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London Cru

27/6/2014

 
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These days, pretty much every wine over £6 has "a story".  Discerning buyers want to hear about the beauty of the local area, the soil and climate, the winemaking tribulations, and most of all, the heritage.  
People like me help spread these stories, and we begin to love wines as much for the story as for how they taste.  
Of course the taste has to be great to keep you coming back bottle after bottle for the next installment. 

When I was invited to visit London Cru, I knew there'd be a story.  I just had to figure out if it had a happy ending or not. Could the wine match the hype?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Then we'll begin...

PictureInformal tasting table
Once upon a time, there was an old gin distillery/warehouse near Earls Court in London SW6, owned by an ambitious wine merchant called Cliff Roberson.  

An intrepid Englishman called Adam met Gavin, an Australian wine maker, at a wine school for big boys in Bordeaux and they wondered if making wine in London would be possible.

With the help of investment from Will, who also makes rum in The Bahamas, and of course, Cliff, they decided to turn the ginshack into a wondrous place. A place that could make wine in the centre of London. It seemed a little bit crazy, but the magic appeal of the possibilities soon had them under an unbreakable spell...

Now, making wine isn't like making gin or beer. You need grapes, lots of them, and they better be good & fresh. They only come along when they decide to be ready, and that's just once a year. 
Frost, rain or hail at the wrong time can simply mean they completely vanish. And even more importantly, there are no vineyards in London. So our intrepid "cru" set off to find some...

There are lots of grapes in France.  Winemaker Gavin was sure it wouldn't be any more of a problem than the distances  involved in Australian wine-making.  The race was on. Adam and his merry men fought the malevolent manufacturers to get all the equipment they needed to SW6 before the grapes arrived.

Just in the nick of time, the building, vats, crushers, tanks and barrels were ready. But suddenly, the wicked weather appeared, foiling our heroes plans to bring Merlot from Bordeaux and Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire. What were they to do? A winery with no grapes is naught but a folly.

Luckily help was at hand...

The lovely people of Italy's Piemonte had some juicy Barbera grapes and in Languedoc and Rousillon there was Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah aplenty and our boys set off to help pick all of the grapes by hand, making sure that only the best berries and bunches boarded the big bus bound for London. 
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All mod-cons - a slideshow shows the harvest during the tour
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Adam demonstrates the trays used to transit the grapes
With the help of some logistics expertise, nicely chilled trucks of grapes pulled up outside Seagrave Road on autumn mornings between September and October.

With wicked weather defeated, it was now up to Gavin and the gang to work their winemaking wizardy, to conjure up... What?
London wine? "No!" replied the Defra Doomsayers. English wine? "Again. No." British wine? "Probably not..." UK Chardonnay? "Erm, no."

It seemed the Evil EU Empire once again wanted to trample the desires of our Cru rather than the grapes. Just as they feared that Chapel Down's Malbec experiment might not be the only "fruit derived alcoholic beverage" disaster, a smile crossed their faces... 

Thus, "SW6 White Wine #1 of EU origin" was born, along with Red Wine #1, #2 and #3...
Had our Gavin and his gang of gallant, grapeful guys got through?

Grapes, crushed, fermented, pressed, and secondary-fermented. all that was left to do was taste it. Would Earls Court make wine fit for kings, or was it all tomfoolery?

Purple Teeth arrived. I came, I sniffed. I slurped. I swirled. I spat. (Unfortunately). 
It is wine! 
And it's pretty good wine! 
Will they all live happily ever after?

Wine hits the bottles in a few weeks time, and our cru will be a step closer to their mystical dream.
Shipping starts in September.

The next crop of grapes will be full on the vine by then, and the story will begin again.

Will our London drinkers happily cough up £15 for a bottle of London's premier cru? 

Only you can tell us how the story ends.  

To be continued...
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Adam animatedly describes the challenges and excitements of making wine in London
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Knights Templar castle with 27th and 28th generation vignerons
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We tasted direct from barrels
So what's the point?  

It is a great story, but can it work?  Is this just a conceited vanity project, a publicity stunt for Roberson wines?  Or, is it more of a tourist destination? A rival to Vinopolos, where you don't just learn about wine, you get to see it being made, or maybe even have a hand in making it?

There are precedents to this type of project.  In the USA, City Winery in Chicago use grapes from California and Oregon, cold shipped by road for 5 days, to produce wine in the thronging metropolis. 
With further branches in Nashville, NYC and Napa, they even bring Malbec grapes from Mendoza in Argentina. I guess they don't have the same legal regulations around wine appellations.  

If this is the ultimate aim for London Cru, they'll have to move to a premises that allows a vibe similar to that of the many micro-brewery pubs in the States, and increasingly in the UK. Food and entertainment are also provided on-site and the making process is perhaps not the star attraction. 
That's not out of the question for The Roberson Cru. Their links with retail and the restaurant trade clearly give them ideas they're not afraid to develop.  

And what of London's other urban winery? The "co-operative winemaker" Urban Wine Company produces "Chateau Tooting" from a blend of grapes grown in people's London Gardens.  They may have a claim to an "English Wine" label, but with only one metric tonne of grapes involved, I don't think they'll worry the Cru that much.
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slideshow - loading grapes
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Cold stabilising the wines - the final process before bottling
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De-stemming machine gently shakes red berries off the bunches
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Basket press for whole bunch (Chardonnay) or pressed wine (reds) from the cap
Ultimately, I sense the future here will be in niche, bespoke winemaking. I'm told Marks & Spencer are already planning a cuvée for Christmas and may get more involved in the 2014 harvest and production.

Imagine too, the top London sommelier creating a blend to perfectly complement his Michelin-starred chef's signature dish. Or, for the city boy who has everything, what could be more fun than his own custom barrel of wine? 21 cases of his London blend to dish out to friends and family?

In London, anything can happen.

It might just as easily vanish. However with wine school MBAs, a marketing powerhouse and lots of ambition behind them, plus wines which are more than drinkable, I'm sure London Cru will make it work.
PictureNew oak barrels cost 800€
To take a tour, priced £15, go in July before all the wines are sent for bottling. It's a great way to see first hand what goes on a winery without the need to leave the city. Informative, fun and tasty, you'll be encouraged to enjoy food and drink afterwards in the neighboring Atlas pub.

They're also taking bookings to be winemaker for a day, at a cool £125.

You can now pre-order the first batch of wines here, and they'll ship in September when it's settled after bottling. 

Only you can decide if they're worth the £15 a pop, but here's what I thought of them.

Chardonnay:
Burgundian style, restrained old oak usage plus time "on the lees" provides mellow toasty, nutty notes to soften the bright, acidic citrus. The nose has more oak than the palate, and the medium body has lots of fruit, but it's fresh, bright and not over-ripe.  ("On the lees" is wine speak for letting the wine fermented in the barrel stay in contact with the dead yeast for a while.  This gives a bit of body, and flavour.)

Rosé: 
(Go now for tasting or wait next year). A serendipitous result of extra juicy Barbera, this small batch of rosé was produced to prevent over-dilute red wine. Intensely but not unpleasantly acidic, thanks to malolactic fermentation (which softens the acid in the mouth even if it doesn't great change the pH), there's bright cherry, strawberry & lemon sherbet on the nose and in the mouth. Great for getting the party started.

Red #1 Barbera:
It's just waiting to be paired with Italian food. The mouthwatering acidity will stand up to rich tomato sauces, and though there's not much tannin, it's deep color and plummy, cherry flavour will appreciate a tuna steak or veal parmigiana.

Red #2 Syrah:
In no way resembles blockbuster Aussie Shiraz. The fruit from Roussilon provides a flowery violet note on the nose that follows through on the palate. It's paler than I'd expect from a Syrah too. There's also blackberry & blueberry, and a light, fresh feel that makes this a great summer red - not too heavy for white fans, but with enough tannin to satisfy your urge for red.

