Eye-catching labels – with great tasting wines to match FOOD & DRINK

Ihave no doubt that much of the wine we buy is based on how a bottle stands out on the shelf, and with the festive season in mind this is always the time of year when there seems to be much competition for space on the supermarket wine shelves.

So here are three wines that have literally caught my attention over the last few weeks.

I seem to have tasted a lot of grenache lately, it is one of the grapes that can come in a variety of styles, from big and bold to lighter and more fruit driven. House of Dreams Grenache Noir 2020, Swartland ( M&S £9) is definitely in the latter style. Made from older bush vines in the hot Swartland region of South Africa, this is unoaked and very fresh in style. The nose offers red fruits and some dried herbs, followed by a crunchy red fruit driven palate with bright acidity and a very bright finish. Like the wine I think the label is lots of fun and it is great value. In some ways it is a shame it’s not summer as you could happily chill this and serve it with an ‘alfresco’ lunch, but with the season in mind it would also work well with the Christmas turkey. Staying in South Africa, you will need to download the appropriately named app ‘Plonk’ to view the augmented reality label of Identity Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Coastal region (Sainsbury’s £9), which I have to say was a wine first for me. The label depicts the sustainably farmed vineyard in action complete with bees pollinating the vines and flowers blowing in the breeze.

As for the wine, it is very fresh with lime, green apples and a little kiwi fruit on the nose, followed by a crisp, zesty pallet.

This is crowd-pleasing, modern-style wine to match with some Thai-style fishcakes. Perhaps the most eyecatching wine this week is Banrock Station Merlot 2020, South Australia (Co-op £7.50), it was actually posted through my letterbox and so perhaps the idea of a flat, plastic bottle of wine is not such a bad one! The bottle is fully recyclable – made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and being so much lighter than glass there are considerable savings on carbon emissions. As for the wine, it is a very modernstyle merlot with soft, ripe dark fruits on the nose, followed by a juicy palate with some sweetness on the finish.

The bottle is perhaps more interesting than the wine but that’s not to say it wouldn’t work with a simple mid-week supper of sausage and mash.

Perhaps the idea of a flat, plastic bottle of wine is not such a bad one! The bottle is fully recyclable