RAISE A GLASS
Let’s shake off the winter gloom and the raincoats and head into brighter and lighter spring days with some new ideas in your wine life.
New ideas from Aldi: The retailer has new sips in store this week. Cambalala South African Sauvignon Blanc (£7.99, left) is, says Aldi, UK’S first supermarket own-brand paper wine bottle. The label is very shouty about that fact.
The bottles are 94% recycled paperboard and lined with a pouch for the wine. The South African wine has simple flavours of green fruit and citrus.
There’s a red cousin in a paper bottle: Cambalala South African Shiraz (£7.99).
The paper concept is worthy and eco-conscious, yet on the flavour spectrum I was much more wowed with another new wine in Aldi this week – Specially Selected Ventoux Rouge (£8.49). It is a supple, red and darkfruited wine from the southern Rhône Valley.
New ideas for Easter: If you’re looking for a sweet wine to sip with chocolates or blue cheese, then Château de Diusse Pacherenc du Vic-bilh (£10.99, 50cl, online at House of Townend, right) can tick the boxes.
It is from the south west of France, with grape varieties gros manseng and petit manseng.
The grapes are picked as a “late harvest” which means the sugars and flavours are super-concentrated. The wine has aromas of candied lemons, peach and honeysuckle.
Do you need an excuse for a sherry? Easter can be your excuse and here you go – Gonzalez Byass Noe Pedro Ximénez Viejo VORS Sherry (RRP £26, 37cl, at Waitrose, Majestic and Ocado, left).
The Noe is unctuously rich and sweet with notes of dark caramel, figs, prunes and raisins.
The sherry is a blend of vintages of at least 30 years old.
New ideas from experts: I want to point you in the direction of 100 Awesome wines. It’s an online collection of (yes, you guessed it) 100 wines recommended by members of the Association of Wine Educators. (I’m blushing, as I’m in there too).
The list covers suggestions from £6 to £35, with wines to choose from throughout the year. I have my eye on a few including Sturmwolken Riesling