Red #3 Cabernet Sauvignon:
It's hard to say quite how this wine will end up. We tried it 3 ways: from old oak, new oak & blended straight from the cooling tank.
Made from certified organic fruit from the Languedoc, even chilled it wasn't unpleasant. . These are tannic, and will probably benefit from some bottle aging, but they drink reasonably well now. One taster described it as "Chanel No5 in a glass". I'm not quite sure what he meant by that, but by the way he cradled his glass, I think he loved it. He must be a fan of cedar and woody tones along with the blackcurrant flavours. I liked the spicy liquorice and spicy notes, but was less a fan of some of the green notes, which may mellow with age.

The other people on my "meet the cru" tour seemed positive. I believe we were all pleasantly surprised. For those who don't get to taste the wine on site though, £15 for a bottle of "EU White" or "EU Red" is a hard sell. Even Languedoc wines which can declare a provenance & grape variety struggle to make it much above £10 a bottle.

Will I buy some? I can probably find other wines I'd prefer at £15. But, just maybe... I did start to wonder if Cuvée Purple Teeth didn't have a certain ring to it.

 Wanna buy some wine?

Cheers!

Blue River Blues

23/6/2014

 
Let me preface by saying Purple Teeth tries hard to avoid negativity & criticism. That's perhaps not ideal for a site which critiques wine. My general rule is, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".  There's too much bad news on the internet already, and wine is a pleasure to be enjoyed, and shared socially.

If I don't like a wine, I usually choose not to review it.

If someone sends me a wine for review, I'm hopeful that I'll enjoy it. They're expecting a review, but they don't want a bad one.  If I really don't like it, I'll say so. I try for the balance to swing in favour of positivity, but I also need my readers to respect my opinions. Otherwise, I lose all credibility with my readers and customers.  

It's with regret then, that sometimes I feel I have to write a bad review to "protect the public", or perhaps inspire a change.

For many years, I worked in Customer Experience and this role gave me the opportunity to shape customer service for large companies. As a result of the role, and too much time on business travel, my tolerance for bad service became lower.

Perhaps that's why I stopped going out as much...

When we first moved to Maidenhead some 10 or so years ago, we ended up living pretty close to the Blue River Café (BRC). It was a fun place, decent food, reasonable prices, efficient service.

We spent far too much time and money there, particularly in summer  (our rented flat had no garden).

Many a weeknight was met with spontaneous abandonment of work accoutrements and a brisk walk for one of the delights on their menu rather than face cooking. We even had our pre-wedding dinner for 12 there, the night before our nuptials. We agreed an early dinner would mean all guests could choose their own dish, rather than insisting on a set menu. The service and food were great.

How times have changed.

Years have passed, personnel have moved on and frankly, the service now sucks.

The menu is much depleted with many of my favourite dishes disappearing for lackluster replacements such as £15 for a pork chop, £18 for a duck breast.  Dishes are dully described and without a hint of provenance.

Prices have risen - of course. 10 years have passed. But the quality of food and service just isn't worth this kind of money.

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Listed on the website at £25.95, though I'm seem to recall my photocopied wine list saying £27.95. A decent, full-bodied Chardonnay. Tropical fruit with hints of vanilla.
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£10 dish of scallops (served with the coral). Cauliflower puree lacked texture as did the pancetta. Tasty enough but not spectacular.
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A risotto starter which was dry, stodgy and under seasoned.
Compare:
I recently wrote about the "daily menu" at Boulters, another local establishment which, in contrast, has improved immensely since we moved here.
For a little over £60, we enjoyed 3 courses each, a lovely Chilean Pinot noir, and a large bottle of mineral water.

So we headed there on Wednesday last to celebrate our 11 year date-iversary. Any excuse.

Perhaps my blog proved too influential. It was full! No tables.

Not fancying the bar food option, we decided to try our luck at BRC. We had had a poor service experience last time we visited. We had been quite tipsy, not in a great rush, and relaxed enough to let it slide, though we did discuss it. We hadn't commented to the staff before we were advised we'd be getting 50% off the meal. This saved the day.  When you get it wrong, accept it, deal with it and move on. They deserved another chance.


Sadly, they've not learned their lesson.

We were promptly seated by, a woman I presumed to be a senior staff member. (She wasn't wearing the uniform of the others.) We were given menus but no wine list. She offered us a drink so I ordered a sparkling water & hubby a pint while we decided. When these arrived we pointed out the lack of wine list.

"I'll just get that for you," she said.

Some 15 or more minutes passed. No one returned with a wine list. Nor had anyone taken our order. Had we not already drinks in front of us we'd almost certainly have left and gone to Thai Orchid across the road.

Eventually we managed to make someone see us. Several staff were busy cleaning tables rather than waiting on us or looking around to see if anyone needed service. We asked for the wine list.   

A few minutes later, a somewhat shabby looking plastic folder containing some badly photocopied A4 sheets arrived purporting to be the wine list.

The "by the glass" selection has not improved with the demise of the properly printed wine list. It would have to be a bottle.  I opted for the Chilean Chardonnay, at £28, one of the most expensive whites on the list and probably the only one I could imagine drinking from the pitiable selection. (The Veramonte Reserva Chilean Chardonnay is approximately £10 retail).  We ordered our food.  

The appetisers seemed more appetising than the main courses.  It was getting late.  We chose 2 starters each.  This seemed to confuse the waitress who eventually took our order, especially when I asked to add a garlic bread side dish to one of mine.

Finally, after spelling it out in words of one syllable, we got our order placed, some 35 minutes after entering the restaurant.  We saw the original staff member return and my husband asked to speak to her.  Her "I'm really sorry, I had to sort something out at reception" left us both dissatisfied.  We were onto our 3rd staff member now, and the apology felt insincere.  Nor did we have any offer of how this was going to be turned around.

Fairly quickly, our scallops arrived.  Hurrah!  They were reasonably tasty, though the pancetta was a little flabby and could have benefitted from being crisper. (Side note: please, bistro chefs of Britain, note that rocket will drown out a delicate flavour like scallop.  Rocket is so last season, do you have to put it on every dish?)
Sadly, our wine had not yet arrived.  Of course, we'd ordered a bottle to complement the meal.  Another request made, and the friendly response: "oh right". Now, I'm not a fan of the "no worries" trend that has swept Britain's service culture but suddenly, I yearned for it.  

When did "you're welcome" or "I'll get that for you now" go out of fashion?  I must have missed the memo.

At last the wine arrived, when I was half way through my starter.  Luckily, it was as good as I'd expected it to be.  At last, things were looking up, though the very cheap wine glasses with thick rims did it no favours.  The glasses were also too small for a wine like this, which needs room in the glass.  However, let's not get all wine snob.  It was a decent wine.  And, I finally had some, a "mere" 45 minutes after sitting down.  Relief.

When our second starters arrived, neither of us was impressed.  The goat cheese on brioche with a poached egg really disappointed my husband.  It looked all the same colour and very unappealing.  My risotto was dry, tasteless and required a LOT of extra black pepper and so-called parmesan to give it any oomph whatsoever. Luckily they handed me the pepper mill and walked off.  I think I emptied it. Underdone and under-seasoned, at least the garlic bread (£3.25 for 2 slices of ciabatta) added some flavour, though I probably didn't need any more carbohydrate.
Mr Purple Teeth needed a dessert to improve his mood.  The homemade brownie was recommended, so being a chocaholic, he went for it.  It was just ok.  Drowned in "lashings of chocolate sauce", it was a bit sickly and didn't really have any brownie texture.    Total bill, £77!  4 starters, a pudding, and drinks.  Take off the wine and you're still looking at over £50, whereas a decent, well presented 3 course meal at Boulters is available from £20.  I overheard another diner complaining about the lack of a vegetable with his dish.  Again, it wasn't handled that well.

