Drinking and reading are the order of the day. Or really the order of last week. There are plenty of wine drinkers who will say that they know 'a good red' or a 'claret from their beaujolais' (Blur, 1990s) but few of those will claim they really know how to buy one, short of a little luck and sticking to the bottles they know. Perhaps when they want a great bottle they simply dig a little deeper, or go to a decent wine shop and tell them what they're after. I've always tried to judge wine by the label, and it's a system which hasn't done me too much harm. It's never totally reliable, because a grape you like from a country you like with the right amount of age may still be terrible. Buying wines which have been reduced in the supermarket occasionally brings great rewards, but you have to question why they are reduced - is it simply a promotion or are they past their best-to-drink date? It seems to fall both sides. It's hard to tell when you're standing there trying to determine whether the bottle you're staring at is going to have too much acid, taste of rubber, or simply be insipid and fail to deliver the knockout blow you were looking for with that extra few quid.
In an effort to understand wine a little better, I've begun a knowledge quest. Where is my wine from, how is it made, and in many cases which grapes are actually used!? I was surprised to discover that many winemakers give no indication of grape type on their bottle. I suppose I was aware of this from looking at bottles and not seeing a type - I knew that Bordeaux was not a grape itself, but hadn't appreciated the huge variety of grape types in the different wines we know as Bordeaux. This applies to many wine types. What, for example, is in a Burgundy? I am only beginning to find out the combinations and the styles which come from each region. Even indeed from a single wine. You'll have heard of Chateauneuf Du Pape, but do you have any idea what it consists of? Apparently, usually primarily Grenache grapes, but with potentially ten or more grape type in any bottle - and according to the rules which control the Appellation (the AOC 'Appellation d'Origine Controllé*), it could be made from any combination of those grapes - or just one... so it could contain no Grenache at all. I just knew it tasted epic! How about Shiraz and Syrah? Actually the same grape, with both names used according to preference. And why have I given all the grape type capital letters? Presumably overconsumption.
I've also tried to challenge my traditional thoughts on regions and value. Because South American wines have always seemed good value, I've tended to stick to them when buying wine at around the £5-8 mark, along with a few French bottles as I know a little about French wine. Increasingly I'm realising that, in fact, I know practically nothing about French wine, but that what makes good value in wine is an appreciation of where it comes from and the quality processes associated with this. Winemaking is extremely complex and many factors influence the differences you taste in your wine - the final price may rarely be indicative of how good it is. Without boring you with the details... I'd have to say absolutely nothing else on this subject. Watch this space for an idiot's guide to wine buying i.e. a guide to wine buying by an idiot, which you'll at least be able to understand.
Aanyway... on to the wine drunk on my recent trip up north. Pretty successful with all concerned. Two bottles with high expectations absolutely delivered, and one with much lower expectations proved pretty damn good, although the lesser quality red went down easily but without making much impression. 3 out of 4 is not bad, especially since we were suitably drunk at least twice (ok, exactly twice).
Seraph Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Sauvignon Blanc (France)
It wouldn't be unreasonable to simply refer to my previous review of the Seraph Sav Blanc, which was excellent, and simply add the words 'a bit better'. This might not give it the credit it deserves, except that the 'bit better' moves it well into the Sancerre league. Is it worth the extra £1.50 a bottle? Yes if you are buying one for an occasion, but only a maybe if you are buying a whole case because you really like the stuff. Which would be quite reasonable.
Reina Mora Special Selection Torrontes 2010 - Torrontes Blend (Argentina)
Where the Seraph is a £10 bottle of wine which definitely make it's price tag worthy, this is a wine which comes only a little cheaper. I was pleasantly surprised, not least because a week earlier I had drunk a red Reina Mora and found it fairly average (review pending, I have three more!). This was reminiscent of a good Pinot Grigio, crisp but powerful, not subtle but not wanting for it, with plenty of fruit. It doesn't beat the slightly cheaper Seraph previously discussed, but then it is a very different wine. I plan to compare the next bottle more closely with aforereviewed (now a word) Pinot Grigio, as they feel similar and come in at a comparable price.
Grand Livre Coteaux du Languedoc 2009 - Grenache Blend (France)
I found this more drinkable than expected, having seen the reviews other customers had given this at Virgin Wines. I'd also applied the 'label theory' described above, and expected it therefore to be boring. It was fairly rich with a decent finish, but wasn't doing anything special. Certainly not nearly good enough to justify close to £10 bottle, but it came cheap in a bargain case so I'll not be complaining. Except now. GRR.
Arva Vitis Cuvee del Pago 2006 - Grenache Blend (Spain)
My first thoughts were 'yes!' and then 'bloody YES!'. My above thoughts on the Seraph pretty much apply here. It's hugely earned its £10 price and knocks out plenty of wines of comparable value. Without harping on about the price it... oh wait too late. It's advertised as 'Rioja style' but I felt it bridged that gap towards a good Shiraz, being both smooth but very powerful and with spices in abundance, and with a finish demanding more. More wine that is.
