JANE CLARE

WITH

Romania by volume and turnover – is behind some very pricefriendly wines here in the UK. Philip explains: “We try to make all our wines over deliver quality at all price levels. We treat all the grapes with much care and attention.

“Romania isn’t a famous country and we have to over deliver to get anyone to buy it.

“That’s a good philosophy to have in good times and bad times. People eventually see there’s good

value for money in our wine.”

And so here’s a handful of them. Arriving soon into Waitrose is

Sorcova Pinot Grigio 2019 and it’s so new I can’t even tell you what the price will be, but I can tell you that when it arrives it will fill your glass with honeysuckle, grapefruit, lemon and pears.

If you like sauvignon blanc, I bet you’ll like this.

Atlas Feteasca Regala 2019 (Asda, £5.25) is aromatic and sprightly. It is lemony and peachy with a tiny bit of spice.

One of Cramele’s success stories is Incanta Pinot Noir 2019 (£7.99, or £5.99 in a buy-six deal at Majestic). Black fruits and raspberries are supported by herbal and savoury notes. It’s great value for a pinot.

Selene Feteasca Neagra 2018 (online at Tanners Wines, £16.50) is dusky, with damson, cherries, blackcurrants and subtle violets. It’s a delight with a steak (I know this first hand!).

Elsewhere…. I cooked a shepherd’s pie and sipped it with a new kid on the block, Elegant Frog Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon (£8, Sainsbury).

The red is a blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon, with the malbec just taking the upper hand in percentage terms. I cooked comfort food and took additional comfort from the wine.

It’s ruby red, with heaps of black fruit, and a gentle shiver of spice from some ageing in American oak.

FINALLY, I’ve continued to make lockdown cocktails using what I have to hand. This one is the simplest so far: A gimlet – 60ml of gin and 15ml of lime juice. I’d been inspired by an Instagram post I saw and used 15ml of Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial.

That was it. I shook it well in my cocktail maker, with ice, and then strained into a glass with a couple of cubes of ice. Very tasty indeed. Remember – if you don’t have a cocktail maker you can just as easily use a jam jar (oh, and I use my old tea strainer). Stay safe and healthy.

■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.