The restaurant's own website begins: "One Of The Best Restaurants By The River Thames The Blue River Café".  I don't think The Waterside Inn is quaking in it's boots just yet.  Jenner's Cafe isn't either!

Perhaps I wouldn't have minded so much if I hadn't recently written to them with an offer of some customer experience consultancy (which received no reply).  I really don't mind not being hired to help them fix the problems they face.  But they need help. And fast. Get some sort of zoning system organised for the staff, and teach them decent manners. It's really not that hard.

This kind of experience isn't perhaps enough to raise loud complaints, but it is the sort of thing that kills loyalty, and leaves punters going somewhere else next time.  At the moment, they're winning on location alone. 
My advice: avoid.


Maybe a miracle?

22/6/2014

 
Summer Solstice. A beautiful sunny Saturday. A quiet day of relaxation at home for Purple Teeth.

The neighbours had other ideas. Shrill laughter, giggly screaming, fun and games. A hen party in the back garden behind mine.

If you can't beat them, join them? No-one home to party with, no pre-nuptial camaraderie required, one post-wedding-party invitation declined due to a poorly foot, one lonely wine-blogger suddenly feeling sorry for herself.

The solution: Wine!

Whatever the question!

I was kindly sent this Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc by Roberson Wines for review. At £9.95 it's a really good value bottle. You'll find it here, if you want to buy it online, or, you can pick up a bottle in their Kensington High Street shop if you're based in our nation's capital.
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Source: www.rhone-wines.com

So here we have a Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc made from a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. They're traditional Rhône varieties that, in this combination, produce a full-bodied wine with a fascinating flavour profile and a long finish. (That's wine-speak for a taste that lingers in the mouth long after you've swallowed the wine).
Has this wine got miraculous properties? Shortly after the natural cork was pulled, the inanities of the girly group faded to nothing, and the white noise of a nearby lawnmower felt almost welcome. Free tolerance boost with every bottle! Mr Purple Teeth will doubtless buy a case full when he reads this.

But what of its taste, you wonder:

Bold, full flavours of peach mixed with grapefruit and white flowers come to mind. The Roussanne in the blend may even be contributing some honeysuckle.  From the elegant Viognier, perhaps some quince.  These flavours mingle with perhaps a less juicy & crisp acidity than one might wish for on a summer day.  These grapes produce a mellow and stylish wine rather than a refreshing slurp. 
I felt I could detect some "pink" flavours reminiscent of Grenache Gris, or perhaps it was just over-ripe apricot.

Close your eyes and you might  even imagine you were drinking a delicate pink wine, but for the mouthfeel. Not quite oily, there's a real mouth filling viscosity that makes each sip satisfying, even without food.  For those red wine drinkers who claim to never drink white, you might even like this on a summer evening.  The lower acidity and full body creates a textural sensation you should find appealing.  The grapes are grown in the area of Châteauneuf-du-Pape by a winemaker who, until recently sold his grapes in bulk, rather than making his own wine.  His subsequent low profile keeps prices affordable for now.

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Romain Duvernay Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc 2013 £9.95
When you think of Côtes-du-Rhône, do you think red? Last year's award-winning advertising campaign by Rhône wines focused on the famous reds from the region, encouraging us to drink more Grenache (noir) blends.  It's hardly surprising that one of my wine-drinking followers (who loves Rhône wine) claimed to have never seen a Rhône white...
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 A recent Facebook post by a Purple Teeth fan asked what's the difference between Grenache and Grenache noir.
They are the same. But while red Grenache wine is fairly well known (it's one of the most widely planted reds worldwide), there is now much more awareness of Grenache Blanc (blended in our current bottle) & Grenache Gris (usually used to produce rosé), so good old fashioned Grenache has had a superfluous "noir" added for the avoidance of doubt.

In fact, the Rhône valley is home to 27 grape varieties, and though just 6% of wine produced is white, there are some highly prestigious whites within the Rhône's 26 appellations. For example,  Condrieu is famous for saving Viognier from extinction, and for producing some spectacular wines from it.
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Purple Teeth rating: a really interesting wine that will appeal to the more adventurous white drinker. If you've never had a Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc, this could be just the wine to introduce you to a number of new varieties.

Too full of flavour if Pinot Grigio is your bag, it should float your boat if you prefer Pinot Gris. 

Perhaps too low in acidity for a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling drinker, but with enough aromatic interest to suggest giving it a try.


And when the lawnmower stopped, the silence was golden, just like the glow from my glass.



Cheers!
Post by Purple Teeth.

World Cup Winners (Part 6)

15/6/2014

 
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Group G deserves it's own post. Three great wine-producing nations,  perhaps not all of them featuring in your fridge or wine rack very often.  Ghana sadly isn't invited to the wine party.  Sorry folks!

Germany is most famous for Riesling. It's produced in a variety of styles from bone dry through to sticky sweet dessert wine.  It ranges from fairly inexpensive for mass-market styles, through to eye-wateringly expensive for the late harvest and ice-wines (Eiswein), made from grapes that have hung, un-rotted on the vines until they freeze.  Chances are, in your local supermarket, you'll find only the affordable lighter styles. 

PictureGermany's Mosel Valley, famous for wine
I reviewed a selection of Rieslings last summer, only one of which was German: Dr L isn't showing up on my Asda web-search at the moment. Good luck tracking that down, as it's light, inexpensive and easy-drinking.

In all Rieslings, sweet or dry, you can expect "screaming acidity".  Don't panic. That's wine-speak for zingy, zesty,  & mouthwatering, though some people do find it a bit tart. You'll generally find lime in abundance, and candied lemon peel. You might find honey, red apple and "mineral notes", which sound rather unappealing when described as "wet stones" or "petrol", but actually add delicious complexity.  Trust me on this.

For the budget concious (and those worried about the intense acidity of Riesling), you might go a bit retro and pick up a Piesporter-Michelsberg.  I remember this blend of Riesling and Muller-Thurgau was the height of wine chic among the unsophisticated wine drinker of the early 80s. Surely it's better than Blue Nun?  £4.50 at Tesco  or Sainsbury's will get you a bottle and £5.29 at Waitrose, all medium-dry, they'll seem sweet if you've been drinking Sauvignon Blanc all summer.  One advantage of the sweetness is they're slightly lower in alcohol.  

Sorry to keep going on about it, but these late night matches mean we have to think of such things. I have to admit I was a bit too embarrassed to put a bottle of this in my trolley along with my Catena Malbec & Hedonist Shiraz.  In these days of "loyalty cards", I'd have suffered from low wine credibility for years.

For a pure German Riesling at the lower price point, try the Kendermanns Special Edition at £7.49 (Waitrose).  It's perhaps a bit too tart for some, but if you like a good squeeze of lemon and don't make a face, then this could be the wine for you.  

Explaining how to decipher German wine labels will take longer than this post will allow, so if you don't want a sweeter style, look for Trocken, which means dry.
Red wine fans won't find anything affordable from Germany in our supermarkets, so it's time to head to our next Group G destination. 

Portugal
Staying in the retro groove, and opening a bottle we inherited from the mother-in-law, this summer evening was time for the iconic Mateus Rosé, Portugal's most famous pink.

I'm not even sure I was of legal drinking age the last time I tasted this, but a friend had urged me to give it another go.  Ripe strawberry flavours accompanied our salad, and blended seamlessly to the raspberries and yoghurt dessert. I'm nothing if not thorough.

