Wine of the week: Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc 2015

This is not so much a new find as a rediscovery. I’ve been a fan of James Millton’s wines since the early 1990s when he was virtually a lone pioneer of biodynamics and each time I revisit them they get better and better.

This is one of the cheaper bottles in the range but just gorgeous with all the opulent peachy fruit you find in chenin but a beautifully balancing salty edge and a streak of green apple acidity on the finish. Rich and refreshing at the same time - and surprisingly light at 12.5%. If you’re a fan of good Vouvray or Montlouis you’ll love it.

It would be perfect with simply roast or poached chicken and summer vegetables or a Vietnamese-style chicken salad or simply to sip on its own.

You can find it at GP Brands for £16.60, Just in Cases for £16.75, £18.95 at Drinkmonger in Scotland and £21.80 at New Zealand Cellar. (Other suppliers have older vintages which I haven’t tasted recently but chenin ages well. The recommended drink-by date for the 2015 is 2024)

Gundog Estate Wild Semillon 2015

As I pointed out in my Guardian column this week Australian wines are fetching some pretty steep prices but to drink a Hunter Valley semillon of this quality it’s absolutely worth it.

It’s a style of wine I love, with far more texture and richness than you’d guess from its modest ABV, in this case 9.5%. Unlike some Hunter Valley semillons which take time to develop their unique character the Gundog Estate Wild semillon is already richly flavoured.due to the fact that a proportion of the wine is fermented on the skins, as with orange and red wine. (Lush, fat, gorgeous were my tasting notes!)

What would I drink it with. I’m thinking rich seafood - like razor clams or grilled swordfish. It could also take south-east Asian spicing, especially Thai which is in fact what the website suggests

"Because the wine is so textural and carries some residual sweetness, the Wild Semillon is an interesting proposition with food matching" they say. "The wine should hold up well to spicy, Thai-style dishes where acidity, saltiness and chilli are often offset by barely noticeable sweetness. It also partners well to roast pork or lighter poultry dishes."

Retail it’s about £21-£22 at good independents including Uncorked, Butlers Wine Cellar and the Dorset Wine Company. Treat yourself!

Off the shelf: Tesco Cotes de Gascogne Blanc

At just £5* and 11% this is the perfect wine for this cash-strapped, trying-to-be-a-bit-healthier time of year.

I had the idea a while back of plucking the occasional bottle off the shelf to review and promptly forgot about it but readers tell me it's useful so I will try and remember to do it from time to time.

It comes from Gascony in the south-west of France where it’s made by the excellent Plaimont co-operative and has the same tropical fruity character as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

At only 11% it’s only 1.4 units and 81 calories per 125ml glass which makes it perfect if you’re cutting back rather than cutting out wine for January. (By comparison a 14% wine would be 1.8 units)

What to drink it with? Fresh-tasting food such as salads and fish. It’s a good early evening tipple and a perfect party wine.

Value for money 8/10

*from my local city centre Tesco Metro. It seems to be cheaper still online at £4.50

You may also find this post useful:

How many calories are there in wine?

Wine of the week: Colomé Torrontes 2015

The last couple of weeks have passed in a flurry of tastings marked by a number of standout (and some depressingly bad) wines.

This is emphatically one of the former from an impressive tasting from the northern supermarket Booths whose buyer Victoria di Muccio manages to offer a good deal of really attractive everyday drinking with some really interesting bottles for wine enthusiasts.

I’ve always been a bit lukewarm about Argentina's signature white Torrontes but the Salta region is the place to go for it and this bottle from Colomé is an absolute cracker. Not as full-on as a gewürztraminer but weightier than a riesling, it would make a delicious aperitif and a great pairing for south-east Asian food and tricky-to-match ceviche.

The winery, which was founded in 1831, is the oldest working winery in Argentina but was bought by Donald Hess in 2001. The vineyards are exceptionally high at between 5,600 and 10,200 feet above sea level which gives the wine its fresh acidity

Booths normal price for the wine is £12 - a price I’d actually be happy to pay for a bottle of this quality* - but they’re offering a 3 bottles for the price of 2 deal until Tuesday October 4th on all wines over £10 (except champagne) which brings it down to a bargainous £8.

If you’re unlucky enough not to live in the north-west of England where Booths has most of its branches, Brook & Vine is selling it at the moment for a very reasonable £9.99 and Eclectic Tastes for £9.75.

*although it does prove, what I've said before, that supermarkets are not necessarily cheaper than the indies unless they've got a promotion on. Always worth checking!