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 | North East Post Weekend Edition |
Nathan Lane
Wine Correspondent
2:00 AM 16th July 2022
lifestyle
Some Great Wines For The Record-Breaking Heatwave Weekend
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2020/21, Marlborough
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As the tabloid headlines announce another heatwave, it’s time to head to the garden with a bottle of something cold.
There is something peculiarly British about heading outside when it’s oppressively warm. Despite the short-lived warm weather, British motorists are far more likely to drive convertible cars than their Continental counterparts. Sales of soft-top vehicles in Britain are twice as high as in Italy and 10 times higher than in Spain.
A good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent choice for a summer's night. Popularised by Cloudy Bay, there are endless choices on supermarket shelves. A firm favourite discovered at a wine tasing many years ago is Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region.
It comes with a screwtop, so it’s ideal for picnics or outdoor drinking. On the nose, you get a blast of gooseberry and tropical fruit. It’s a big wine that gives the best of France a run for its money.
A passion project of the winemaker Kevin Judd, Greywacke is a Sauvignon that differs from the usual flowery, tropical Marlborough style. According to him, it tastes like sponge cake with lemon icing with melon and blackcurrant flavours and is delightfully peachy.
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2020/21, Marlborough is available in Majestic from £21.99 a bottle.
There is something peculiarly British about heading outside when it’s oppressively warm. Despite the short-lived warm weather, British motorists are far more likely to drive convertible cars than their Continental counterparts. Sales of soft-top vehicles in Britain are twice as high as in Italy and 10 times higher than in Spain.
A good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent choice for a summer's night. Popularised by Cloudy Bay, there are endless choices on supermarket shelves. A firm favourite discovered at a wine tasing many years ago is Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region.
It comes with a screwtop, so it’s ideal for picnics or outdoor drinking. On the nose, you get a blast of gooseberry and tropical fruit. It’s a big wine that gives the best of France a run for its money.
A passion project of the winemaker Kevin Judd, Greywacke is a Sauvignon that differs from the usual flowery, tropical Marlborough style. According to him, it tastes like sponge cake with lemon icing with melon and blackcurrant flavours and is delightfully peachy.
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2020/21, Marlborough is available in Majestic from £21.99 a bottle.
The hunt for good rose can be challenging for people who find the current trend for pale Provence wines a bit thin.
There has been a celebrity stampede to produce rose wine in recent years, with everyone from Brad Pitt to Kylie bringing products to market.
The Beach by Whispering Angel offers something a bit different from the usual pale Provence rose. A blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah it offers fresh strawberries on the nose with a good slug of fruit to taste. There is a little fresh grass and herbal notes to accompany the stone fruit.
The Beach is produced by Whispering Angel’s winemaker Sacha Lichine. It provides a commitment to sustainability and beach preservation. It also comes in a lightweight bottle with an eco-friendly label.
It provides a more refreshing and lively alternative to Whispering Angel and is a little cheaper to boot. Perfect for family gatherings and BBQs, The Beach isn’t as acidic as some rose and offers easy drinking for a long afternoon.
Caves d'Esclans 'The Beach by Whispering Angel' 2021, Côteaux d'Aix-en-Provence is available at Majestic from £12.99 a bottle.
Tuscany is home to some of the world’s greatest red wines. However, La Pietra is a spectacular chardonnay that offers the drinker a surprising complexity.
On the nose, there is lots of melon and green apple, which is followed by the creamy, buttery tastes that come with a good chardonnay. It has oak on the palate, but it doesn’t overpower the fruit and citrus flavours.
This bottle was enjoyed on a very hot day with some seafood pasta, and it paired perfectly. There is an unctuous density to the wine in the glass that encourages it to be savoured rather than quaffed. Every sip offered a new layer of complexity with nutty notes in the long finish.
The estate of Tenute del Cabreo extends over the municipality of Greve in Chianti and the village of Montefioralle and Casa di Sala in Panzano in Chianti. It produces La Pietra, Chardonnay Toscana IGT, Black, Pinot Nero Toscana IGT, and Cabreo Il Borgo.
The winemakers have dubbed La Pietra the first white supertuscan, and who am I to argue.
La Pietra Chardonnay is available online from around £35 a bottle.
Nathan Lane
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