DRY JANUARY BE DAMNED!
Jilly Goolden Wine buff extraordinaire
Before I extol the virtues of glorious consoling tipples, I want to celebrate the fact that I have finally found a very nearly non-alcoholic drink I really enjoy.
Like loads of others, I drank a bit more during the first lockdown, so for ‘days off’ I turn to a beer — pale ale to be precise. Adnams Ghost Ship (0.5%) is the first ale I’ve ever had that tastes like the real thing without the kick. Gorgeous straight from the fridge in its hoppy, malty way. Waitrose, £1.90.
So much for halo burnishing, more often than not you will want something with a little more to it. Call me a lush — but for me bubbles hit the spot more accurately than anything else. for the best fizz at an affordable price Cava is the goto — superior in every way.
Cava can be very traditional and Spanish or more international with chardonnay in the mix, such as the ultra- dry, grown-up Sainsbury’s Cava Brut Nature (£9), smooth and delicious.
Another brilliant sparkler is the elegant Crémant de Jura, 100% chardonnay with its peachy notes and a slick of mille feuille (£8.49, Aldi). So good! But not as good as english fizz. There may well be days ahead that feel even more locked down than others, when you really need a pick-me-up. I suggest having a stash of english sparkling wine such as the delicious Chapel Down (£22, M&S) standing by — classic recipe, classic notes of toast and soft fruit. Salivating just to think of it. Last lockdown, those lazy hazy days of spring, rosé and very cold, very dry white did an excellent job of spirit lifting, but this time it’s altogether more brooding and overcast, and calls out more for a comforting red. And there are few more comforting reds than Portuguese Douro and Spanish Priorat. Both come in a huge range of prices but presumably you will not want to invest massively in shaking the blues. Douro red wine is made from port grape varieties and is sumptuously aromatic and fruity and rich without being so alcoholic. Crasto Douro red 2013 (Majestic, £10.79) is singing with rich, dark berry fruit, as is the more modest Tesco Douro red at £6. Priorat is the fanciest little-known treasure from Spain. You can have a taste of bliss for £14.95 from Jeroboams with Petit Pissares 2017.