This summer why not ring the changes by comparing your favourite wines from different
countries? Even better, crack
open a few bottles and invite friends over for a comparative wine tasting. It
is a fun way of spending an evening.
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| Château. de Fonscolombe Cuvée Spéciale Rosé |
If you like the wonderful gooseberry flavours of a New
Zealand sauvignon blanc, ring the changes with Jean-Christophe Mandard’s
Sauvignon de Touraine 2011 (£10.95, bbr.com) from the Loire in France.
“The mode is for making tutti-frutti touraine
sauvignons to rival the Kiwis,” says David Berry Green, the Loire wine buyer
for Berry Bros & Rudd. “Mandard has stuck to his roots to make this true,
understated, fleshy cassis wine that stands out for its grounded authenticity.
Very moreish – a mini-Sancerre – especially with summer lunches and salads.”
Being a fan of sauvignons, I was surprised how deliciously
fruity and well-balanced this wine was. It goes well with fresh salmon.
It is also much kinder on the pocket than a New Zealand sauvignon.
Fans of fine French red wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape
and Crozes Hermitage made from syrah, should give an Australian shiraz a whirl.
It is the same grape.
This 2009 Mt Hillary Shiraz from South Australia’s McLaren
Vale, (£14.95, bbr.com,) according to the experts at Berry Bros & Rudd,
proves that not all Aussie shiraz is an overpowering fruit bomb with a punch of
vanilla-y American oak. This elegant and complex wine is brimming with
plums and blackberries fused with tangs of dark chocolate and a hint of liquorice.
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| Mirabeau Rosé 2012 |
On a hot, balmy summer’s evening there is nothing to beat a
chilled glass of rosé. If you have been indulging in wines from the New World,
then perhaps it is time to spoil yourself with one from France, after all the
French produce some of the best.
One sip of Château. de Fonscolombe Cuvée Spéciale Rosé 2012 from Côteaux d’Aix en
Provence, (£9.75, bbr.com) conjures up memories of relaxing summer evenings in the
South of France. A melange of grenache, syrah and cinsault, this refreshing and
delicious wine is laced with red-fruit flavours that tantalise the taste buds.
Another exquisite rosé is Mirabeau Rosé 2012 from Côtes de
Provence, (£8.99, Waitrose). A zesty wine bursting with juicy strawberries,
raspberries and cherries, it epitomises summer.
By Daralyn Danns
