Recently, some of my friends have admitted that they are extremely price sensitive when it comes to wine.  

While I've spent the better part of 15 months waxing lyrical about delicious wines, they've been continuing with the same wine behaviours they've always had.  It was a little disheartening to hear that some of my friends don't even read my blog because:

a) they only buy wine in their local supermarket
b) they're much more likely to buy wine on a half price offer
c) their price point is £5 and under

This saddens me, and not just because it means they're not reading my blog, which is written for them more than the cognoscenti.  But in wine terms, they are seriously missing out.

We've discussed here that the Chancellor takes so much from the price of a bottle that £5 on the shelf means you're drinking less than 50p worth of actual wine.  And just how much does it cost to produce an amazing embossed cork such as this one?  There's also been a large amount of coverage on how the supermarket "half price" deals are little more than a marketing scam, with most of the prices grossly inflated outside of seriously extended offer periods.

Still, I love my friends, and I want to help them experience the joys of better wine.  So, on this drizzly Tuesday evening, I've decided to sample an Asda wine at £6.  I hope it's not stretching the price point too far.

The Marques del Norte Reserva Rioja (2009) is from the "Extra Special" range.  It's been around a year since I reviewed a Rioja from Asda. I also explained things like the meaning of terms such as reserva, if you do want to learn more.  Essentially, this tempranillo based wine has spent at least 12 months in oak barrels and 2 years in the bottle.  But is it really "extra special"?
In 2013, this wine was awarded a commendation by the International Wine Challenge, and a bronze medal by both Decanter and the International Wine and Spirits Competition.  It must have something to recommend it, then.

Of course, the key is, will you enjoy it?  It's got deep bramble fruits, youthful and mouthwatering acidity and some vanilla creaminess coming from it's time in oak. It's medium bodied but still with a rich mouthfeel and enough tannin to give texture. At 14% alcohol it's going to get your buzz on fairly quickly if that's your main reason for drinking wine. 
As reserva Rioja goes, this isn't a particularly complex specimen.  It's nevertheless drinkable and would pair well with your midweek lamb chops.  The label implies it would match well with Mexican food, though I found the spices I paired it with flattened it and brought out some bitterness, so I'd stick to simpler dishes, or just drink it on it's own.

If you like your Riojas fresh and fruity, then you might find the £4.75 entry level bottle more to your taste.  I haven't sampled it, but, then, if you're buying wine at £4.75, you probably don't need my opinion.  On the other hand, I'd love to hear what you think if you do give it a go.  

Please friends, even if it means drinking less, do try a bottle or two at a pound or two more than you usually pay.  I think you'll find the difference is worthwhile.  Mr Purple Teeth dispensed with this after a small glass and moved onto whisky.  I've created a wine snob.

Cheers!

I recently visited Budapest for the third time.  I've yet to make it out to visit a Hungarian wine region, but I'm gradually working my way round their wines, and if you're looking for value as well as quality, Hungary still presents many interesting wines at affordable price points.

My corporate career is now a distant memory while my wine career has not yet made my millions, so it's not all rock 'n' roll on this wine lover's wine rack.  I've been working my way through some of the dustier bottles in an attempt to save some cash.  


On the lower recesses, I found this bottle of "Bock 'n' Roll" from the winemakers Bock who are based in the region of Villany.  A town in the south of Hungary, Villany is just west of the Danube and right on the border with Croatia.  It's latitude and landscape are similar to Southern Burgundy, so it's interesting that this wine is a blend of Pinot Noir (Burgundy staple), Kekfrankos, Syrah, Portugieser and Cabernet Franc.  If it were on sale here, I guess it would be around £8.50 based on our taxation. (I bought mine in the Liszt Airport duty free shop last year for around 7€).  Villany is more often known as Hungary's Bordeaux since it produces large quantities of Cabernets and Merlots, as well as single varietals from Zweigelt and Kekfrankos (also known as Blaufrankisch in Austria and Germany).

