20 Wines to Drink over the Easter Holidays

(Whatever the weather throws at us!)

While basking in the glorious Spring sunshine last week I decided to write a list of my favourite wines to sip in the sun this Easter. Clearly I was tempting fate because the moment I put finger to keyboard the temperatures plummeted and they started dusting off the snowploughs in Scotland. Undeterred I quickly started work on a list of warming and spicy reds to keep out the chill. So of course today the sun has come out here in Devon and temperatures have started to climb again! The only thing to do therefore was to combine the two into a master list to suit anything the British weather can throw at us:

Soaking up the sunshine? Here's my selection of 10 succulently refreshing wines to sit in the sun and sip (try saying that 3 times quickly!)

Il Follo 'Cuvee Rosato' Spumante Brut, Valdobbiadene, NV
Superior quality, fresh, lively Italian pink fizz. What could be more summery?

Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine la Croix Gratiot, Languedoc
Lovely lemony picnic wine - great with summer seafood!

Albarino 'Abadia de San Campio', Bodegas Terras Gauda, Galicia
Sherbety, intense and dry with a lovely rich mouthfeel.

Basa Blanco, Telmo Rodrigues, Rueda
Crisp, clean, refreshing and moutwateringly mineral.

'Les Cerisiers' Cote du Rhone Rose, Paul Boutinot
Soft and plump with a light touch of spice.

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, Pfalz
Spicy, rich and honeyed. Delicious!

Pinot Grigio, Gregoris
What really good Italian Pinot Grigio can taste like!

Seresin Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Top Kiwi Sauvignon, and then some - outstanding!

Jean-Marc Brocard "Kimmeridgien" Bourgogne Chardonnay.
Made from grapes from younger vines growing in Chablis' famous Kimmeridgean soil - a mixture of limestone, clay and tiny fossilized oyster shells. Mouthwateringly flinty and guess what - fantastic with seafood! Only available from the shop at the moment.

Little J Zweigelt, Jurtschitsch
Unusual Austrian red. Light, fresh, soft and silky. Delicious lightly chilled.

Shivering in the snow? Warm yourself up with these rich and spicy delights!

Fiori Primitivo
Inky, fruity, ripe and spicy Puglian Zinfandel. Top value!

Soldiers Block Shiraz
A knockout McLaren Vale Shiraz. Big, jammy and incredibly pleasing. A LOT of wine for the money and a Gold medal winner to boot. Only available in the shop at the moment.

JVBILUM Pinot Nero Syrah, Sicily
An unusual blend, but it works brilliantly. Ripe cherries and spices and no oak aging.

Massaya Classic Red, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Christmas in a glass.

Syrah 'Hacienda', Casa dell Valle
Northern Rhone meets Rioja!

Barbazul, Huerta De Albala, Vinos de la Tierra de Cádiz
Top selling red, for a reason. It's a cracker - rich, intense but balanced.

Cairanne 'Cotes de Rhone Villages', Domaine de l'Ameillaud
Really lovely rich and plump Southern Rhone. 90 Points from Wine Spectator magazine.

Vacqueyras 'Cuvee Classique', Domaine le Couroulu
Big, dark and spicy - a Parker favourite.

Taberner, Huerta De Albala, Vino de la Tierra de Cadiz
Rich, dense, complex and beautifully balanced. Pure pleasure and my current favourite red at this price point.

John Duval 'Plexus'
Stunning is an overused word but here it's totally apt. Rich, multi layered but accessible.

Dominic
Red & White, The Wine Store, Kingsbridge

For more information about these wines, or to buy online click on the names above.

The Wonderful Wines of Tuscany - Instore Tasting

Here at Red&White we're big fans of the wines of Tuscany and we've recently added some truly outstanding new wines to our list from some of the really exciting small producers in the region.  So we'd like to invite you to come along to our In-Store Tasting Event and taste some of the stars of our Tuscan range. Judging by the quality of the wines I've tasted from this region recently it promises to be a great evening. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Montepulciano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano - just the names are enough to make your mouth water!

Date: Wednesday 28th March
Time: 7.00 'till 9.00pm
Venue: Red&White, The Wine Store, 99, Fore St. Kingsbridge, TQ7 1AB.

As usual tickets are just £5. There are just 5 spaces left so be quick!

To book your place call into the Wine Store, Kingsbridge or alternatively ring Dominic on 01548 853898 or send an email to shop@red-white.co.uk

The Rise of Moscato - is the UK next?

