Get refreshed after some graft in the garden
STRAIGHT OFF THE VINE
I believe that the big yellow blob in the sky is, indeed, the sun – and we all know what that means.
A deep dive into sheds and garages up and down the country to release our lawn mowers, strimmers and other garden paraphernalia from the clutches of spider webs or those hidden by those bits of wood that will come in useful one day... they will!
You can almost smell the growing potential in the air as the sap rises and the bees buzz around looking for early blooms to plunder.
I don’t know about you, but there is nothing quite like the ache of the old bones after a day getting the garden ready for lighter days ahead.
Having a little sit on our bench in front of our house catching the last of the sun is a real treat and more often than not a refreshing glass of something chilled is involved.
So, on that note, here are a few wines suitable for a little light refreshment.
The VIÑA SOL ROSADO 2020 (£7.99, Waitrose, Ocado) from the Miguel Torres stable has changed its personality from the first time I sampled this jolly bottle of pink.
The first thing to notice from its very early incarnations is the colour in the bottle. The pale pink that now features nods towards the serious rosé found in the French region of Provence – a hugely popular style in the UK.
On the nose, it’s chock-a-block with red fruit aromas and a little stoney note thrown in there too.
The blend of cariñena and garnacha combine on the palate to reveal refreshing summer fruits with raspberry and strawberries front and centre, with a tempering of some orchard fruits through the mid-palate.
A touch of minerality adds bite to this ever-popular Spanish pink that is perfect as an aperitif or with a tasty fish salad.
Erring on the lighter side of chardonnay sits the ABBOTTS & DELAUNAY CHARDONNAY ‘LES
FRUITS SAUVAGES’ 2020 (£9.99, Majestic).
Orchard fruits show through on the bouquet with a little floral tone and then you notice that creaminess coming through from some oak influence.
A third of the blend has three weeks fermentation in oak barrels and then nine months ageing in barrels with regular stirring on the lees with the other two thirds fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats.
This gives the wine its complexity from the off with pear and nutty tones coming to give a textured mouthfeel.
As it opens up, some white peach character comes through with a nice dash of citrus acidity and a finish showing some delicate minerality.
This wine would happily sit with seafood or fish, but was terrific with some charcuterie, especially some buttery, fatty parma ham.
They don’t come much more bouncy and picnic friendly than the Ponte de Lima Loureiro, Vinho Verde 2020 (£6.95, the Wine Society).
Soft mineral tones encase the crisp white fruit aromas and soft grassy notes complete the picture.
In the mouth, a lively frizzante tingles on the tongue and adds a little sherbert dip to the brisk stone fruits across the tastebuds.
If there was a wine that epitomises a light lunch enjoyed in sunny climes, it’s this little Portuguese poppet that evokes memories of holidays past.
We enjoyed it with a prawn stir fry.
The 2021 vintage is in circulation now and I’m sure it’s the same spritzy fun wine as the 2020.
Another proper summer wine from the Wine Society, but again available in the latest 2021 vintage, is the Brindisi Rosato Vigna Flaminio, Vallone (£8.95, the Wine Society).
It’s unashamedly properly pink-coloured rosé with plush aromas of soft summer fruits with a little floral prettiness thrown in for good measure.
In the mouth, punnets of strawberry and cherries almost announce the coming of fine weather with their concentrated presence.
The fruit is crunchy and forthright with a return of the floral notes as this juicy drop opens up to reveal all its secrets. The freshest finish completes the package in a wine crying out for a big dish of calamari and aioli.