*As was kindly explained to me by the frenchman that introduced me to wine tasting, cooking with garlic and shaking-hands-everytime-you-see-each-other years ago, French wine has three 'levels of quality'. Vin de table (no quality controls), Vin de Pays (some quality controls), and AOC. Where the bottle bears AOC this means it has met the requirements for that territory or type. Guarantees that you will like the wine depend on far more factors, but you can understand from this label that the wine has met certain strict quality controls during production.
In an effort to understand wine a little better, I've begun a knowledge quest. Where is my wine from, how is it made, and in many cases which grapes are actually used!? I was surprised to discover that many winemakers give no indication of grape type on their bottle. I suppose I was aware of this from looking at bottles and not seeing a type - I knew that Bordeaux was not a grape itself, but hadn't appreciated the huge variety of grape types in the different wines we know as Bordeaux. This applies to many wine types. What, for example, is in a Burgundy? I am only beginning to find out the combinations and the styles which come from each region. Even indeed from a single wine. You'll have heard of Chateauneuf Du Pape, but do you have any idea what it consists of? Apparently, usually primarily Grenache grapes, but with potentially ten or more grape type in any bottle - and according to the rules which control the Appellation (the AOC 'Appellation d'Origine Controllé*), it could be made from any combination of those grapes - or just one... so it could contain no Grenache at all. I just knew it tasted epic! How about Shiraz and Syrah? Actually the same grape, with both names used according to preference. And why have I given all the grape type capital letters? Presumably overconsumption.
I've also tried to challenge my traditional thoughts on regions and value. Because South American wines have always seemed good value, I've tended to stick to them when buying wine at around the £5-8 mark, along with a few French bottles as I know a little about French wine. Increasingly I'm realising that, in fact, I know practically nothing about French wine, but that what makes good value in wine is an appreciation of where it comes from and the quality processes associated with this. Winemaking is extremely complex and many factors influence the differences you taste in your wine - the final price may rarely be indicative of how good it is. Without boring you with the details... I'd have to say absolutely nothing else on this subject. Watch this space for an idiot's guide to wine buying i.e. a guide to wine buying by an idiot, which you'll at least be able to understand.
Aanyway... on to the wine drunk on my recent trip up north. Pretty successful with all concerned. Two bottles with high expectations absolutely delivered, and one with much lower expectations proved pretty damn good, although the lesser quality red went down easily but without making much impression. 3 out of 4 is not bad, especially since we were suitably drunk at least twice (ok, exactly twice).
Seraph Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Sauvignon Blanc (France)
It wouldn't be unreasonable to simply refer to my previous review of the Seraph Sav Blanc, which was excellent, and simply add the words 'a bit better'. This might not give it the credit it deserves, except that the 'bit better' moves it well into the Sancerre league. Is it worth the extra £1.50 a bottle? Yes if you are buying one for an occasion, but only a maybe if you are buying a whole case because you really like the stuff. Which would be quite reasonable.
Reina Mora Special Selection Torrontes 2010 - Torrontes Blend (Argentina)
Where the Seraph is a £10 bottle of wine which definitely make it's price tag worthy, this is a wine which comes only a little cheaper. I was pleasantly surprised, not least because a week earlier I had drunk a red Reina Mora and found it fairly average (review pending, I have three more!). This was reminiscent of a good Pinot Grigio, crisp but powerful, not subtle but not wanting for it, with plenty of fruit. It doesn't beat the slightly cheaper Seraph previously discussed, but then it is a very different wine. I plan to compare the next bottle more closely with aforereviewed (now a word) Pinot Grigio, as they feel similar and come in at a comparable price.
Grand Livre Coteaux du Languedoc 2009 - Grenache Blend (France)
I found this more drinkable than expected, having seen the reviews other customers had given this at Virgin Wines. I'd also applied the 'label theory' described above, and expected it therefore to be boring. It was fairly rich with a decent finish, but wasn't doing anything special. Certainly not nearly good enough to justify close to £10 bottle, but it came cheap in a bargain case so I'll not be complaining. Except now. GRR.
Arva Vitis Cuvee del Pago 2006 - Grenache Blend (Spain)
My first thoughts were 'yes!' and then 'bloody YES!'. My above thoughts on the Seraph pretty much apply here. It's hugely earned its £10 price and knocks out plenty of wines of comparable value. Without harping on about the price it... oh wait too late. It's advertised as 'Rioja style' but I felt it bridged that gap towards a good Shiraz, being both smooth but very powerful and with spices in abundance, and with a finish demanding more. More wine that is.
*As was kindly explained to me by the frenchman that introduced me to wine tasting, cooking with garlic and shaking-hands-everytime-you-see-each-other years ago, French wine has three 'levels of quality'. Vin de table (no quality controls), Vin de Pays (some quality controls), and AOC. Where the bottle bears AOC this means it has met the requirements for that territory or type. Guarantees that you will like the wine depend on far more factors, but you can understand from this label that the wine has met certain strict quality controls during production.
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