Sales of the sweet, slightly fizzy low alcohol wine have exploded in the USA in the last few years, increasing by over 100% in 2011 alone and wine industry sources are predicting a similar boost in the UK. Part of Moscato's current popularity can probably be attributed to it's adoption as the drink of choice for a number of prominent American Rap Artists- it's been named dropped by Kanye West, Lil' Kim and others and it's especially popular among twentysomethings. Another issue is the increasing interest in lower alcohol wines - Moscatos are typically around 5-6% ABV.

Much of the Moscato sold in the United States, and over here, is cheap, mass-produced and to many palates overly sweet and lacking in balance and complexity. But it doesn't have to be that way! Moscato D'Asti is made from the Muscat grape (Moscato is Italian for Muscat) in the Piedmont region in the North West of  Italy - the home of Barolo, Barbaresco and Gavi. At it's best it can be a delightfully light wine with aromas of peaches, nectarines and orange blossom and a refreshing spritz. Our Moscato d'Asti is from Gianni Voerzio, one of Piedmont's most respected winemakers and is considered among the best in the world. It's not the cheapest but as an occasional weekend treat it's sure to please.

Of course the quality New World producers haven't been resting on their laurels. From Australia's Murray River region Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato is great fun and really scrummy (there's no other word for it!) Think watermelon, sherbet and rose Turkish Delight. At just 5.5% alcohol it's ideal for afternoon drinking.

We'll be looking to expand our range of Moscato in the coming months so if it sounds like your kind of wine watch this space!

Twelve Wines for Your Valentine

It’s only a few days 'till St.Valentines Day and in order to solve your Valentines Day gift headaches we’ve put together a list of twelve wonderful wines they’re sure to love.

Red Wines

Pasion de Bobal, Bodegas Sierra Norte, Utiel Requena,  Spain
£10.75
We had to include this one given it’s very apt name and the fact that the label and capsule are covered in hearts! Fortunately it’s also truly delicious (we wouldn’t stock it otherwise!) Made with organically grown grapes from old, low-yeilding Bobal vines in the cool hills inland from Valencia, Pasion is an impressive, rich spicy wine with lush, ripe fruit and toasty oak balanced by fresh acidity and rounded tannins. Brilliant with full-flavoured beef or lamb dishes, or with hard cheeses and charcuterie.

Chateau de la Riviere, 2005, Fronsac, France
£23.95
One of the few Bordeaux Chateaux which are truly a castle (in this case a fairytale one complete with pointy turrets), Riviere is one of the leading estates in Fronsac, an unfashionable but brilliant district next to Pomerol. Its cellars run for miles and contain an array of vintage wines, including this beauty from the legendary 2005 vintage. A good slug of Cabernet Franc adds freshness and structure to the dominant, plummy Merlot grape in a wine which is now well into a glorious period of drinkability.

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 1998, Paullac, France
£55
If you really want to spoil your other half then this brilliant wine from Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde would really do the job. A wine for the Bordeaux connoisseur - a classic Pauillac with dense notes of cassis, smoky oak and a lovely weight on the palate. Great balance of acidity, fine tannins and rich full fruit lead to a long spicy finish. Drinking beautifully now but will happily cellar for 8-10 years.

White Wines

 

The Darling, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
£12.00
Delicious Marlborough Sauvignon with just a hint of passionfruit in behind the green capsicum, tomato leaf and gooseberry flavours.

Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaillons' 2008, Domaine Billaud-Simon. Burgundy, France
£25.50
Purity and elegance are the aim of this family owned domaine, so no oak and temperature controlled fermentation. The style perfectly suits the fantastic 2008 vintage in Chablis where taut minerality is the name of the game. One of our favourites!

Meursault 'Les Charmes', Domaine Yves Boyer Martinot
£41.00
The wine for which winemaker Yves Boyer-Martenot is particularly renowned. Full-bodied and honeyed, it exploits the rich butteriness of the fruit. Floral and almond aromas abound on the nose, balanced out with a crisp acidity. It fills the palate with complex flavours of vanilla, buttered bread and peaches and cream with some vibrant mineral notes coming through.

Rosé Wines

Les Oliviers' Rosé,  Domaine de Montmarin
£6.75
A textbook Southern French rose with red cherry fruit and a hint of peppery spice - this style of rose is great with Indian food.

