Drinks of the Month
Jukes Cordiality 6
Of all the alcohol-free products I’ve tasted recently - and I’ve tried a lot - this is the most ingenious. It’s not a full-size bottle for a start but a smart looking box of phials - 9 of them - each containing 30 ml of a concentrated cordial you dilute 10 to 1 (or to taste) with still or sparkling water or tonic.
The base is cider vinegar and brown sugar then there are other fruits to give them the character of a red or white wine respectively - appropriately enough as Matthew Jukes is a well known wine writer.
I must say he’s got pretty near to nailing the red wine alternative (6) which is based on blackcurrants raspberries, strawberries and plums - classic descriptors for a red wine. I prefer it at room temperature though than, as suggested, over ice and with still water rather than tonic which makes it too sweet for my taste. It also looks pretty good in a large wine glass.
The white wine lookalike (1) which tastes to me of yellow plums and apricots is based, according to the label, on peach, cucumber, plum, apple and pineapple. This does taste good over ice though again I prefer it with water than with tonic. It's a nice drink but less 'winey' than the red.
I'm impressed that the ingredients are natural - and natural-tasting too - and if you're watching your weight, at 18 calories per 100ml (diluted), it's reassuringly low in calories too.
The downside is the cost of £35 a box (from Matthew's website) although if each phial serves 2 you would actually get 18 servings out of it which works out at £1.95 a glass. Cheaper than going to a wine bar - and it would make a very nice gift to help a non-drinker through dry January.
I received the two gift boxes as a free sample.
For more ideas for alcohol-free drinks check out my new book How to Drink Without Drinking.
10 Wines under £10 to buy from Waitrose
25% across the board offers are always a good opportunity to get a substantial discount on your favourite wines so take advantage of the current offer at Waitrose which runs until Tuesday 12th inclusive
The deal applies to all wine and champagne priced £5 and over, when you buy six or more bottles and is available when shopping in branch, on waitrosecellar.com, or online at waitrose.com with a grocery delivery (the usual £60 online grocery minimum spend applies).Please note this offer is not available in Scottish branches, motorway service stations, Welcome Break or petrol stations.
Whites
Terre di Vita Organic Pinot Grigio 2018 £5.99 down from £7.99
Pinot grigio? Don’t groan. This is a really decent crisp white that will work with anything fishy or with a selection of antipasti
Fief Guerin Muscadet Sur Lie 2018 £6.37 down from £8.49
Muscadet has fallen out of fashion lately which is good news as it’s generally underpriced these days. Drink with oysters and other shellfish
Left Field Albarino 2018 £8.09 down from £10.79
If you like albarino try this Kiwi version from Gisborne on New Zealand’s North Island. It’s fruitier and lusher than the Spanish version - would be great with salmon and south-east Asian salads.
Reds
Cellier des Dauphins Réserve des Vignerons Merlot Grenache Vin de France £4.42 down from £5.89
Cheap’n’cheerful Rhône - ideal for cooking, mulling and general swigging
Albert Road Pinot Noir Western Cape 2017 £7.12 down from £9.49
A drinkable pinot under £10 is a rarity but this light, pretty example from Duncan Savage is just lovely. Drink it with duck.
Waitrose & Partners Mencia Bierzo 2017 £7.49 down from £9.99
Bright juicy Mencia is one of my favourite modern Spanish reds. Try it with roast or grilled pork.
Castillo de Olite Coleccion Navarra 2013 £7.49 down from £9.99
Tempranillo-based red, similar to a rioja but surprisingly vibrant for a six year old wine. Great everyday drinking.
Baron de Ley Club Privado Reserva Rioja 2015 £9.74 down from £12.99
A classic style which will hugely appeal to Rioja lovers. Perfect for roast lamb
Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Hawkes Bay 2018 £8.99 down from £11.99
If you haven’t drunk merlot for a while give this appealingly ripe, fleshy, Kiwi example a go. Would be really good with turkey.
Fizz
Chiarli Vecchia Modena Pignoletto Spumante £7.49 down from £9.99
Good party fizz in the prosecco style but with a bit more oomph.
Wine of the Week: Gloria Douro Reserva
One of the best sources of good value reds right now is Portugal and if you like full-bodied styles the Douro is the region to look out for. This 2017 Glorio Douro is almost porty which should come as no surprise as it’s made from three of the grapes - tinta roriz, touriga nacional and touriga franca - that are used to make port.
It would be great with rich meat dishes such as braised oxtail or ox cheek (you could even chuck a bit in the sauce) or just enjoy it with a cheese board.
Given that it’s handsomely bottled too I think it’s really good value for £7.29 at Aldi.
(If you like a slightly lighter, more medium bodied red you might prefer their 2016 Salicornia Dao Reserva at £6.99. I often find that Portuguese reds remind me of Italian reds and this would certainly go with pizza and meaty pasta sauces like a ragu bolognese.)
Wine of the week: a cut-price Sauternes
If you’re unsure what to buy it’s always tempting to go for a big name but when you find you’ve got an equally good option at half the price it’s mad not to go for that.
Tesco’s finest Dessert Semillon is an Australian sweet wine, made for them by the respected De Bortoli which would be the perfect wine to have with the last of the summer fruit (especially peaches and nectarines). The 2015 vintage is light (just 10%), lemony (with a touch of apricot) and lusciously sweet and incredibly good value at £6 a half bottle.
The Sauternes is good too and will age better but I suspect you’re not going to do that and at twice the price it really doesn’t make sense to buy it just for the name. (There's a great value one coming up in Lidl at the end of the month though.)
Incidentally a half bottle may not look much but will easily serve 4 and even 5 or 6 if you serve it in small glasses. And because it’s sweet it should be really well chilled.
If you’re wondering what else to pair with the semillon it will go with similar food to Sauternes
Wine of the week: Candelilla Albarino 2018
If you’re an albarino fan you’ll have watched with dismay as the price has crept up over the last few years so much so that an albarino under £10 has become something of a rarity.
So it’s good to see this well-priced example, the Candelilla Albarino at £9 a bottle or £54 a case from Marks & Spencer.
For those of you not familiar with the wine it comes from a region called Rias Baixas right on the coast in the north west of Spain and is made from a grape called albarino. It’s a classic crisp, dry seafood white - less fruity than a sauvignon blanc but with more persistence and elegance than a picpoul and a slightly salty tang about it which would make it terrific with oysters and other raw shellfish. Think of it as a Spanish Chablis.
I bought a bottle for friends on Saturday night which we cracked open with a crab risotto and they liked it so much they were going to order a case. If you’re lucky you’ll find it on a deal over the coming weeks though now M & S has lowered its prices across the board they are less common than they once were.
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