The Lemon Fool

In the spirit of the beer thread ...

This evening I opened a slightly-distinctively-ornamented bottle. A french dry white from the Languedoc region. The grape is one I hadn't (knowingly) encountered before: Piquepoul.

Verdict: I like it a lot. Reminiscent of the unusual grapes now appearing in a fair few Italian whites, many of them utterly delicious (with the exception of the bland ones from the north). But there may be an element of marmite to it: I can see it being too dry for some tastes.

The bottle suggests drinking with seafood, salads or fish. I agree with that, and I'd add a nice balmy summer (or late spring) evening to perfect the experience. Mmm

Checking Sainsburys website for it ( https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... pinet-75cl ), I see their 25%-off offer is back! Time to stock up on some more of those summer whites!

Just drank some home made wine. More like a liqueur. It was a 2017 crab, elder and blackberry on high alcohol yeast. Completely delicious and should have made more. There was only a small 500ml water bottle made of it. We'll do that one again.

Hosted our village wine club last night. All Berry Bros and Rudd own brands. Outstanding wines were: -

Cremant de Limoux
Chablis
NZ Pinot Noir
Chianti
Barolo

Not cheap but every one was a bit special. BB& R know their stuff. You get a 15% discount for a case at their Basingstoke warehouse.

He who hosts buys the wines and provides what has developed from cheese and biscuits into a meal. I served Chile con Carne as the main. Everybody loved it. Then I showed them the tins… Tesco own brand Chile con Carne!

Lidl's Cremant de Bourgogne - bought a several cases of it last Spring. Hasn't reappeared on their shelves yet but am ever hopeful.

Cremant de Limoux was the original Fench sparkler according to Wiki. That BB & R one was absolutely superb.

tea42 wrote:Cremant de Limoux was the original Fench sparkler according to Wiki. That BB & R one was absolutely superb.

Looks interesting. Plenty of background information here https://www.bbr.com/products-28637-berr ... -by-antech including:

Older than champagne, but similar and cheaper but we could be put off by the maybe a touch earthy and There is snapping acidity to this wine what with it being from Languedoc etc.

Tempted to order a half case but what were your views on the others you sampled (looking to save on the delivery, as Basingstoke is not nearby)?

Plus, if you by any chance can share a "Promotion or Voucher Code", it would be much appreciated by PM.

Now I see why this won't rival the beer thread.

Last night it was a delicious red. But also a very standard one: a Chilean Cabernet/Merlot blend branded as Sainsburys "taste the difference", and exactly what I'd expect based on that description. So unsurprising it didn't even occur to me to post, until new posts on the beer thread brought it to mind just now.

UncleEbenezer wrote:Now I see why this won't rival the beer thread.

Last night it was a delicious red. But also a very standard one: a Chilean Cabernet/Merlot blend branded as Sainsburys "taste the difference", and exactly what I'd expect based on that description. So unsurprising it didn't even occur to me to post, until new posts on the beer thread brought it to mind just now.

You're right. It's far easier to find interesting beer than it is to find interesting wine. If you buy wine from supermarkets you've practically no chance of finding anything of great interest to a real oenophile. With beer you've got a much better chance, for pretty obvious reasons.

All the best, Si

My wine last night was a South African Chenin Blanc/Viognier called Quando, which came from the Wine Society.

I've recently found that I like South African Chenin Blanc, with or without the addition of Viognier.

tsr2 wrote:My wine last night was a South African Chenin Blanc/Viognier called Quando, which came from the Wine Society.

I've recently found that I like South African Chenin Blanc, with or without the addition of Viognier.

Yes, you get plenty of bang for your buck with a South African Chenin. It's my white wine tip to friends who want a flexible good quality wine at reasonable cost from a restaurant list.

Dry Land is one of my regular favourites for around a tenner: https://www.allaboutwine.co.uk/shop/det ... enin-blanc although I'll happily pay more for something like the Beaumont Hope Marguerite which is a fantastic wine for the price.

