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Popping the Cork, or Popping the Question? |
Romance is in the air this Valentine's month, with the cooing of turtle doves and the twang of Cupid's bow drowning-out the
usual clatter of the word-processor as I write this piece. Our food theme is romantic too, so what wine should you serve with an
intimate dinner; perhaps on the 29th with an important question waiting to be asked? Pink fizz is always suitable for such an
occasion, but make it a good one like the finest rosé Champagne from Billecart-Salmon at £26.99 in Oddbins. A modest
£10 or so buys the lovely Cuvée Napa rosé, made by Mumm in California and widely available. Perhaps the most aptly named
wine for the occasion is St. Amour, a silky red from the Beaujolais. This is a "Cru" Beaujolais from a top village - a world removed
from cheap and cheerful Beaujolais Nouveau.
UK stockist are given, with prices in pounds sterling (approx £5=$8US)
Whites
Domaine de Pontcher Tourraine Sauvignon 1998
Lively, fresh nose of gooseberry and exotic lychees. Crisp on the palate, it is dominated by zippy pear and apple fruit with a tangy lemon and herb acidity in the finish. This will cut through the creamy risotto very nicely. Majestic £4.99.
Organic Soave Superiore 1998
A classic Italian wine for a classic Italian dish. This has a lovely honeyed richness and floral edge to ripe pear and citrus fruit. Quite full on the palate, there are layers of peachy fruit and fine acidity. A cracking Soave. Tesco £4.99.
Reds
Capelands Ruby Cabernet 1998
From sunny South Africa comes a wine filled with blackcurrant and red berry fruit, but also a suitably earthy quality. On the palate it is easy to drink, the fruit is simple and forward yet there's enough tannin to keep it fresh. Peckham's £3.99.
Chianti San Vito 1997
What a wonderful Chianti this is. A gorgeous nose crammed with juicy black cherries, nutmeg, tobacco and polished-wood leads on to a palate brimming with succulent, crunchy black fruits. But there's also a definite spark from a bitter plum-skin edge and grippy tannins. Safeway £6.99.
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon 1996
Sumptuously rich cassis aromas rise from the glass with this Californian wine. There are super-sweet violet notes and plenty of vanillin oak. The palate strikes a fine balance between unctuous fruit and a bitter-sweet firmness. The finish is long and lip-smacking. Bottom's Up/Oddbins £8.99.
Reds
Bonterra Muscat 1998
Love-heart sweets spring to mind on nosing this flowery, peach and mango scented wine, which is rather appropriate. There are nuances of darker, rum-soaked sultanas too. The palate is deliciously sweet, with honeyed peaches and light, zipping acidity. Modest in alcohol at only 8.5%, it would be perfect with this month's passion fruit dessert. Oddbins £6.99 per half bottle.
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