What you're really interested in though, is what it tastes like.  It's a very unusual blend and I was worried that perhaps I'd left it too long on my rack, given it was an inexpensive wine and a 2009 vintage.  Instead I was pleasantly surprised.  This is a very interesting bottle for the money.  It's really juicy from the acidity, and although fairly light bodied, it's such a dark red that is almost opaque.  Tannin is present but not over-drying.  It's a well balanced wine and for the money, presents some appealing flavours of cherry, raspberry and spice.  It's simple and easy to drink.  Just right for your rock 'n' roll parties....
If you're having them in Hungary.  (I haven't found it for sale in the UK).

For your UK based parties, you can find Hungarian wines to fit the bill in your local Waitrose. At least you will be able to as soon as it comes back into stock.  This Chapel Hill sparkling is made using the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes which are also those used in Champagne.  This is cheaper than much Cava and Prosecco, and while Brut in style, it wasn't just off dry, making it really very quaffable.  We found it light and easy to drink with some subtle strawberries and cream, lime and green apple flavours.  While it lacks the yeasty, biscuity flavours you find in Champagne and sparkling wines made using the "traditional method", at this price point (around £7.99), it's competing with Prosecco, which I find has generally a less vibrant fizz and less interesting flavours.  It's also cheap enough to use for Kir, adding the fruit liqueur of your coice to make your party go with a swing.

Chapel Hill have featured here before - with a Pinot Noir in our £5 versus £15 challenge.  They make simple but drinkable, inexpensive wines in the region of Balatonboglar, which is one of several wine regions on the shores of Lake Balaton. Situated in western Hungary, Lake Balaton is a long, thin freshwater lake measuring almost 50 miles in length, sometimes referred to as the 'Hungarian Sea.' It is the largest lake in central Europe and reputedly, Hungary's most popular tourist destination.  
The lake is crucial to wine makers since it moderates both the searing summer temperatures and winter freezes, giving ideal circumstances for growing international and indigenous varieties.

While in Budapest, I was, of course, dancing and teaching my dance confidence classes.  I did manage to taste a few local wines, but was limited to what was available in the local 24/7 shop or restaurants, so none of them are particularly rock 'n' roll! 
I had more wine experiences on my first visit in January 2013, which I reviewed here. Over the next few weeks, I will hopefully be "virtually" visiting some of the 22  wine regions of Hungary, aided by The Hungarian Wine House.  If you want to learn more about Hungarian Wines, stay tuned.  Meanwhile, do pick up a bottle of Hungarian "Bor" and let me know what you think of it.
Cheers!

Remember, if you're interested in finding out more about wine, whether you normally drink high street fare or Chateau Petrus, a bespoke Purple Teeth Tasting Party at home, or at a private function is a great way to taste new things and have fun.  You can find out more in the 2nd tab at the top of this page, and contact us here http://www.purpleteeth.co.uk/contact--questions.html

Even perfunctory Purple Teeth perusers will have picked up my penchant for all wines Spanish.

Tonight, I attended a sherry tasting.  Yummy, but not your every day choice. 
I don't recall ever having had 100% Graciano before but I certainly hope I'll have it again.  Again, not an every day choice, but maybe it should be...

And here's the link.  It's made by Gonzales Byass, the same people who make famous Fino "Tio Pepe", and granny's favourite, Croft Original.  This time, however, unlike another favourite of mine, Finca Moncloa, it's not grown in the sherry region (VdT Cadiz).  

Finca Constancia Parcela 12 gives a very specific location for it's provenance. The coordinates are on the front label. The terroir is clearly important to this 2011 single vineyard Vino de la Tierra de Castilla.

Castilla may not be Spain's most famous production region, and Graciano may not be the most famous grape but if you're knowledge of Spanish reds stops at Rioja, it's time you broadened your horizons.

Deep purple flavours combine with velvety, smooth texture, and French oak tones of creamy vanilla and clove. There is plenty of tannin but it's smooth, ripe & the good acidity stops it becoming drying

Blackberry and blueberry flavours mingle with intense violet to create a full bodied fruit-driven wine that pairs well with vintage crumbly cheddar and would also match well with a juicy steak.  The grapes are hand picked and undergo further selection in the winery before vinification, ensuring only the best fruit is used.

