Domaine Roc de Chateauxvieux Touraine Gamay

If you like Beaujolais you’re going to love this 2019 Touraine gamay, from Domaine Roc de Chateauxvieux which has the same bright juicy happy-making fruit.

It’s a bit of a bargain too on a mix six deal from Majestic and is, alas, out of stock online but it’s worth seeing if you can track it down in your local branch.

I’d definitely serve it lightly chilled - they say 15-16° which is quite a bit cooler than our centrally heated homes. Great with French picnic-style food such as paté, saucisson and soft cheeses like brie, obviously, but also with duck, seared tuna - and asparagus you may be surprised to hear, especially when it’s grilled. It would work well with this week’s recipe of the week too.

See my post on Beaujolais for other pairings

Top food pairings for Beaujolais (and other gamay)

Bruno Murciano L’Alegria Bobal

Some of the most interesting wines I come across currently are from Spain but with restaurants closed I don’t often come across them these days. So full marks to the enterprising London restaurant Arros QD for holding a Saturday night wine tasting to show off some of the wines that are normally on their list.

The wine I liked best was a biodynamic old vine Bobal called L’Alegria from from Utiel-Requena in the south of Spain which is made by former sommelier Bruno Murciano. I guess it would qualify as a natural wine though Bruno chooses to describe it as a ‘vino artesano’.

Like many modern Spanish reds it’s vibrant and brimming with ripe black cherry fruit - a joyous lipsmacking red

It went really well with the selection of Spanish meats and cheeses the restaurant sent over which included some deeply flavourful smoked beef (cecina) and chorizo from Leon but I’m thinking would also pair well with duck or even paella which is the speciality of that part of the world.

You can buy the wine from the restaurant or from Terra Wines who sell it for £13.75 (there’s a good description of the project on their website.)

I was sent this wine as a sample by Arros QD

Six of the best reds to buy from Tesco

Tesco has 25% off six bottles of wine running through until December 1st 2020, a deal it would be worth taking advantage of if you’re stocking up for Christmas. (Note though that the offer does not apply to Tesco Express or branches in Scotland so check the exclusions - and the vintages. I'm only recommending ones I've recently tasted.)

Here are six reds that I think represent great value:

Madfish Shiraz 2018 on offer at £7 so £5.25 on this deal

A fresh peppery shiraz from Western Australia rather than the usual Barossa. Still quite substantial though at 14.5%. Would actually go really well with turkey or the Christmas ham. A bargain at this price.

Tesco finest* Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2019 - on offer at £7 and £5.25 on this deal.

If you’re a fan of Côtes du Rhône you’ll love this warm generous spicy red from the village of Signargues. Think hearty stews and sausages. Another fantastically good deal.

2018 Paco by Paco & Lola red down from £12 to £9 on this deal

This stylishly labelled juicy young Spanish red from Navarra is a blend of garnacha and tempranillo and would be a good wine to drink with tapas or the Boxing Day spread. The accompanying crisp white Paco & Lola albarino 2019 which is made from the on-trend albarino grape would also be a great buy but is only available in 292 branches and online which may be a problem if you can’t get a delivery slot by the 1st. Terrific match for seafood though.

DV Catena Cabernet Franc Historico 2018 down from £12 to £9 on this deal

Exceptionally classy cab franc from Argentina that bears favourable comparison with red Bordeaux. Would be great with roast beef or steak.

Latis Reserve Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 down from £10 to £7.50 on this deal

Two terrific wines from the south of France made by a French winemaker Herve J Fabre who worked in Argentina for many years which gives them quite an Argentinian character. Both would go with beef or lamb. Great value at this price though I wouldn’t baulk at paying £10 for them. (I’m not as impressed by the sauvignon blanc in the same range FWIW)

Wine of the Week: Punta de Vacas Malbec 2020

You may remember a while back I recommended a couple of wines from Berkmann Cellars who were selling wine to raise money for the hospitality industry. Well, they’re doing it again during the current lockdown and sent me a couple of wines from their range to try.

This is the wine I chose - a gutsy malbec from Bodega Norton, an Argentinian winery I’ve always liked and which I think represents really good value for money. It’s from the most recent 2020 vintage so it’s very young and vibrant but at 13.5% not over-alcoholic - soft and rich without being flabby and just thoroughly enjoyable to drink with a plate of pasta (which is what I did! With a gorgonzola sauce in my case).

If you like malbec and feel like topping up your stocks in the run up to Christmas why not buy it from the Help for Hospitality website. It’s only £9.50 a bottle of which 20% goes to the hospitality industry

Here's an explanation of how the scheme works from the Help for Hospitality team

You can order your wine through our Help 4 Hospitality online shop where you can find an exclusive selection of restaurant-quality wines, as well as pre-selected mixed cases and spirits. All our products will be delivered to your home without any extra costs (minimum order £95).

For this second lockdown, we have increased our financial support to the hospitality industry: we will donate 20% of your ex-VAT order value to support businesses and individuals affected by the lockdown. The donations from our Help 4 Hospitality shop go towards either participating hospitality accounts, or two industry charities who provide grants to hospitality workers in need: The Drinks Trust and Hospitality Action. By using a voucher code during check-out, you can select the hospitality outlet you’d like to support - you can view them via the banner at the top of the Help 4 Hospitality website - and you will receive a 10% discount on your purchase.

Orders will be delivered within five working days nationwide, or the next working day within London.

The campaign is set to continue through December, when the restrictions on hospitality outlets are due to be lifted.

The Help 4 Hospitality shop is online at www.help4hospitality.co.uk