Looking beyond Burgundy

Wine lovers begin the year anticipating the release of the new vintage from Burgundy. A host of fabled whites (from chardonnay) and reds (from pinot noir) come from the region. In January the 2015s were marketed; it quickly became clear that the reds were brilliant, but a combination of demand, low volume over a number of vintages, and a weak sterling had resulted in steep price increases. Speaking to the Tate restaurants’ wine suppliers, it seems that they’ve had little problem selling them, but the knock-on effect is that wines I could afford a decade ago are now the domain of only the very wealthy.

If you like burgundy, chances are you have already built a relationship with a small independent supplier, as that is the only way to secure the good stuff. With a few notable exceptions, the standard of burgundy on the high street is awful – the best producers just don’t have enough wine to supply a large retailer.

Burgundy has never done ‘value’ well, a problem that is only likely to get worse as global demand soars. So for £15 or less I would advise looking for your chardonnay and pinot fixes elsewhere. Here are three to try. 2014 Pinot Noir, Cave Saint-Verny, Puy de Dôme, France £9.50, Booths The capricious nature of pinot means convincing sub-£10 options are rare. This, though, is lovely, with a savoury, earthy side allied to pinot aromatics. 2015 Lot 21 Argentinian Chardonnay, Uco Valley, Mendoza £9.99, Aldi Made for Aldi by the excellent Salentein, this is beautiful chardonnay: rich with cream and spice, but also with enough zesty acidity to keep it fresh. 2015 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand £14.95, Great Western Wine One of Yealands’ smaller bottlings, this is lush with dark plums and spice, through which cuts a glorious fragrance.