Two cheap South African Fairtrade sauvignon blancs

If you want to do your bit for Fairtrade projects during Fairtrade fortnight the good news is that you can do yourself a favour in the process. The Co-op which has consistently been the greatest supporter of Fairtrade wines has two well-made, well-priced South African sauvignon blancs which any savvy blanc lover should snap up

The first is the irrepressible Bruce Jack’s Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Breedekloof 12.5% which they’re currently selling at £7 a bottle. It’s bright zesty and citrussy - the kind of crowdpleasing white you could take along to a party or drink with your Friday night fish and chips.

But if that’s not inexpensive enough for you try their own label Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Sauvignon Blanc 2021 12.5% which is on offer at £5.50 until March 15th and, better still, £4.50 if you’re a Co-op member. Again it’s fresh and citrussy though maybe a fraction smoother, rounder and less punchy than Jack’s. Brilliant at the price though and a good all-rounder with all kinds of seafood and salads

You must wonder though, as I did, how much money goes to Fairtrade projects? The back label says that the wine “has funded a range of social projects in South Africa ranging from crèche facilities for pre-school children through to the renovation of an old people’s home and drug awareness facilities.”

The Co-op adds

• Vineyards that are Fairtrade certified receive at least the Fairtrade Minimum Price when they sell their wine (grapes) to a trader on Fairtrade terms. This protects against sudden price shifts and enables producers to plan beyond the next planting and harvesting cycle. The Fairtrade Minimum Price for wine (grapes) varies depending on the cost of living and business in each origin area and on its cultivation method (it is higher for organic than for conventional cultivation).

• The Fairtrade Premium – extra funds paid on top of the sales price – enables small-scale farmers and vineyard workers to invest in social, economic and environmental improvements.

It can’t be a lot per bottle though I imagine the volume of sales the Co-op generates on Fairtrade products must be considerable.

Oh and while you’re in the Co-op I would also buy the Fairtrade red I recommended last year, the 2019 Don David Blend of Terroirs Malbec-Malbec from Argentina, a delicious full-bodied red which is tasting really well at the moment and well worth £9.

Wine of the Week: Asda Extra Special Fiano

Finding drinkable wines under a fiver these days is a tough call but Asda’s Extra Special Fiano is worth anyone’s money

Fiano is a grape you find in Southern Italy and, in this case, Sicily and has a smooth peachy chardonnay-like character although with a refreshing citrussy edge. They recommend drinking it with caesar salad and fresh seafood but it would rub along pretty well with anything with a creamy sauce or dressing. It’s normally £6 but on their current buy 3 bottles save 20% deal you can get it for £4.80.

While you’re in Asda you might also want to pick up the Extra Special Pinot Noir, Valle de Leyda 2020 13.5% £6.50 a soft, fruity style of pinot brimming with ripe red berry flavours and again good value at £6.50 a bottle or £5.20 on the 3 bottle deal. That would be great with duck. Or there’s the 2020 Extra Special Barossa Valley Shiraz (14%) which would appeal if you like a big, boisterous Aussie red. That’s on offer at £7 or £5.60 on this deal and would go with a steak, a chilli or a meat curry.

I also really like the aromatic, almost gewurztraminer-like Feteasca Regala (£5 or £4 on this deal) which I discovered last year went really well with a chicken katsu curry

It might be worth buying one of each to get the discount and see which you like best. The offer ends on February 14th.

Two massively drinkable natural wines for under £10

I’ve long been a fan of natural wine but can’t argue with the fact that it’s expensive. For good reason - it’s often made on a very small scale by artisan producers but that generally takes it out of the realm of everyday drinking.

So hats off to natural wine pioneers Les Caves de Pyrène who have collaborated with winemaker Luca Hodgkinson to make two delicious wines you’d be as pleased to drink on a midweek night in as to find in a wine bar.

The red, La Cueva, a blend of pais, carignan and cabernet sauvignon from the Maule valley, is a light juicy vin de soif I’d be inclined to chill and which would be great gulped down with a selection of mezze or antipasti.

But it’s the white, La Patagua a hazy blend of semillon and moscatel from the Colchagua valley with a lovely taste of fresh pineapple which really excites me. It would be great with all sorts of seafood and salads but at 14.5% it’s more alcoholic than it tastes so watch it!

Both the wines come from the 2021 vintage, are made from organically grown (but uncertified) old vines and vinified with natural yeasts. You can buy them for £9.05 from Les Caves or online from Lola in Leamington Spa for £9

Wine of the Week: Tesco Finest Soave Classico Superiore

Soave is one of the most underrated Italian wines - and one of the most keenly priced.

This gold-medal winning example comes from the 2019 vintage so has already gained some richness and complexity - certainly far more than you have any right to expect from a wine that costs £7.50.

You could drink it with a mushroom or seafood risotto, with any kind of pasta with a buttery or creamy sauce (like a carbonara) or with simply pan-fried or grilled fish - or a fish pie.

In a similar vein Tesco also has a really classy chardonnay from negociant Bouchard AIne et Fils called Grand Conseiller which although it only comes from the 2020 vintage is drinking better than many white burgundies I’ve tasted that would cost a good deal more. (This is only £9 or £7.50 until next Monday if you’re a Clubcard member)

It would also go with the same type of food as a white burgundy - see a longer list here.