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Summer Wine!
I'll probably be "struck off" the wine connoisseur register, but, during the World Cup, you're looking for quantity more than quality, and as long as it's well chilled, I think you might surprise yourself with this one.
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Made from the Touriga Franca, it's medium sweet, ever so slightly fizzy, and, at £4.99, I can see how it's managed to endure all these years.  
It wasn't unlike a Kir.  Not quite as fizzy as a Royale, but about that level of sweetness.
Portugal's red wine grapes have been going into Port production for hundreds of years.  These sweet fortified wines are built to last, and that means the grapes going into them have a good structure for making dry red wine too.  Port might seem a little heavy for summer, but with chilling, there are a number of styles that will satisfy with one glass after dinner.  I like the Tawny styles, full of rich caramel flavours.  The Ruby styles are more like fresh, fruity young reds with some sweetness.  They can be appealing as an aperitif.  You'll even find pink port such as Offley Rosé Port (£11.99 at Waitrose) so there's plenty to try if you've only ever had vintage styles with Stilton at Christmas.

If you fancy a more traditional red, I don't have a lot of experience of the supermarket offering, but the medalling Tesco Finest Douro Red looks worth a punt, at a fiver.  A blend of 3 grapes, including the Portuguese version of Tempranillo (Tinta Roriz) it will need to be served with a meal.

The famous white of Portugal is Vinho Verde. While there are plenty of other styles around this light, medium, slightly spritzy white is worth a fiver of your summer wine spend.  There are plenty around, and I'm sure there's one in a supermarket near you.  Expect citrus flavours.
According to the Guardian, the top Portuguese value white on your list should be Vale da Capucha Fossil Branco, 
(£8.50, Asda Wine Shop) from the Lisbon area.  Topping the polls at the recent Asda press-tasting (where was my invite?) this blend should have powerful peach and quince flavours, good body, & zingy acidity. I may just give it a go myself.

An early Purple Teeth blog covers a Portuguese red, here, as well as a German Mosel Riesling, a Chilean white, an Australian Shiraz & an Italian Fiano.  It's like a prequel to the World Cup series, though I'm not sure of current availability.
PictureThe Napa Valley Wine Train passes right by the Robert Mondavi vineyards
America
Land of the free and the home of the brave.  And also producer of millions of litres of wine every year.  97% of the production is from California, and while I love Viognier from Virginie and Pinot Noir from Oregon, you won't find those at everyday prices on Britain's supermarket shelves this summer.

So, it's to California we go in search of your final World Cup Winners. 

Californian wines range from two-buck chuck (factory produced table wine) through to icons that are virtually unobtainable at any price.  While we might dream of Opus One, Screaming Eagle or whatever else is hot this season, we return to Tesco in search of wines we can all afford.

Home of the branded wines Barefoot, Echo Falls, Blossom Hill, Gallo etc, you probably don't need me to recommend you an American wine.   I reviewed the Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon in October and found it drinkable as well as affordable.  I also picked out some special wines for the July 4th celebrations last year. They are very good, but you'd probably have to get them by mail-order, or from a specialist wine merchant.

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£13.99 from Waitrose (25% off any 6 bottles till 17 June)
I've been enjoying the Hahn Family Vineyards Pinot Noir from Monterey. 
Last time I reviewed it, I found it a bit on the jammy side, but the recent vintage seems a bit more restrained, complex, & better for it.

Bags of red fruit, juicy acidity, smooth tannins, Decanter Silver Medal. 

What's not to love? It's a regular feature at Chateau Purple Teeth. Just watch out for the hefty 14.5% alcohol. 
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I've been lucky enough to receive a few American wines as gifts recently.  The stepson provided a 2010 Syrah from Selfridges (!) and my friend Heidi brought me my first ever Washington State wine, a Bordeaux Blend.  I'll review these in depth in the coming months.
PictureSipping Chardonnay in Napa - May 2008
Napa Valley has a reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, and there's plentiful, plummy Merlot produced across the State, along with other varieties. But when I think of Californian wine, the grape that  springs to mind is Zinfandel.   

White Zinfandel is a rosé wine, sometimes known as blush.  I had a glass by accident a couple of weeks ago, and it's even sweeter than the Mateus. You have been warned. A plea from all Zinfandel drinkers: "please don't bring me a bottle of white zin".  It's no longer the 80's and wine drinkers grow up.  However, it's cheap and cheerful and lots of ladies love it.  Go right ahead if sweeter styles are your thing. 

I love the deep, dark, over-ripe red wines from this Californian gem. It's usually a whopping 15% alcohol, yet still with a hint of sweetness.  It is worth spending a little more to get good examples, as under-ripe Zin is much less appealing.  If you can find it, look for "old vines" on the label.  This should mean lower yields which, in turn, means a higher concentration of flavours.

In the past I've reviewed several Zins, including Brazin, and Ravenswood Old Vines among others.  These are both available at The Wine Society, and the Brazin is stocked at Waitrose too.  For the Tesco shoppers, there's a £9 Ravenswood Vintner's Blend, and a £9.99 Ravenswood Lodi Zin.  I'd probably splash out the extra 99p since Lodi is among the best areas for Zinfandel in California. For once, the selection at Asda is even more expensive.  The cheapest supermarket offering is Sainsbury's Turning Leaf Zin at £8.

You can expect dark fruit flavours like blackcurrant, blueberry and prune, along with cocoa notes, hints of raspberry or black cherry, and some spiciness, all wrapped up in vanilla oak smoothness.  Why you'd swap that for sickly sweet blush wine, I'm not sure!

If money is no object, I'd choose a Ridge Vineyards Zin.   And if you really want to support Croatia, there's new evidence to suggest this grape originated there.  Problem solved.


When it comes to whites, California grows pretty much every one of the common white wine grapes.
I opt for Chardonnay.  Some incredible (& incredibly expensive) bottles are produced by people like Stag's Leap.  The one that makes it's way into Purple Teeth HQ most frequently is most like the Bonterra Organic Chardonnay from Mendocino County, which I reviewed in my first month of wine blogging. At around £12, it's not  exactly entry level, but it's worth splashing out if you're looking for something to accompany your roast chicken.

Bargain conscious shoppers should head to Sainsbury's where the entire "Barefoot" range is currently reduce to £5.25, allowing you to sample Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Moscato (sweet style), and Sauvignon Blanc.  If you don't normally drink Californian wine, I'd be keen to hear if you notice a difference in style from your usual whites.

I really hope you've enjoyed reading our supermarket world cup wine series. You'll find the other 5 parts by visiting our June 2014 archive.  If I've done it right, I've encouraged you to go more confidently to the wine section and select something new that you should enjoy.  Do share your experiences on our Facebook page.  
I'd love to see photos of you enjoying our recommendations, or photos of what you've chosen instead.  

Tell me a little about what you're drinking and why. It'll help me tailor future blog posts to your tastes. Meanwhile, whoever you're supporting this  Wine World Cup 2014, enjoy! (...responsibly, of course)
Cheers!



World Cup Winners (Part 5)

14/6/2014

 
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Group F.  It's got to be Argentina when it comes to the World Cup of Wine...  

Nigeria has it's mind on other things right now, and I don't think wine was ever up there among it's priorities anyway.

Iran?  I'm not even sure alcohol is permitted.  Certainly, they have less frivolous matters on their minds.

Bosnia...  well, there is some production, but let's just say it hasn't hit our shores yet.  If the Balkans are all friends again nowadays, perhaps they'll partake of some of their former Yugoslav colleagues' wines.  The Sainsbury's basic Pinot Noir is from Macedonia and only £4.50, but given the choice , I'd choose the wines from my good friends at the DiBonis winery in Serbia.  They were a big hit at one of my multi-country tastings.  Stay tuned as I hope to offer these wines to my followers very soon.

PictureAconcagua snow-melt reservoir feeds Mendoza's vineyards
Argentina.  As a Scot, memories of the Tartan Army heading South with high hopes are never far away.  The English will surely never forget the Maradona Hand of God.  It's lucky they make amazing wines.

Visiting Argentina 4 years ago, I was lucky enough to spend time in Mendoza, even stayin on the Tapiz Winery.  I tried many Argentine wines there, and am ever more impressed by the quality of what's coming out of these high altitude vineyards.  



