RAISE A GLASS
NOWADAYS, meeting up with friends and family takes so much planning. Can we, can’t we, where, when, how. It means an occasion is so very special when a plan finally comes together.
We had a couple of visitors the other week, with their sleepy baby. The visit was fleeting, but we sat outside in the late summer sun and enjoyed wonderful food and delicious wine. The wine was German, the food was home cooked British thanks to my self-isolated daughter.
Now if you’ve visited this corner before you’ll know I’m not a fan of pinot grigio. But give it another name – pinot gris – and I’m a pushover. It’s riper, it’s fruitier, it has depth. It has so much more to say for itself. And in the case of Pinot Gris, Vom Kalkstein, Reh
Kendermann (£11.25, yapp.co.uk), below, well I had lots to say on its behalf. My garden-seated guests loved this wine and listened to me patiently as I described its home, the beautiful Pfalz, the second largest wine growing region in Germany.
Then they politely moved their attention to our lunch of pea, mint and feta quiche with courgette ribbons and spinach in a balsamic dressing.
The wine stood up nicely alongside; its flavours of pear, ripe apple and a touch of quince, raced along with a good acidity and a subtle creaminess.
My next pour was Lieserer Niederberg-Helden Riesling Kabinett, Axel Pauly (£20.95, philglas-swiggot.com) which hit our palates like a lightning bolt. This fresh dry white wine hails from the Mosel Valley and the southwest facing vineyard includes a slope of 80 degrees. Wow, just think of those sunbasking riesling grapes. Riesling hardly ever disappoints and here it brought the conversation around to the flavours of ripe apples, honey and peach; and a finish and acidity that kept on giving. Our friends left, full and
content, leaving one piece of home-made apple cake behind. On another day, a German pinot noir came into my life. German pinot noir is one of my favourite things. In this case we’re talking Villa Wolf Pinot Noir (£10.95, slurp.co.uk), below. I gave it a light chill for 15 minutes before opening and then enjoyed its light-bodied, elegant cherry and red fruit flavours, with a tickle of spice and the gentlest of tannins.
Find out more about German wines at winesof germany.co.uk
Also in my glass ….
Another pinot noir but this one is from France. Taste The Difference Pinot Noir (£11, Sainsbury) is from the
Languedoc in France and is created in the winemaking stable of Laurent Miquel. Pinot noir loves cooler climates and as a reward it delivers delicate notes of red fruits and a little spice.
In warmer climates it can become a little jammy. That doesn’t mean a wine isn’t tasty, it’s just a step away from its signature elegance. Yet where the vines are planted in warmer places, and how they’re nurtured, can make a difference. It has a lovely raspberry character weaving through it, with just a touch of savoury and a slash of spice.
Find Jane on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes. Email jane@ onefootinthegrapes.co.uk