RAISE A GLASS

Well, what a few days.

Look at what happened to the markets! And I don’t mean the ones where I can pick up a lovely bunch of flowers and a bag of sprouts. I’m now definitely in need of comfort wines. Red ones to warm my toes as I’m not putting on the heating just yet.

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you may have been hooked on the prequel, House of the Dragon.

Aussie-based wine producers Wolf Blass have introduced a wine to match the theme. Dragon Blood Cabernet Shiraz (between £13-£15, at various retailers including Asda and Morrisons).

I didn’t need much persuading to dust down my Game of Thrones goblets (I have two) to watch Westeros in turmoil.

If none of the above means anything to you, then the least I can say to wine explorers is that the red is big and bold and beefy. It hunkers down with black fruits and damsons; there’s a lick of spice and the wine is velvety yet punchy.

I’ll nip to a wine which simply by its name conjures up memories of the French countryside.

The wine is Domaine Garrigue Grande 2020 (RRP £10.99 online at Laithwaites) and the memoryprompt is “garrigue”.

It’s a collective term for the herbal, grassy, countryside aromas found in southern France. My geek loved this next fact: The wine is from a tiny appellation called Coteaux Cabrerisse. The producers Anne and Xavier de Volontat (he’s the local mayor) are the only producers using this IGP name. I love, love, love a human story to wine, it gives me comfort in a mad world.

As does the combined flavours of the trio of grapes marselan, merlot and syrah. Think of spice; think of woody black-fruited hedgerows; think of the hillside herbs in a breeze; think of soft, integrated tannins. Think of steak pie (which helped me along the way).

And finally, another comfort red in the form of Veramonte Carménère 2020 (RRP £11.50 at Ocado). It’s both organic and vegan, which could tick a box if you’ve just marked Organic September or you’re thinking ahead to Vegan November. The carménère grape has been adopted by Chile as its own, even though it is originally a French variety.

The wine is aged in old oak for eight months. That adds flavours and aromas of subtle pepper spice and vanilla, softening the tannins too. This carménère has plum fruits, and wildgrowing blackberries.

I consider myself comforted.

Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.