The social drinker

It’s at this time of year that many of us rediscover our love of red wine. The whites that sustained us during the heat of summer now taste a little thin, and we turn instead to the bigger flavours that typically come with reds.

Of course, many red wines such a Barolo or Cabernet-based Bordeaux demand to be paired with food, but what to drink when you’re sitting in front of the fire after an afternoon walking the dog or picking up leaves?

One grape variety that is ideal for sofa sipping is Grenache. It’s a supple, strawberry-like variety, often experienced in southern French blends from areas such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Cotes du Rhone, as well as the cheaper wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Wine made from Grenache is excellent by itself, but my favourites are wines which have been blended with Syrah to add a peppery flavour and a bit of structure.

There are plenty of good examples around at the moment in Irish supermarkets. SuperValu has Granbeau Syrah Grenache Igp Pays D’Oc, pictured below, for a very reasonable €9 a bottle — or three for €25, and an interesting Australian blend of Grenache and Shiraz wine from the Barossa Valley Estate for €17.

Over in O’Briens, there are some really excellent blended Grenache wines to be had at the more expensive end of the market. An interesting example is Domaine la Sandbar (€17) from a Languedoc vineyard owned by an Irish/Aussie couple. It has a modern Oz twang, but lots of dark cherry flavours and strawberry characters.

Another more expensive wine made for sipping is Rasteau Les Hauts du Villages (€21). From the southern Rhone right beside Gigondas, this is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes, and would be ideal for a Sunday afternoon in front of the fire, the dog at your feet and the Sunday Independent in your hands.