday to introduce customers to his fabulous English sparkling wine. www.philglas-swiggot.com

For a wine and dine night out check out Davy’s www.davy.co.uk. I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting with Rusden Wines of Australia last month - a small, family owned and operated wine company. We were lucky enough to have a member of the Rusden family over to talk with us about his wines and impart some of that Australian charm which is always entertaining. The tasting of six wines, followed by a three course dinner which included the most succulent steak I have had in years, was around £35.

There are so many opportunities to sample wines all over the city and this is where the wine specialists shine through. Through providing not only free wine, but the opportunity to have you questions and queries answered, your interest in wine inspired and your knowledge increased. So get out there and taste the night (or day) away!