This months meeting was hosted by Sheila Do and Ann, who presented wines for your summer BBQ...
Wines for your Summer BBQ
Sparkling Wine
L’Extra par Langlois Brut NV, Cremant de Loire 12.5% £16.99
Origin: This is the Loire equivalent of a ‘blanc de blancs’ Champagne, having been made from a blend of only the region’s white grapes. Made in the traditional method, including 12 months maturation on lees, this is a fine example of the region’s sparkling wines.
Grape: Chenin, Chardonnay
Taste: Pale lemon yellow with a fine, shimmering mousse. The nose is an invigorating symphony of golden apple, citrus zest and subtle biscuit aromas. Clean, dry and elegant on the tongue.
We feel this will be an excellent start to a summer BBQ. It will develop for a further 3 years with careful cellaring.
White Wines
Planalto White Reserva 2016, Douro 12.5% £12.99
Origin: A blend of white grapes indigenous to the Douro area. At once traditional and modern, the wine is vinified very much in a contemporary style, with de-stalking and cold fermentation helping to preserve freshness of fruit and maximum aromatic impact.
Grape: Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, Gouveio, Codega
Taste: Dry and delicate, but possessing an interesting aromatic intensity and complexity, with overtones of blossom. The fruit is predominately citrus, with soft pear and melon flavours completing the picture.
Apart from being a treat at a BBQ, it is great with seafood or herbaceous pasta and rice dishes.
Pietrariccia Fiano 2016, Surani 13% £11.99
Origin: Masseria Surani is an estate dating back to the early 1900’s, and is located just 6km from the Ionian coast of Apuglia, Italy’s ‘heel’. The Fiano grape is found almost exclusively in southern Italy and Sicily, and is thought to have its origins in ancient Greece.
Grape: Fiano
Taste: A bright lemon colour with a golden tinge. The nose offers an inviting mixture of citrus and tropical fruit with floral hints. Crisp acidity and good palate texture make for a refreshing, satisfying feel.
Drink with a salad, generously dressed with olive oil, anchovies and pine kernels.
Vinalba Seleccion Torrontes 2017, Lujan de Cuyo 13% £10.99
Origin: The aromatic Torrontes grape is a distant relation of Muscat, and has become Argentina’s signature white variety, as it produces bright and perfumed white wines in the sunny yet cool high altitude vineyards of Argentina.
Grape: Torrontes
Taste: Bursting with ripeness, the nose is a cascade of tropical fruit and blossom aromas. Lively flavours of white peach, melon, pear and pineapple provide a refreshing and involving palate sensation.
Would go well with the BBQ, but also with mild Thai curries or dressed prawn salads.
Red Wines
Agenda, Dao Manager’s Choice 2015 13% £11.99
Origin: Store managers at Majestic were asked to select a new wine to be stocked nationwide. After an extensive tasting this is the wine they chose. Although it is a red wine, as we were looking for wines for a BBQ they thought it works if kept in the fridge until 30 mins before serving.
Grape: Touriga Nacional, Alfrochiero, Tinta Roriz
Taste: This is a delightfully soft and rounded wine with loads of plum and bramble flavours plus touches of herbs. Judicious use of oak adds a slight spiciness to the finish.
The slight chill would make this perfect with the BBQ, but it is also excellent with a herby roast lamb.
Vox Populi Bobal 2014, Utiel-Requena 13% £12.09
Origin: Little known outside of Spain, Bobal is actually the country’s third most planted grape variety. The region of Utiel-Requena, inland to the west of Valencia, is its heartland. The hot, arid climate here tends to produce fleshy, powerful red wines.
Grape: Bobal
Taste: A weighty, muscular red wine, offering a dense core of forest fruit flavours framed by smooth yet abundant tannins. Aromas have a subtle floral character.
As well as going well with your BBQ, try with strongly flavoured smoked meats.
Parilla Malbec 2015, Vinalba, Mendoza 14% £10.99
Origin: This wine is made by Bodegas Fabre, makers of the original single-varietal Argentine Malbecs, and is sourced from mature vineyards in Valle de Uco. 50% of the wine has been aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, to achieve a fruity yet complex flavour profile.
Grape: Malbec
Taste: A deep ruby colour, this Malbec is crammed with damson, blackberry and plum flavours accented by touches of oak toast. Smooth, ripe tannins offer a silky finish.
Pair with juicy steaks or sausages ‘a la parilla’ straight off the grill.
