Sally Oliver's blog

Autumn wine selection

Robert Clatworthy of The Clifton Sausage and A Taste of Europe's resident wine expert shares his thoughts on full-bodied reds for Autumn.

 October '10.                                                                                                        

As the weather is changing and the leaves on the trees start to let us know its autumn and winter is on its way, there is nothing better than a good red with a delicious cheese, as the wind and rain crash on your window. Godminster cheddar is my cheese of choice at the moment, a rich creamy cheddar cheese made in the village of Godminster in Somerset. Here is a selection of my favourite red wines, to accompany it.

Last year I went to a good friend’s wedding and the wedding list asked for wine, I took a  super tuscan,Terrabianca Campaccio IGT Toscana 2006 magnum.The name super tuscan is given to any wine from Tuscany that includes grape verities that cannot be classified in the DOC classification. The main and most popular grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes normally used in the making of Bordeaux, giving a much richer wine.

Unfortunately the marriage did not last but I did get to drink the wine and  it was superb! It was enjoyed with a group of 6 friends and a good bit of British beef, better than any wedding. The wine is packed full of ripe berry fruit flavours with roasted almonds and chocolate with very balanced smooth tannins and a long finish, the wine is 70 % Sangiovese and 30% cabernet Sauvignon and made by Roberto Guldener.

 

Rioja is always a crowd pleaser and great with food or to just drink on its own, it is a true “glugging” wine. Rioja is a region in Spain which is divided in to 3 main sections Rioja Alta in the west which produces a lighter style of wine due to the climate, Rioja Alavesa produces wines that are higher in acidy and a fuller body. Rioja Baja is the hottest of all the areas with drought sometimes being a problem. Although irrigation was introduced in 1990 the wines produced here are very deep dark wines with little acidity and very high in alcohol, they are mainly used to blend with other wines from other areas in Rioja.

The grapes used to make red Rioja are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo, the Tempranillo being the main grape containing the most flavours, Garnacha second and Graciano and Mazuelo only about 5%or less in a blend,

 

As with most wine producing countries Spain has a classification system; there are 4 main groups starting with “Rioja”.  This is the youngest wine with less than a year in oak aging barrels. The second is “Crianza”, the wine must have been aged for 2 years and at least 1 year in oak aging barrels. “Rioja Reserva” is aged for 3 years, at least 1 year must be in oak and last “Rioja Grand Reserva” which must be aged for 2 years in oak and 3 years in the bottle.

 

Vina Bosconia Reserva Rioja 2001 is one of my favorite Rioja wines, its colour is deep red with  orange hints around the rim, the wine is rich and full bodied, packed with mature fruit from the Tempranillo grape. On the palate it is soft and smooth with good acidity. The cost of this wine from a good wine merchant would be about £20 and more in a restaurant, but it is true value for money.

 

R.C

Wondering what to drink over Easter?

Wondering what to drink over the Easter weekend? My good friend Rob Clatworthy, Manager of award winning restaurant 'The Clifton Sausage' and 'A Taste of Europe's' resident wine expert has some suggestions...

 

Wine for me has to be something that is judged by its value for money and I find nothing more satisfying than discovering a bottle of wine that costs in the region of £5 and tasted like it should cost £50. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind paying £50 but it’s got to be worth it.Wine does not have to be something that makes people break out in a cold sweat when they try to pronounce the name of some indigenous grape variety at the bar or restaurant table, dare I say it should be easy and fun.

 

I am a real Sparkling wine fan and like nothing more than opening a bottle of Great Champagne but alas the pocket sometimes leads me to try Prosecco or Cava of which some can be great but some not so, my latest find is a Blanc de Blanc from the Saumur region in France.

 

Louis De Grenelle, Cremant De Loire, Chardonnay, Brut.

 The wine maker describes this wine as having a “clean fresh attack, with the palate having a delicate fruit basket'. For me it’s a very well balanced sparkling wine, as near as I have tasted to a wine from Champagne. I drank a bottle with a rare fillet of British beef with chunky chips and it was delicious. Blanc de Blanc translates to 'white of whites' and is normally found describing Champagne made from 100 percent Chardonnay, however it can also be used to describe sparkling wines from other regions. Blanc du Blanc can be found in most supermarkets and in good wine merchants. If you’re a fan of the fizzy stuff and fancy trying something new or even want to give the dreaded Chardonnay another go, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

 

I can’t in all good conscious write about sparkling wine and neglect to mention my favourite sparkling of all; Joseph Perrier, Cuvee Royal, Chalons, Champagne, France.  I was lucky enough to be invited to Joseph Perrier earlier in the year. We arrived on a cold grey day and the town of Chalons was well- very quiet, to say the least! We were treated to a tour of the vineyard and the press, and were given a tasting of the whole range of wine produced.  My favourite is the Cuvee Royal Brut which is produced by blending 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier and it is

aged for 3 years. The house’s 21 hectares satisfies 30% of their production. The rest comes from 30 cru’s, on The Mountain of Reims. The wine was awarded the royal crest by Queen Victoria and King Edward to celebrate the wedding of their son Prince Edward.

 

The Cuvee has great depth of fruit flavors and a  long lasting rich finish, it works well with smoked fish and is also excellent just on its own. Thankfully it can be enjoyed at anytime of the day or night. Joseph Perrier wines can be bought from any good boutique wine merchant or good restaurants.

 

 

RC