RAISE A GLASS
WELL hello festive countdown. It doesn’t seem two minutes since we were last here, you and me. Not much has happened since we last met. Nope, it’s been an uneventful year.
Ah. If only that was true. What a strange year. And who knows what Christmas will look like? But yes, we will enjoy it no matter what!
Here are my pick of fitting festive wines I’ve tasted for your benefit.
To start, here’s a selection of white wines under £10.
All of these will be great with a classic salmon starter, or a plump prawn cocktail, spritzed with enthusiastic squeezes of lemon.
My first is The Society’s Hunter Valley Semillon 2020 (£8.95, The Wine Society), right.
The Hunter Valley region is home to fascinating semillon wines which age wonderfully. This young version is almost water-white in colour, with a zing of lemon and lime freshness which will keep you refreshed throughout your meal. It’s a subtle delight.
A quick hop to Italy now, courtesy of Lidl. A bottle of Gavi DOCG (£6.69, Lidl) often finds its way into my shopping basket as I head
to the check-outs. And why not, I say, as a DOCG wine is an indicator of a quality wine region, and this Gavi is a lovely dry Italian white, crisp with lemon freshness.
I loved nose-dipping into this next wine, to breathe in the aromas. Dourthe Terroirs d’Exception Roqueblanche Bordeaux Blanc (£9.49, Waitrose) is a delightful sauvignon blanc. Yes there’s lemon, yes there’s an airy floral note, and yes there’s a delight of subtle stone fruit. It’s a glass of class for under a tenner.
Talking of sauvignon blanc, if you like it, the Co-op’s Fairtrade Irresistible Sauvignon Blanc is a smash at only £6. As it’s a Fairtrade wine, this particular one helps fund after-school clubs, including a karate club which is helping to take children away from
issues of drug abuse in South Africa. The wine hits the spot for lovers of Savvy B, with apple notes, pears and a touch of tropical fruit.
I’ve taken to “dictating” my wine notes. And here are the words I spoke into my phone, breathlessly, about Tesco Finest Vinas del Rey Albariño 2019 (£8.50), below.
I said: “I so Iove albariño. This has apricots and honeysuckle and zesty lemon on the nose. In the mouth it has an awakening of acidity and citrus and grapefruit. Its absolutely divine”.
This albariño, from Spain’s Rías Baixas region, not far from the Atlantic coast, is so tasty with seafood and is in a 25% off deal, if buying six wines or more, until Dec 1.
A wine to lift your palate after a few days of feasting is definitely this one: Trabocchetto Pecorino (£9.90, online at The Bottle Club). This wine is upright and proud of its backbone of acidity, its mouthwatering river of zest, which weaves in and out of lemon and lime and ripe white peach.
Like all my choices in this £10 and under selection, this wine will greet seafood with open arms; or it can happily be your lively companion in a festive Zoom quiz.
Next week... white wines over £10.
Find Jane on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes. Email jane@onefootinthegrapes.co.uk