February Wine of the Month

As expected wine of the month for February goes to one of the wonderful reds we had at the Tongham Tapas Fiesta – The Camins del Priorat 2008. This wine by Alvaro Palacious, one of the best and most well known wine makers in Priorat, was a great hit at our February Spanish wine tasting. It has great power and lovely flavours and I think very good value at around £15. The primary grape is Carignan, known locally as Carinena or Salmso which is not normally a great grape but does well when there are low yields such as in Priorat. The wine also contains Grenacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. You can buy this wine in-line at Berry Brothers and Rudd and Waitrose.

My favourite wine of the month but not currently available in the UK was an absolutely stunning Sancerre white. The 2007 La Cote des Monts Damnes Sancerre by Henri Bourgeois was zesty and wonderfully minerally. It had life and really sung to me! It had citrus but none of the less desirable flavours one gets in some Sauvignon Blanc. Worth looking out for this wine if in the region – I purchased mine in Sancerre back in 2008 and wish I had some more. You can find various years available in various countries on Wine Searcher if you look.

A third wine of note was a really nice non vintage champagne we had as an aperitif when visiting Tom Aikens restaurant in Chelsea. I had never had an Henriot Champagne before and really loved it; will probably do a report on this restaurant visit and the wines we had in a future blog. Suffice for now to say that it was an evening of total excess.

Coincidence of the month was having a Chilean Gewurtztraminer two nights in a row after never had one in my life before. Both were very pleasant but the star was the Aresti Estate 2006 Old Vines Gwurtztraminer – it paired some Thai food very well. I think I may have bought this at Waitrose because of a Jancis Robinson recommendation as I also did with the Priorat – well done Jancis!

Talking of Jancis Robinson, do get involved in her Wine Relief this month, which is part of Red Nose Day. We may be organising something – watch this space.

7 Good Reasons To Drink Wine

Why do so many of us enjoy wine more than other drinks?

1. First is has alcohol in it and thus has all of the drug like effects needed to cope with life!  But then this is true of beer, cider and spirits as well.
2. Wine goes particularly well with food. Thus many foodies love wine and conversely you won’t find many people who are indifferent to food who love wine.

Fun with food and wine


3. Because a bottle is rather too much for one person to drink and doesn’t keep well once opened, it is a natural drink for sharing. It is a social drink.
4. Opening a bottle of wine is a taste adventure; you never know what it is going to be like until you taste it and perceptions change as the tasting experience continues.
5. To really appreciate wine takes effort, and to learn more about the subject takes even more effort, and most of us are happier when concentrating on something.
6. Some of us like to believe the doctors and scientists who promote the health giving qualities of wine.
7. Some of us like to believe that wine drinking is sophisticated and refined. It is a drink tor those with aspirations.  It seems also be a drink favoured by women.