White of Argentina
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Sampling whites at the "Wines of Mendoza" tasting room, in, Mendoza of course!
The discovery of the trip has to be Torrontes.  It's got lovely floral notes, some peach and grape flavours, and  has an almost honey flavoured sweetness although, it's generally a dry wine.  It was love at first sip for us.  Once home, we made it our mission to seek these out. 

There's a great one from The Wine Society, and most supermarkets have one or two nowadays.  My favourite is the Tesco Finest Torrontes from Salta, a bit further north than Mendoza. At £6.99 (20% off if you buy 2) and with a Bronze medal from the International Wine Challenge, it's definitely the white to sip if you like Viognier, Gewurztraminer or Muscat wines.
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Catena Chardonnay Waitrose £12.99
If you're up to spending a bit more, head to Waitrose for the Catena Chardonnay (buy any 6 bottles to get 25% discount till 17/6).  At £12.99 it's probably double what many readers would pay for a white wine, and it's worth it.  At least I hope it will be when I open my next bottle.  Perhaps I rated it so highly drinking it in Ecuador because of wine deprivation.   I'm expecting some vanilla on top of pineapple, nectarine and well-balanced acidity.
Fans of pink wine can also find satisfying tipples in Argentina.  I've only tried the one, and I liked it.  The Tesco Finest Malbec Rosé (reviewed here) is a more serious pink than many. "Red wine only" drinkers might even be convinced to try a glass (or two.) I hope you can get hold of it, as it's currently out of stock online, but at £6.49 a bottle, I'm not surprised.
Reds of Argentina
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Deep, black Malbec Grapes growing in Mendoza.
There are lots of good red wines produced in Argentina, but it's with Malbec that the country has made its reputation.
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If money is no object, head to Gaucho and enjoy the Luigi Bosca DOC with a spiral-cut fillet.  
For the rest of us there's the supermarket picks.  
I found the Santa Julia (£7.49 Waitrose) soft and easy drinking when I got it from a Quito supermarket in desperately wine-deprived times.   It's picked up a Decanter Silver Medal so I reckon it's worth adding to your shopping basket.
For the truly price conscious, the Tesco Finest Malbec is currently reduced to £5.99.  It's made by Catena Zapata wineries.  Nicolas Catena is the godfather of Argentine wine, and not just because of his Italian ancestry.  He was the first South American winemaker to be Decanter Magazine's "Man of the Year" in 2009, and he's received many more awards since.   

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At Waitrose, £11.99 will buy you the Norton Winemaker's Reserve, or for £12.99 you'll get the Catena Malbec which is a superior blend from finer quality grapes than the Tesco Finest bottle.
Drinking the Norton last night, it seemed a great wine with your barbecued red meats.  Juicy acidity lightens the full-bodied hefty blackberry flavours tinged with coffee, mocha, chocolate and liquorice. 

On last year's World Malbec Day, I reviewed the previous vintage of the Catena Malbec along with several others.  You can read about them here.

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Poor Group H.  All dressed up and no place to go, at least when it comes to wine.  

Islamic Algeria isn't likely to go into massive wine production any time soon.  

Belgium is ALL about BEER!  If you've never tried a fruit beer, it's as good a time as any.  Many of the Belgian beers are super strong, though, not least, Delirium Tremens. Do bear this in mind if it's a late game and you've got to drive in the morning.

I've only experienced the Korean alcohol "Soju" once before at Bibigo restaurant in London (which comes highly recommended).  Their wine list features a few of myFrench selections: Picpoul, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris, so there's no Korean wine to speak of.  

As for Mother Russia, there is Russian wine, and I've even been promised a bottle of their fizz one of these days (I'm not holding my breath). Russia is all about Vodka.  My favourite is flavoured with birch sap and the name is only printed in Cyrillic, so I can't even begin to tell you anything except it's smooth and delicious.  Sorry Group H.  Game Over.

You'll find all my supermarket wine picks to match your world cup watching on the blog.  Just one more group to come. Please share your bargain bucket beverages on our Facebook Page.
Cheers!

World Cup Winners (Part 4)

13/6/2014

 
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Group E looks like being all about France.  Ecuador may give them a run for their money on the football pitch,  but for those who followed our Facebook page throughout May, you'll know that wine is really not Ecuador's specialist subject.  The Aguardiente raw spirit made from sugar cane is tasty, but not widely available in the UK.
Honduran wine?  I don't think so. 
Swiss wine is dear to my heart, since I first found my passion for wine in that country, but supermarket availability is even less likely than these minnows picking up the trophy. Stick to the cheese and chocolate if you're a Switzerland fan.

So, France wins the Group E wine award by default.
Trying to pick a few highlights from the biggest wine-producing country in the world is like trying to pick your friend out in the crowd at the stadium on TV.  But, my mission is to help you drink your way round the world, so here goes...

You'll surely know you're way around French Rosé if pink wine is your tipple, but if not, start with those from Provence.  If you're looking for fizz, but can't justify spending out on Champagne just yet, never fear, because the "Cremant" wines provide a great alternative. Generally cheaper, you'll find versions from Loire, Alsace and Bourgogne fairly widespread, made from Champagne grape Chardonnay among others. 

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Gratuitous photos of my old home city, Neuchatel, Switzerland, just because I can...
White

When it comes to French whites, it'll be no surprise to regular Purple Teeth followers, that I strongly favour the Alsace region.  It can be a little daunting for the less experienced punter because of the wide range of styles from bone dry through to sticky sweet, and the grape varieties are rich and textured.
I've written about Gewurztraminer many times. It's a great pairing for Chinese food and Thai, and I've even enjoyed it with Indian food, where it held it's own.  Strongly perfumed, the over-riding flavour is lychee with hints of rose. If florals don't do it for you, avoid.  The bargains are the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference (around £8), and Waitrose own brand (around £10).  Tested and revisited many times at Chateau Purple Teeth, both are dry in style.  If you've got a bit more than £10 for a bottle, you'll be better served at a local wine merchant.

Pinot Gris (you'll have seen much more of it by it's Italian name Pinot Grigio) is another favourite, and again the Waitrose own brand at around £10 is a good starting point.  You'll find a dry wine with ripe honey, pears and some spiciness.  Warning.  You may never go back to Pinot Grigio after tasting this Bronze medal winner. They're completely different in style.
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Beautiful Strasbourg, in the heart of Alsace. Feb 2014
There's a whole country to explore though, so let's head south.  The Languedoc region makes some great rosé, and you'll find great value whites & reds from all the most common grape varieties. Current favourite is
Picpoul-de-Pinet.  Fashionable doesn't need to mean expensive.  Expect mouthwatering, "lip-smacking" zingy refreshing wines, with crisp apple, citrus and pear flavours.  It's a winner whether you're chucking some crayfish on the barbie, or opening a packet of ham to have with a salad. You'll find an IWC silver medal winner at under £8 in the Tesco Finest range (20% off if you buy 2) and again at under £9 in Waitrose (25% off if you buy 6).
In the interests of research, I paired the Waitrose Domaine Haut-Bridau tonight with a challenging salad: peashoots, avocado, red cabbage, tomato, spinach - not your natural bedfellows for wine.  The Picpoul worked really well.  Mr Purple Teeth found it vibrant, zingy & slightly reminiscent of the tingle you get from Gruner Veltliner.  It's cheaper, so give it a go!
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Waitrose's new Picpoul went well with our salad
Sauvignon Blanc fans might first think of Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, both in the Loire valley. Finding these at £10 or under is a bit of a challenge though, so think laterally, and head to the Bordeaux Blanc.  Here the Sauvignon is blended with Semillon and sometimes Muscadelle, to soften out the green edges, and Tesco are offering plenty of these on special offers at around a fiver.  It's been a while since I drunk it, but I used to enjoy the Château Saint-Jean-des-Graves from Waitrose (now £8.49).  The Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers regions should provide affordable but highly drinkable examples.

