With Andy CITYLIFE Cronshaw
AUTUMN is upon us and, if there is a saving grace about the onset of darker nights and colder days, it’s the produce. There’s late ripening tomatoes, broccoli, beets and squash at the greengrocers, huge red crabs and plump shellfish at the fishmongers, and perhaps best of all for meat eaters, terrific game such as partridge, grouse and wild duck at the butcher’s.
It’s this time of years when I’m most pleased to have a range of wines to match.
ORMARINE VILLEMARIN PICPOUL DE PINET 2019 ( Pictured, £7.49 Majestic) When it comes to simple shellfish dishes such as oysters or mussels, there’s nothing to beat Picpoul; a grape variety indigenous to the Languedoc. This wine from the region’s top co-operative producer Ormarine, right on the coast, accentuates the grape’s citrussy zing to the max with a saline note evident.
SMITH & SHETH CRU WAIRAU SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019
(£18.50 The New Zealand House of Wine and other online retailers)
With fruit sourced from two vineyards in the Wairu valley, one biodynamic, this is a truly exceptional Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc which stands out in a field of extremely stiff competition. The aromas are very elegant with lime-scented blossom and a palate which is brimming with passionfruit and gooseberry. A fabulous match for fish pie.
SORCOVA PINOT NOIR ROMANIA
2019 (on offer: £5.89 Waitrose)
I always jump at the chance to recommend a Pinot Noir at this sort of price which is worth drinking. Okay, this is not going to compete with top-quality Burgundy but it represents the qualities of Pinot well. It’s fragrant with cinnamon and raspberries in the mix while the palate is berry-tastic with cranberry offset by a slight cordial sweetness. And it’s that combo that makes this wine a great glugger or a match for tomato-based pasta dishes and roasted veggies.
MORGENHOF MERLOT 2014 (down to £10.99 from £13.99 at Waitrose, and also available at The New Zealand House of Wine, The Drinks Shop) A versatile red from the Cape, South Africa that will match both vegetables such as roasted squash and game with aplomb. Merlot shines here with plenty of ripe plum, brambly fruit and elegant toasty oak. There’s plenty of depth on the palate with herbal savouriness and earthy spice evident.