Shake things up with Try January – Alistair Gibson
Of course, I could suggest a few non-alcoholic wines, however in my experience I have yet to try one that would make me want another glass and to be honest I’d rather have a soft drink.
That being said and returning to a theme I have flagged up before, maybe it should be ‘drink less but drink better’ and this month how about Try January.
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Hide AdDrink less but go for some different wines or grapes you’ve not tried before.
Here are a few less mainstream wines for you.
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Gris 2017, Marlborough (Co-op £10 nzhouseofwine.co.nz £12.99 and on special offer as part of a mixed six currently £10.99) which is not a typo, this is sauvignon gris, not blanc.
It's related to sauvignon blanc, and in many ways very similar, but it has more of a pinkish skin colour and can produce slightly richer wines.
It is only found in a few regions including Bordeaux, Chile and New Zealand and it is seldom bottled a single varietal wine as this one is.
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Hide AdThere is citrus fruit, pineapple and a little mango on the nose, followed by a nicely rounded almost creamy palate with a little less zesty acidity that you may find in a Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
I really like this and it would work very well with some simply grilled fish.
White rioja is hardly something new or different but I always think it is often sadly overlooked, especially given that in the last decade or so there are many white riojas being made in a much more modern style.
Hacienda López de Haro Barrica Blanco 2017 (Bush Vines £8.65, Majestic £8.99 or £7.99 as part of a mix – please note 2016 vintage in Majestic) is made mainly from the viura grape and is aged in oak barrels for three months.
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Hide AdYou can sense the oak but it never overwhelms and the wine shows some nice freshness with hints of pear, green herbs and maybe a little banana on the nose, before a nicely judged palate with a little complexity and some creaminess on the finish.
This is really good value and would work really well with a humble roast chicken or a butternut squash risotto.
Generally speaking Chilean pinot noir is at the simple, often slightly jammy end of the spectrum but Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2017 (Ocado £16.99, Sone Vine & Son £15.50 but please note 2016 vintage) is a very accomplished wine that shows what can be achieved.
From the Aconcagua Valley near the cooling Pacific Ocean this has a wonderful nose of rose petals, some sour cherry, forest fruits and Asian spices. The palate is medium bodied with more red fruits and dried herbs and silky tannins, before a very long, focused finish.
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Hide AdThis has great elegance, early days I appreciate, but I’d be delighted if I tasted a better sub-£20 bottle of pinot noir this year.
Match this with a Sunday roast leg of lamb and raise a glass to Try January.