Chardonnay fans must head to Burgundy for the finest examples, and you can pick up cheap & cheerful Macon-Villages in Asda for just £6.  We talked about the impact or Oak in World Cup Winners (part 3) dedicated to Group B, so if you want to steer clear, Chablis, or Petit-Chablis are the styles for you to look out for. 
Red
Chances are, when you think of red wine, you think of France.  It's the biggest producer in the world (an honour it switches every few years with Italy depending on harvest yields) and wine is deeply rooted in the French culture. And when you think of French wine, there's no doubt that the big names of Bordeaux grab all the attention.  For most of us though, we simply can't afford to drink those kinds of wines every day, so is it possible to get decent French red at an affordable price?  
Yes! And even in Bordeaux (though that is a little trickier). 
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A visit to one of the top "Left Bank" Chateaux.
Claret is how you'll find the cheaper, simpler Bordeaux wines labelled in the supermarket.  The blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes doesn't often feature on my wine rack, but IWSC Bronze medal winner "Good Ordinary Claret" (£5.49) is surely the one to try, if you like soft wines with ripe blackberry and plum flavours.
Look for the producer Calvet for similar wines in the other supermarkets.  
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Also at the low end of the price spectrum, this Tesco Merlot from Pays d'Oc (in Languedoc) was a hit with Purple Teeth fans last year.  Read the review here.

It'd be wrong of me as Rhône prize winning student, not to mention the varied wines of this region.
You'll find mainly blended wines of Grenache (zingy red berry with a hint of spice), Syrah (elegant blackberry and violet), Mourvèdre (gamey, robust, fruity), and other grape varieties, often without any indication given on the label as what to expect inside.  These wines can be hugely expensive, but there are some bargains to be had.  At £5.69, the IWSC Bronze medallist from Waitrose looks like a soft and fruity version: Classic Cotes du Rhône 
Having won a case of Rhône wines that I'm still working through, it'll be a while before I can write up any supermarket specials, with the benefit of tasting.
PicturePinot Noir Grapes
I can't complete any resumé of French wines without mentioning Pinot Noir.  If you can find then, the Rosé made from this grape is by far my favourite.  Light, delicate, and with strawberries and cream on the palate. The Tesco Finest Sancerre Rosé at £9.99 may just make it onto my list, sometime soon.

The home of Pinot Noir is undoubtedly Burgundy, but while it's possible to pick up cheaper Burgundian Chardonnays, my experience of low cost red Burgundy hasn't been quite as fulfilling.  This grape is known for being lighter red, with a bit less body than many of the French reds I've already mentioned.  The fruit flavours tend to strawberry, red cherry sometimes with green notes, and in the low cost versions, there's unlikely to be much oak aging, which can impart savoury mushroom, and complex earthy or leathery notes.    Asda are the only supermarket offering anything in the sub-£6 price point: Le Manoir Du Baron Pinot Noir 2013 at £5.50   
I've not tried it, so if you give it a go, please let me know what you think.

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There's so much more to French wine than this cursory glimpse at the supermarket bargains can possibly offer, but I hope that those who're supporting Les Bleus will be shouting "Vive La France" as they sample some of these wines.  Do share your findings on our Facebook page, Twitter or here in the comments.
Santé!

PS you'll find all our wine picks for the World Cup on our main blog page 

World Cup Winners (Part 3)

13/6/2014

 
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Continuing my series of recommended wines to accompany your World Cup fandom, Group B is a stonker!
The Netherlands may have a good football team, but when it comes to growing things, tulips take precedence over grapes.  Stick to lager.  I like Oranjeboom if you can get a hold of it. The other countries have got wine sewn up.

Chile is a blossoming wine producing country and we Brits are drinking more and more of their wine.  My notable white at the lower price end of the spectrum, is the Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier (shop around as prices vary from £5 - £8.50 across the supermarkets).  It's voluptuous texture and floral notes are a great accompaniment to your exotic Asian takeaways. I reviewed it last year and I'm still drinking it fairly regularly, and it now has an IWC Bronze medal. The Cono Sur brand is reliable across the range if you want to try something else.
Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is widespread and available at many price points.  I find it less green, grassy and more peachy than New Zealand SB, and that, for me, is A Very Good Thing.
If you're a red wine drinker, the signature Chilean red is Carmenère. Known for a deep plummy flavour, it might appeal to Merlot drinkers.  Asda stock 57 different Chilean wines, and other supermarkets will have an equally wide range.  Experimentation is good here, since the wines are usually very good value.  The Errazuriz brand is reputable although prices are closer to the £10-12 mark. Their Max Reserva Carmenère is £12.49 at Asda, while their Decanter Silver medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon Max Reserva is £12.99 at Waitrose (25% off any 6 wines till June 17).

Despite Chile's great reputation for value and quality, for me, it's a straight fight between Spain and Australia.  Can I pick a winner? Two of my favourite wines come from these two countries, but Vega Sicilia Valbuena and Penfold's Grange aren't likely to be the wines my readers choose to accompany their football viewing.  Frankly speaking, it's a long time since I had either wine, and the chances of buying either one any time soon look about as slim as Scotland winning the World Cup.  Hint: Scotland aren't at the Brazilian finals!

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Spain is one of my favourite wine producing countries.  Just this week, I reconfirmed this as my local wine club tasting presented regional Spanish wines.  There's an astonishing diversity from the world's 3rd largest wine producing country, and I've reviewed many of my favourites here at Purple Teeth before.  Most notably, the "Spain versus the Rest of the World" tasting party is a good place to start.
As you're looking for easy to access, affordable supermarket wines, though, I'll give you a few more suggestions.

Whites:
Verdejo: Lush creamy peach flavours, some zesty citrus and a lovely texture.
My very local supplier's is a favourite version of this delicious varietal from the Rueda region.  Tesco have one or two on offer, and a couple blended with the much cheaper (and less interesting) Airen grape.  It's worth spending that little bit more for the single varietal.  Waitrose have a bronze medalling version for £7.99 and Sainsbury's have a 2 for £10 offer on their £6 winemaker's label.  I can't personally vouch for any of these, nor Asda's Finca las Trenzones (£7.96), which gets 5 stars from it's customers.  I even enjoy the mini bottles of Verdejo I get on British Airways flights, though I'm not sure when the next one of those will be.

Albariño:  Probably my favourite of the Spanish whites, this grape is a great accompaniment for fish, as well as a great aperitif for summer drinking.  Good versions have a Riesling-like acidity and they're very dry.  From Spain's Celtic coastal region Rias Baixas, it's hard to find cheap versions.  I have had a £5 bottle in my fridge for a while from Asda.  I will report when I finally sample it, though I can't see it in their online shop any more.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference (£8) is a creditable example and a great place to start if you've not triedthis grape. Read my review.
Untasted by me, the Tesco Finest (£7.49) has some advantages: 2 silver medals and 20% off any two Finest wines. Sounds tempting!

If you've got an Oddbins nearby, I'd encourage you to try something very unusual.  The rare grape, Verdil from the area close to Valencia at around £8.25 has some pretty intriguing flavours of pineapple and almond.  My review is here.

Reds:
Tempranillo is Spain's most popular and widely grown red.  You'll find it in Rioja, Ribera del Duero and in a variety of prices and styles, from young and brimming with red fruit around the £5 mark, up to prices that only the people on the pitch can afford.  For Riojas, I tend to enjoy Faustino, which is widely available, and tend to avoid Campo Viejo.  I've reviewed several supermarket Riojas and Ribera del Dueros in the past, so take your pick.  The cheapest Tempranillo I've ever reviewed, but still worth drinking is the Toro Loco from Aldi, which may still be under £4 a bottle.  I've no idea how they do it considering the tax on wine, but if you've a branch nearby, don't be shy on stocking up!  It's the perfect red, too, if you want to make summer sangria, or the cocktail sweeping Spanish resorts, "Kalimocha" - a blend of chilled red wine, ice, cola and orange (triple sec is nice).

