Dinner at Home

Category: Wine

  • The Bluffer’s Guide to Bordeaux!

    1. It’s all about the Gironde Estuary. One of the historical reasons the region has done so well is because of its proximity to water. Barrels could be loaded onto ships which caught the tide into the Bay of Biscay, from where it was an easy onwards and upwards into the Great Blue Yonder.
    2. Bordeaux is at the latitudinal margins of red winemaking, which in English means some years aren’t quite warm and dry enough to make good wine. Hence the heightened obsession with vintage in Bordeaux compared to warmer regions.
    3. Bordeaux red wine is a blend of different grapes. Having a choice of grape varieties offers a good hedge against the vicissitudes of the weather (see above).
    4. The west side of the Estuary is known as Left Bank and its wines often favour Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend; the east side is known as the Right Bank and its wines usually tend to have more Merlot.
    5. Perhaps Bordeaux’s most famous son is Decimus Magnus Ausonius (310 – 395AD) the Latin poet and rhetorician on whose former estates the current Chateau Ausone supposedly sits. He was famous for saying “Nemo bonus Brito est” – no good man is a Briton.

    Courtesy of Tom Lockhart at the Brompton Wine Company

    tom@bromptonwine.com   07808 765 243

  • The Viognier Grape

    Back in 1965 the Viognier grape almost became extinct with it’s vines covering only eight hectares in France. Twenty years ago this grape variety was still relatively unknown. However, in the last ten years there has been a huge surge in popularity with bottles regularly appearing on supermarket shelves at a reasonable price.

    The wine originates in the northern Rhone valley but has since been grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon as well as Provence. The majority of wines available are white but the grape is also used in red wines but tends to be blended with another grape (e.g. shiraz / viognier).

    The wine is full bodied and powerful yet soft, dry and smooth. It has tastes of a whole variety of things including lychees, mango, apricot and vanilla as well as springtime, honeysuckle and lime. This wine is great with fresh fish, lobster and roast chicken as well as just enjoying chilled on a lovely summer’s day!

    Australia, Chile and South Africa are all now growing this grape and producing wines. This is not for the faint hearted but still remains one of the most fashionable of the moment.

    Most wine sellers offer a good selection on Viognier with the average price around £8 – £10. Both Majestic and Tesco offer a good choice.