On the grapevine

The Wine Club Starts Streaming: Make sure you mark April 15 in your diary because 6.30pm will see the launch of the Yorkshire Post Wine Club online when you can join me to talk about and taste this month’s wines. If you have bought this month’s case by then, you can join in with the tasting, but if you are still debating whether to buy then you are welcome to tune in to see and hear about the wines. All the details of how to join this event will be in next week’s wine column, and if you buy the case, they will also be included in the case. This will be a fun 30 minutes of tasting and discovery. I look forward to meeting you then.

Easter Wine: If you still need to dash out for a bottle or two for tomorrow, head to Marks & Spencer for their Classics Claret. At just £7 a bottle it is rather like an old-school claret with touches of cigar-box aromas, but then the fruit just piles out of the glass, all plums and blackcurrants, ideal to accompany roast lamb. Mainly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a slug of Cabernet Franc that gives it a lively, delicious style.

Wine Extravaganza: After several cancellations because of the pandemic, the Annual Martinez Wine Extravaganza will be back on

September 28. As usual the venue will be The King’s Hall and Winter Gardens and if you bought a ticket for one of the cancelled events, then your ticket will be valid for this tasting. If you can’t attend, but still have a ticket, then contact Martinez on 01943 600000 for a full refund.

Hoults Bargains:

As usual Rob Hoult in Huddersfield has come up with a range of offers, including Marius Syrah Grenache from Chapoutier. I tasted this recently and I was impressed by its lively spice-driven red fruits. At £10 a bottle it is a bargain but if you buy 6 bottles the price comes down to £51.