Mr Purple Teeth simply loved it. It's a little hefty to drink on it's own and I was left craving meaty Spanish delights such as Rabo de Toro (oxtail), jamón de Serrano & chorizo. But if Gonzáles Byass start selling this in the UK (my bottle was a gift), then run to those shelves and buy some. At Spanish prices (around 8€), it looks bargain-tastic.

Otherwise look for Gracianos on the Spanish reds section of your local wine store...

Gracias Graciano. Salud!

I recently taught some dance confidence classes in Zurich.  Perhaps not the most obvious pastime for a wine buff, it's nevertheless one of the things I love to do.  Regular readers will know that I love dancing, and travel, and where better to travel to than Switzerland?  The land of triangular chocolate and cheese with holes was my home for 6 years, and one of the sources of my passion for wine.

I was looking forward to catching up with old friends and wines that aren't easily available in the UK. In the end, my old friends were enjoying the ski slopes so I had to content myself with a selection of Swiss wine instead. Swiss Miss part 1.

Swiss red wine can be very good.  I've had some Pinot Noir, stored for 10 years in the wine maker's cellar and really loved it.  There is decent Merlot from the Italian-speaking Ticino area.  But the reds can be pricey.  The whites can be too, but there's definitely a lot more variety in the white wines, and they pair wonderfully with the famous cheese fondue. Also, they are, in my extensive testing, more suitable dance partners than reds.

My shopping was confined to a local branch of the co-op so my selection was slim. I did manage to get a glass of the beautiful Neuchatel Oeil-de-Perdix in the Sheraton near our dance venue.  The "Partridge's Eye", as Oeil-de-Perdrix translates, is a delicate pink wine made from 100% Pinot Noir, and has a strong strawberries and cream flavour. It's really worth seeking out.   But back to the supermarket sweep.

Petite Arvine is one of my favourite Swiss varieties.  However this one from the Valais wine region, which produces 50% of all Swiss wine, was at the lower end of the price spectrum at 8.50 CHF for a 500ml bottle.  I didn't expect much and yet was still a little disappointed.   Swiss Miss part 2. 
This was almost too acidic for Mr Purple Teeth, although it's definitely not as acidic as some Rieslings we enjoy.  The main issue is that the nose promises more than the palate delivers.  There are hints of exotic fruit, but the flavour is light and delicate rather than intensely floral.  It paired well with fish, and might be good as an aperitif, though one glass would suffice. Don't less this put you off trying it if you get the chance. Decent ones are delicious.  It will deliver soft florals and tropical flavours and is really the darling of Swiss wine.

Another pink wine I enjoyed was Dole Blanche. As with the Oeil-de-Perdrix, it's made of Pinot Noir, pressed as a white wine, with the skins removed after just a few hours.  What makes it different is the blending of Gamay grapes, more commonly drunk as Beaujolais.  It's a simple and refreshing light pink, ideal for a summer evening, or pairing with a light risotto. You'll taste mainly cherry and cranberry flavour tone with some raspberry.

Finally, Fendant du Valais was the wine on offer at the dance venue.  And I was very happy with the choice.  Fendant is a protected name for Valais grown Chasselas grape variety, and comes from the French word “fendre” (to split), an image recalling the plump ripe grapes that “burst open” with the slightest pressure from your fingers.  Some Chasselas can be acidic but this was smooth, and the ideal "dancing white", meaning it survived warming up gradually between dances, refreshed, and had a lovely flavour profile with mineral and fruity notes. A Swiss hit!

Swiss wine is hard to come by in the UK.  Most of it is drunk within the country as low production and high costs make it an unlikely export product.  But if you're hitting the slopes this winter, do try to pair some Swiss white with your raclette or fondue.  I can't guarantee it will give you confidence, but you might find a new treat.
Cheers!