For something different, you could try a Mencia from the Bierzo region.  Here's my review of one from M&S that's just £6.99

Monastrell from Jumilla is a deep, dark and spicy red, again found in different styles.  Cheaper versions will be fruitier, while older and more expensive versions will have more spice, and oaky, smokey notes.  You'll find Carta Roja (older style) and Tapa Roja (younger and fresher) in Sainsbury's, often on special offer. 
You'll also find it in blends at M&S with Grenache and Syrah.

There's a wealth of Spanish wine in any supermarket, usually reasonably priced.  Don't be afraid to experiment.  If you must have Rosé, I reckon the best ones are from the Navarra region. If it's not clear where the one in your hand comes from, check the back label. For fizz, Cava makes a tasty alternative to the Prosecco you may have been choosing lately. And don't be afraid to try a sherry or two!
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Australia is a phenomenon in the wine world.  It's one of Britain's biggest wine providers, by volume, with huge sales of bulk and branded wines.
It also produces some really premium wines with an amazing reputation for quality and consistency.

It's no surprise to any Purple Teeth reader that I'm a huge fan of Aussie Shiraz, so I'll start with the reds.

Reds: 
Shiraz: Bold black fruit flavours, with peppery spice, full body and bags of alcohol.
Anything by Penfolds or Peter Lehmann will be good. You'll find these in many supermarkets.  Look for the Barossa Valley region if you're willing to spend a bit more. It's got the best old vines.
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Possibly my all-time favourite supermarket Shiraz is The Hedonist from the McLaren Vale. At £13.99 from Waitrose, I'll be stocking up during their 25% offer.  I've reviewed £5 Shiraz before and I'd really rather pay that bit more to get something worthy of the name.  But you decide.

Blends:  Red blends are commonplace around the world, but they're very easy to spot in Australia wines since you'll generally find the grape varieties prominently listed on the front label.  You'll find GSM blends (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) are appealing in a number of styles.  I recently reviewed one from M&S though possibly higher in price than a football quaffing wine merits.

You'll also find blackcurrant flavoured, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon and plummy flavoured, soft Merlot. They're often blended too.  At all price points, these should be easy to find in any supermarket.  They're not my first choice in wines, but Mr Purple Teeth is partial to a Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon, if you're looking for a specific recommendation.  In general though, when it comes to Australian wine, the cheap and cheerful will be labelled as "South East Australia".  Given that's an area larger than all of Europe's combined vineyards, you should get better quality wines by sticking to a smaller named area.

Whites:
Chardonnay is the grape  Australia treated badly in the 80s and 90s, leading to the rise of the ABC wine drinker (Anything But Chardonnay).  
You'll find 2 main styles: 
Oaked - creamy with hints of vanilla, good body and a lot more restrained than it used to be.
Unoaked - more crisp apple, and citrus with hints of peach and tropical fruit in good examples.
I've not been drinking much Australian white wine lately, but as with the reds, you'll find Penfolds makes some great Chardonnays.
Tesco stock 90 Australian whites!  It's no surprise that shoppers get confused. 

Sticking with medal winners, Tesco Finest (£8.99) Hunter Valley Semillon has a silver from IWC and is in a medium dry style.  This area is the most renowned for Semillon. You'll often find this grape blended with other whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc (the signature blend of Bordeaux whites).

If you prefer a crisper style Tesco also stock an IWC silver medal Riesling.  Clare and Eden Valleys are the regions to look out for, but the Barossa Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling at £15 should be a bit more special than your average Jacob's Creek branded wine.   Southern hemisphere Rieslings are generally packed with zingy lime flavour alongside the mineral and petrol notes we expect from that grape.

I'm confident that Purple Teeth readers will have no problem finding something to suit from Spain or Australia.  I'd love to hear your views on which ones you prefer and why, and if you've picked up some gems, share them on our Facebook page.
Remember, you'll find our recommendations for England's group in Part One of World Cup Winners, while Part 2 covers group A (Brazil's group) and group C.  I'll be publishing my tips for the rest of the group over the next few days.  A friendly reminder too, that if you're drinking while watching late night matches, do be careful of being over the limit if you're driving early the next morning.  Enjoy your wine sensibly, whoever you're supporting. I'd love to hear what you're drinking, so please to share your favourite wine from each country on ourFacebook page.
Cheers!

World Cup Winners (Part 2)

12/6/2014

 
It's a beautiful summer evening, there's more football on than you can shake a stick at.  Love or loathe the World Cup, it's a perfect opportunity to try wines from new places, experiment and join in the worldwide fun!  And with many supermarkets offering great deals at the moment, don't miss out on the chance to save anything from 5% to 25% by buying 6 bottles at a time.  You know you'll drink them before the fun is over.
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My Group A wine wineer would probably be Croatia. They are reputedly making great wines, but they're not widely available.  You might get lucky in store at M&S, though there's no stock on-line of the Golden Valley Grasevina 2012.  

As far as the rest of group A is concerned, you can forget about decent wine from Mexico or Cameroon, and until recently, I'd have said the same for group favourites, Brazil.  

Admittedly, if I'm supporting Brazil in the final, I'll be much more likely to reach for the Caipirinha cocktail than a Brazilian wine.  Though, there's never been a more apt time to try it.  The UK is now the number 1 export market for Brazilian wine, and with sales sky-rocketing over 220% in the last 4 months, it's easy to see why this might be the time to take the plunge.  Simply put, you'll find it much easier to get a hold of. 

Waitrose (25% off 6 bottle offer till 17/6) have launched 5 new Brazilian wines, from own label Chardonnay and Merlot at £8.99 to a Chardonnay for £13.49
M&S have launched 3 wines from Brazil, including a sparkling dry style for £8.99
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Of all the Brazilian wines on offer, the one I'm most likely to try will be the £7.99 sparkling "I heart Brasil" Moscato available from Tesco.  Summery sweet with floral, grape and sometimes more tropical fruit aromas, sparkling moscato (think Asti for the Italian version), is a real winner alongside a slice of cake, or on it's own.  Even better, it's much lower in alcohol than many other wines, at 8.5% abv, so it's probably the ideal tipple if you've got work in the morning.  Remember, you could still be over the limit for driving if you drink too much during the late night fixtures...


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Group C doesn't really hold it's own in the World Cup of wine.  Simply put, Colombia is all about coffee, despite it's reputation for other intoxicants. Ivory Coast is not going to threaten colonists France for wine supremacy, and while they've tried, Japan, just isn't producing wine to speak of.  If you want to show them some love, why not get some Sake or, the plum liqueur known as plum wine Umeshu.  Sake (known as Japanese rice wine) is growing in popularity and more styles are becoming available.  

You can read all about my trip to Japan last summer, along with all the drinks I tried in this blog.
And so the Group C wine drinker is left with Greece.
Greek wine is gaining in popularity, though, it's never topped the polls at my Purple Teeth Tasting Parties.

Tesco have a £4.99 sweet Greek red on offer for those who prefer to avoid bone dry wines.  Mavrodaphne of Patras is a 15% abv rich dessert style wine, that has a bronze medal.  At that price, it's certainly worth a punt, if you like fruitcake flavours.   It's £6.69 at Waitrose, and £5.50 at Sainsbury's, where you'll also find traditional Greek Retsina at the same price, should you fancy a taste of pine resin.  

For a wider selection of Greek wine styles, you'll have to head to M&S.  They have 6 on offer.
The Red on Black Agiorgitiko (£8.99) from the Nemea region has a bronze medal, and it's the only one I've actually tasted.  The review is here along with many other wines!
There's also a Wine Challenge commended red Xinomavro (£10.49), 3 whites and a rosé, so you should find something to suit your palate in store, though, the online wine shop is out of stock of most of these.

