On the grapevine
Vergelegen: Possibly in response to closed restaurants and a fragile economy, the entry level wines of this top-notch estate have become exceedingly affordable, but it is worth stepping up to the higher ranks for deep, more complex flavours.
■ Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Tesco, £10: This is the great-value end of the range. Smooth, silky cassis and blackberry fruit, edged with oak and ending with a long, meat-friendly finish.
■ Step up to the deep, concentrated Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend in Vergelegen DNA 2015, Roberts & Speight, £18.99.
Mullineux
Chris and Andrea Mullineux produce excellent wines, mainly from Swartland, but now in a partnership at Leeu Passant in Franschhoek. Start at the affordable end of their range with the Southern Rhone-style Kloof Street Swartland Rouge 2018,
Bon Coeur, £15.40.
Where there’s muck: Art has long been associated with wine. Many wineries hang masterpieces in their tasting rooms or have art galleries on site. Mouton Rothschild even commissions famous artists to make unique labels for each vintage. Now Ch. Cantenac Brown is planning to create art from the soil of the estate. Cantenac Brown’s owner, Tristan la Lous, has selected New York-born, Finland resident artist David Popa to produce an artwork using drone footage of the soil between the vines. It will be sold as a NFT (non-fungible token). How that works I have no idea, but it sounds profitable.
Beware the dreg ends: Eating out in Canada over the festive season, ours was the only table in the restaurant bearing a bottle of wine. With four of us drinking, this was hardly a big drinking occasion, but other tables carried cocktails, water, tea, non-alcoholic drinks and the occasional glass of wine. The wine list had an extensive by-the-glass section, which was good but waiting staff often had no idea when any particular bottle had been opened. Despite this being an upmarket restaurant, there was no attempt to preserve the wine apart from resealing the bottle with a cork or screw cap. This means that you may not get wine at its freshest. If you do buy wine by the glass, check when the bottle was opened, or ask for a new one.
Champagne on offer: With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, there are several good offers on Champagne. Morrisons has Lanson Rosé down from £39 to £31, until February 15. Waitrose has its excellent own-label Rosé down from £26.99 to £22.99 until February 22 and Tesco has Nicolas Feuillatte Brut down from £22 to £19 until February 14, for Clubcard holders only.