All the best, Si

Hmm, I've tended to think of chenin blanc as a bit on the bland side - though something that works in a blend.

But I'm always open to re-trying it, if someone would care to educate me. Apart from the South Africa tip, what else should I look out for?

UncleEbenezer wrote:Hmm, I've tended to think of chenin blanc as a bit on the bland side - though something that works in a blend.

But I'm always open to re-trying it, if someone would care to educate me. Apart from the South Africa tip, what else should I look out for?

I think you're drinking the wrong Chenin Blanc! It can only be bland if its mass produced and/or badly made. If Oak is used it helps a lot, but you have to pay a bit more. Only place to go is the Loire, in particular, Savennieres. If you can afford it, Coulee de Serrant is the business. There are some really good Vouvrays but also some pretty rubbish one's which would probably be the type of bland wine you've experienced.

All the best, Si

Today's is a Pinot Grigio.

I have a complex relationship with Pinot Grigio. My first encounter with it was a Hungarian bottle, and at the height of summer: that was love at first sip. Since then I've had some other great experiences, but also far too many disappointments. In particular, I find those from Northern Italy - that make up most of what's on our supermarket shelves - tend towards blandness. I was also unimpressed by a German example, that tasted more like an unexciting Riesling. Even the Hungarians are variable: a blend with Chardonnay is less exciting but much more reliable.

So when I saw an Argentinian Pinot Grigio on the shelves, I picked it up - despite a less-than-tasteful label "Comuna" that screamed cheap&nasty (cheap? I don't recollect the price). And today I opened it.

Verdict: this is nice. A middling Pinot Grigio, with more flavour than the bland ones. A hint of the Rieslingesque, but not so much as to dominate. It doesn't have the hint-of-Gewurztraminer-lite that was part of the attraction of the Hungarian, but is none the worse for that. This is a wine that'll do nicely for seafood, but also for a spicy dish: it would be one to choose in a Thai restaurant. Or I can see it going with something salty like olives.

I've tended to think of chenin blanc as a bit on the bland side - though something that works in a blend.

Chenin Blanc with some Viognier (the Condrieu grape - although probably not the Old World variety actually used in Condrieu wines) is a very acceptable blend; adds a touch of lychee/peach/apricot.

Today, for the hot weather, Mondelli Grillo. A crisp, fresh, dry and mostly-neutral white from a characteristic Sicilian grape: one of those lesser-known delights coming from Italy in recent times. While unexceptional, this is a wine I've enjoyed before and expect to enjoy again, and can recommend as a very pleasant dry white at a reasonable price, and with a bit less of the marmite to it than the wine with which I opened this thread.

Just finished the main course. This wine will also make a great threesome with the espresso and a strawberry or two.

I wasn't posting while on holiday, so a quick summary of what I remember.

Quinta de La Rosa red, distinctly corked and not worth drinking. Probably nice when in good condition.
Fiuza Chardonnay. Decent enough Chardonnay.
Paulo Laureano red and white. Very nice blends of local (Portuguese) grape varieties, will buy these again.
Cabrita Rose. Pleasant drink for hotter weather than we had.

Another Portuguese wine, but I'm no longer in Portugal.

"Old Wines In Young Hands" Vinho Branco. Lovely with cod baked in Parma Ham.

Going back to OP - Picpoul is an interesting grape, although the wines can be a bit "difficult". Best thing to do is to think of them as a southern French version of manzanilla, they are great with tapas-type food.

"A Mano" a Fiano/Greco blend from Puglia. I think I've heard of those grapes before but I can't say I'm familiar with them.

This particular blend is fruity and easy drinking. It has bags of flavour and is the sort of Italian white I love.

I assume it came from the Wine Society, but I can't find it on their web site.

Tonight I'm drinking an old Wine Society favourite, Les Pierrres Bordes Marsanne-Viognier. Not that pricey and bags of flavour.