Corbieres Rosé 'Cuvée Prestige', Domaine Ollieux-Romanis
£10.50
This Corbieres rosé is lively, spritzy and fresh with a touch of lychee on the tangy palate. Ollieux Romanis cultivate their vines organically with great care and attention which certainly shows through here.

Sancerre Rose 'Le Grand Fricambault', Domaine Andre Neveu
£16.00
Although Sancerre is best known for its Sauvignon Blancs, some excellent roses are also produced. This wine is very attractive with light & aromatic strawberry flavours & a bone dry finish.

Fizz!

Il Follo 'Cuvee Rosato' Spumante Brut, Valdobbiadene, NV
£10.00
A delicate pink sparkling wine made from the Raboso grape grown in fertile vineyards of northeast Italy in the region of Treviso. It is fragrant with summer fruit aromas, fresh and lively on the palate, dry, crisp and easy to drink.

Champagne Pannier 'Brut Selection', Chateau Thierry, NV
£23
We chose this as our 'house' champagne in a totally blind tasting of a range of wines, which is a real testament to its quality. Extra age gives it a waxy, nutty edge but the deftly handled fruit make this a truly quaffable champagne.

Billecart Salmon 'Brut Rose', Ay
£50.00
Rapidly becoming the benchmark Rose champagne this is delicacy at its best with red fruit and toasted nut overtones. Heavenly. From a recent article in GQ magazine:

"A darling of New York wine lovers. Its special method of creation gives this cuvée a light, elegant flavour, followed by a fresh finish with a taste of raspberry. Can be drunk on its own or with food - it has excellent structure and complexity. Light, sharp and powerful."

There are, of course, lots more choices on offer at the WineStore in Kingsbridge and to buy online at www.red-white.co.uk. 

We'll even gift wrap your bottle for free if you spend over £10 in store.
 

Charity Wine Tasting Event - Wines of the Atlantic Coasts

On the 14th February, Liam and 6 other men will set off from Gran Canaria, aiming to be the first team in history to row across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados in under 30 days. This is an incredible challenge, as they aim to row the 3,000 miles, unsupported, in a boat shorter in length than the RED&WHITE shop! Having had experience with coping with Childhood Cancer within his own family, Liam is using this challenge to raise money and awareness for CLIC Sargent, a charity that supports families struggling with Childhood Cancer. All the proceeds from the ticket sales for this tasting will help support their important work. The Tasting  Thursday 26th January, 7.00 -  9.00 pm. The Wine Store, Fore St, Kingsbridge Liam has selected 8 of his favourite wines to taste, from countries or regions that border the Atlantic Ocean. These wines are listed below and reflect the broad range of styles that the diverse climates from which they come have to offer. The Wines - click on the names for more information, or to buy online. Muscadet 'Sur Lie' Vieilles Vignes, Domaine les Grands Presbyteres, Loire, France Txacoli di Getaria, Ameztoi, Spain Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina Bodegas Pittacum Tinto, Bierzo, Spain La Tour de By, Medoc, Bordeaux, France Malbec 'Terroir', Alto Las Hormigas, Mendoza, Argentina Madeira Bual Reserva, Barbeito, Madeira Tickets are available from The Wine Store, Kingsbridge.   The price is just £5 - 100% of which will go to CLIC Sargent. Pop in and see Dominic or Fran, call 01548 853898 or drop us an email to: shop@red-white.co.uk. Places are strictly limited and this is likely to be a very popular tasting, so be quick!

Fantastic Fridays at the Wine Warehouse

Introducing Red & White's newest grand idea:  Fantastic Fridays at the Wine Warehouse.

Fridays are my favourite day of the week - full of the promise of the weekend ahead, but with none of the hangover of a Saturday morning.  Well they've just got even better, with the Wine Warhouse's Fantastic Fridays shining like a beacon at the end of the week.

Throughout January, February and March we'll be holding very special events at the Wine Warhouse every week - wine tastings, competitions, special sales days and much much more.

This week, it's your chance to taste Red & White's Newest Arrivals.  Mid December saw delivery of  new wines from a trio of great Tuscan wineries (a brilliant new Chianti, an organic red and white from Enrico Santini and new vintages of Caburnio and Monteti), plus 3 delicious new Argentinian Malbecs.  They'll all be open to taste (and buy, of course) all day this Friday 20th January.

So get yourself down to the Wine Warehouse this Friday, try some wines, grab a few bottles for the weekend and start your weekend in style.

Chris

The Wine Warehouse
Unit 5G, South Hams Business Park, Churchstow, Devon
Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm throughout January, February and March.