SLOW WINE



The Ricco stand at Farnham Wine Festival

One of the reasons that many of us enjoy a glass or two of wine is that it helps slow things down.  It seems to reduce the pace of life.   A glass of wine at the end of a hectic day helps us relax!

However, there are some rules to remember if you want to drink and savor wine slowly and allow it to relax you:

•  Slow wine and television don’t mix.  For some reason watching the television makes us drink faster and more.  However, a good book or some good music or good company is ideal.
•   Always have a glass of water on hand so that you drink the wine for pleasure rather than thirst.
•    Don’t just pour the wine down your throat; enjoy the look, nose, texture, taste, complexity and length of the wine.  This unfortunately means that you need a slightly more expensive wine. It also means you should try different wines and not just old favourites.
•   Enjoy the wine with food and make your meal last and let the conversation flow.  However, be careful with the food you serve as some food, such as some curries for instance, will just encourage you to drink too much and will stop you savouring the wine.
•  Have a break from wine now and again so that it doesn’t become just routine and a habit. 

Here are five suggestions for some “slow wines” to try which I tasted at yesterday’s Farnham Wine Festival where a number of local independent wines sellers were showing their wares:

The Imbibros stand

Sparkling Wine – Jenkyn Place Rosé 2008 Bentley Hampshire England made from the Champagne grape varieties – about £25 from Imbibros in Farnham.  This is an absolutely delightful local sparkler and much better than most Champagne rosés.  Their white brut sparkling wine at the same price is equally stunning for a vineyard only planted a few years ago.  Definitely my pick of the day.

Dry White Wine –   Pazo Marinan Monerrei 2010 Spanish blended white – about £10  from The Inn @ West End.  I liked this and many others of their interesting selection of Portuguese and Spanish wines in a similar price range.

Rosé – Castel del Monte Rosato Petrigama DOC 2010 Az.Agr.Tarantini made from 100% Italian Bombino Nero Grapes – about  £10 from Ricco Wines in Liss.   Perhaps the best product Ricco were showing was their incredible Pecorino cheese but they have an interesting selection of Italian white and red wines.

Red Wine - Pulenta Estate Gran Corte Mendoza Argentina 2008 made from the Bordeaux grape varieties with a Malbec dominance – about £22 from Berry Bros & Rudd.  This is a powerful but beautiful wine that would be great with a fine steak or roast lamb.

Dessert Wine – Albana di Romagna Passito DOCG 2009 Fattoria Monticino Rosso made from 100% Italian Albana grapes – about £15 for 50cl from Ricco Wines in Liss.   Another wine I liked from Ricco wines and the patron suggested it would go well with a fruit and meringue desert.