If you do have a good local wine store, my Greek tip is the white wine from Santorini, Assyrtiko. There is one available from Ocado (price now £11.99) I reviewed last year and it makes a refreshing change from Sauvignon Blanc.  


You can read my Group D English wine picks here.  I'd love to hear what you're drinking to support your favourite team.  Feel free to share on our Facebook page, Twitter or via the comments form.
Cheers!

World Cup Winners (Part 1)

12/6/2014

 
I don't know a lot about football, but I know a lot more about wine.  And I also know that with super late night fixtures, Brazil 2014 is going to be a challenging time for employers expecting bright and breezy staff in the mornings.  To add insult to employers' injury, here's my pick of the wines to drink along with your football.  I've tried to stick to supermarkets, since that's where most of my readers buy their wines...
Let's start with the group our UK readers most care about: Group D
If you're an England fan, you'll want to stock up on some English wine.  All the English wines mentioned are stocked at WaitroseCellar.com and there should be a selection available in your local branch. They've got a 25% off 6 bottle offer in place right now, so what better chance to show your support for local produce, and try something new.  It's for the team!
Picture
Uruguay also makes great wine from the Tannat grape.  You might find the odd one in your local supermarket branch.  Expect a sturdy, robust red.

Costa Rica is not known for it's wine production so the Scots among us will have to drink Italian, especially on Saturday night.  

My supermarket Italian pick is: Tesco Finest Nero D'Avola (£7.99), a medium bodied but bold red from Sicily. See my review here.

When it comes to Italian whites, most people can't see past Pinot Grigio, but I find that dull and rather uninteresting.  Why not try a Fiano instead.  Though I've not tried it, Tesco Finest offer one that's got a commendation and a 25% offer taking it down to about £6 a bottle.  It should be offering peach, pineapple and apricot notes. Try it. You might like it!
England's Winning Team

White:  Crisp & Dry
I love the Brightwell Bacchus (£9.99) from Oxfordshire and I'm not alone.  It's got a Decanter Bronze medal.  I'm also a great fan of Chapel Down Bacchus from Kent (£12.99) The Bacchus grape is a great substitute for Sauvignon Blanc fans. It's full of tangy citrus, and mouthwatering zing. It's always a hit at my tasting parties.  See the Chapel Down outperform other wines here.


Pink:  Dry & Fruity
Oaken Grove Benham Blush (£11.49) also has a couple of awards to it's name.  It's made from from a blend of Pinot Noir and Bacchus grown in Henley-upon-Thames. This unusual fruit combination gives peachy notes, strawberries and cream with some refreshing apple.

Red:  Fruity & Spicy
I can't make a personal recommendation on this red, as I've never drunk it, but given it's got a bronze medal from IWSC, if you simply must have an English red, you can dry the Bolney Estate Dark Harvest (£9.99) from Sussex.  A blend of Dornfelder & Rondo, it should have red berry fruits along with spiciness from oak aging.

Fizz: Bone Dry
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée (£31.99) is considered England's finest fizz after it beat Champagne in a blind tasting.  I reviewed it last summer.  Fizz is something England does really well and there's plenty to choose from out there, so don't be afraid to try spending a bit less.  The Sainsbury's own label English sparkling wine was a hit with my wine club last summer, but it's not showing in online stock right now.  You may get lucky in store.  

Yesterday I tasted the Stanlake Park Heritage Brut (£17.99). It was really good, though you'll have to order it direct from them here.

I'll be along with another set of "group recommendations" shortly.  Meanwhile, whatever you're drinking to accompany World Cup Fever, do so responsibly, and make sure you turn up for work in the Morning!

Cheers!

Boulters' Bargains

9/6/2014

 
PictureGrilled Cornish Mackerel with a view of the Thames, by Boulters Lock, Maidenhead
There's a tradition that Tuesday night in our house is "date night".  Between running Purple Teeth events, coaching, dancing, friends and so forth, it's becoming rarer and rarer for Mr Purple Teeth and I to be home alone together during the week.  So, we try to keep Tuesday nights clear.  And, if I can remember how to cook, I usually rustle something up to match whatever wine I fancy drinking.  Quite the opposite to how most people plan their food and wine matching, I'm sure!

Now and again though, it's nice to go out. Though I often bemoan the wines by the glass in local hostelries.  Perhaps I'm getting old.  
So we found ourselves in Boulters Riverside Brasserie just before we jetted off to Ecuador and were delighted to find that the restaurant has introduced a new concept called the "daily menu".  It's a completely set menu, so the only choice is 2 courses (£15.95) or 3 courses (£19.95).  The temptation for a 3 course meal on a Tuesday night was too much, and all the dishes sounded delicious so we jumped straight in for the 3 course deal.
Mr Purple Teeth is a huge fan of mackerel and we both really enjoyed the medley of different beetroots served alongside the super-fresh fish.  The horseradish added a real zing and we became even more excited about the rest of the menu.

PictureConfit Duck Leg with Salardaise potato, spinach, confit garlic & mustard sauce with Terra Andina Pinot Noir
As usual, selecting the wine was up to me.  To pair with an oily fish and a confit duck leg, I selected a Chilean Pinot Noir from Terra Andina.  From memory, it was about £23.  I seemed to recall that we'd enjoyed this wine in another restaurant some months before.  It fit the bill, being ripe, fruity and fully of enough juicy acidity to cut through the somewhat, let's call them "non-low-fat" dishes we had coming. 
The Confit Duck Leg, Salardaise potato and spinach with Confit Garlic was, perhaps a tiny bit over-seasoned, but eating a full head of garlic was a delicious treat (it's okay to eat garlic on date night if you're both having it.) The duck was crispy and moist.  Again, a hit with both of us.

Picture
Finally, the dessert.  How could we resist a soufflé?  And the combination of orange with a warm chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream just added to the temptation.
I've had lesser soufflés in Michelin starred restaurants.  We were glad we'd given into the third course.  Light, fluffly orange melted as the sauce was poured in creating a hole just the perfect size for the ball of ice cream.  Of course the Pinot Noir didn't pair well with this dish, so luckily we'd polished it off.  A glass of something sweet alongside may have made the whole experience even better, but then, even if it was "date night", it was a Tuesday.  We saved the dessert wine for another day.
Overall verdict, good value for money, decent wine, local establishment, nice surroundings = we'll be back.

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    Purple Teeth

    My name's Heather and I've been enjoying wine for over 20 years. I'm the 2013 winner of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Rhone prize for oustanding students at the advanced level.
    My mission is to share my passion for the myriad varieties of fermented grape juice, hopefully inspiring you to try something new, or to host  a Purple Teeth wine party in your own home or business.

    My blog mainly features wines you should be able to find on your local high street or online, and occasionally, I will review restaurants, travel and other forms of alcohol, since my qualification covers spirits too.  I believe it's important to enjoy the calories and the cash we spend on alcohol, and I hope my guidance can help you reduce the risk of making a bad buy.
      
    When I'm not drinking wine, you'll find me on the dance floor where West Coast Swing is my dance of choice. Socialising with the friends I've made there from all over the world has also brought me new adventures in alcohol!  And just in case you're interested, I also write a blog called Confidence Within.  You'll find it at heatherharrison.weebly.com


    Remember to enjoy wine sensibly...
    For a woman, 2-3 units per day is the recommended maximum allowance.  This equates to around one standard "pub measure" glass of wine:
    175ml of 13% alcohol wine is 2.3 units (and a scary 140 calories).  
    You'll find all the facts you need about safe, moderate drinking at the www.Drinkaware.co.uk site. 
    Purple Teeth supports safe drinking. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking alcohol.

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