Specially Selected Roussanne Pays d’Oc (and 2 other Aldi bargains)

Roussanne may not be on your radar but it should be. It’s one of the white wine varieties you find in the Rhône and Languedoc - often in a blend - and has a gorgeous peachy character that makes it particularly delicious with roast chicken.

This amazingly well-priced example comes from Aldi where it’s selling for just £6.99 which must be one of the wine bargains of the year. It’s fresh, peachy and delicious with just a touch of citrus - just mouthwateringly good.

There are two other new French wines from Aldi you might want to snap up - also made by the hugely clever Jean-Claude Mas a winemaker who consistently manages to deliver interesting wines at an affordable price.

A Limoux chardonnay which you’ll love if you’re into big rich chardonnays - the oak isn’t overdone though - and a full-bodied red called Marselan which is a cross between cabernet sauvignon and grenache. It’s rich, dark and plummy and should appeal if you’re into malbec. Think hearty casseroles and pies - and pheasant when it comes into season.

Both are also £6.99 so load up for autumn.

Here are some other great pairings for roast chicken

I was sent these wines to try as press samples.

Wine of the week: Maruxa Mencia 2019

I’ve got a bit of a thing about mencia at the moment so this bottle really hit the spot and for under £10 (on Majestic’s mix six deal) it’s great value

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the grape variety mencia is a vibrant juicy cherry-flavoured red from the north of Spain you’ll love if you’re into Beaujolais, or fruitier styles of pinot noir (though it’s not quite as sweet). It’s made by one of the best known rioja producers, CVNE, and has a really cool label too.

It’s great, as I recently discovered, with steak fajitas but also with a lot of Spanish food as you can see from this post.

The best food pairings for mencia

It would be great with a barbecue too.

While you’re in Majestic - and from much the same area - pick up a couple of their Winemaker Series Godello from Monterrei. Again Godello is native to that part of Spain and is generally quite similar to chardonnay but this version, which is made by the Rias Baixas winer Martin Codax, has a lovely fresh citrusy acidity that should appeal if you like sauvignon blanc. (Note it was the 2019 I tasted - I haven’t tried the 2020 yet)

It should go well with seafood as I suggest here, beetroot-cured salmon, and, perhaps surprisingly, caesar salad.

Two bargain buys from The Wine Society

The Wine Society held its summer tasting yesterday where the buyers pick out six bottles they’re particularly enthusiastic about. Normally it’s a social event - a chance to get together and chat over lunch - but inevitably this year it was on Zoom.

That has its advantages - you get to spend longer tasting and discussing each wine and finding out more of the background to it and there are some real gems I’ll be flagging up over the next few weeks here and in my Guardian column. But here are a couple of bargains I thought you’d like to snap up for everyday drinking (or sharing with friends). Obviously you have to be a member to take advantage but I know many of you already are - and if you’re not you should be!

Esporão Monte Velho Branco Alentajano 2020 £7.95

I’ve tasted this white which is made from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties a couple of times previously and found it slightly too heavy but this new vintage is delicious - clean and bright but with some mouthwatering tropical fruit. The kind of wine to sit and sip while you’re waiting for the barbecue to fire up. Or with a selection of salads

Note it is available from other retailers but not from the latest vintage

Undurraga Candelabro Rapel Carmenere 2020 £7.95

“Cheaper carmenères are some of the best selling wines we have’ says buyer Toby Morrhall. Well, I’m not surprised if this is a typical example though it’s a cut above the average with its gorgeously ripe fruit tempered by a nicely savoury, herbal edge. Utterly perfect for a barbecue or a lamb curry for that matter, especially with coriander (see the post below)

See The best food pairings with carmenère.

Wine of the week: Monfil Garnacha 2020

I came across this exuberant garnacha when I was tasting wine at Lea & Sandeman in Notting Hill the other day and it struck me as the most incredible bargain at £8.95 (or £8.25 if you’re buying a case).

It’s packed with super-ripe black cherry fruit but not overjammy or alcoholic (garnacha - or grenache as it’s called in France and elsewhere - often tops 14.5% but this is only 13.5%). And it has a surprisingly dry finish.

It comes from the Cariñena region of Spain which is one of the country's oldest wine regions but is made very much in the modern Spanish style.

It would be brilliant with a barbecue, especially with pork ribs and also with chorizo - anything meaty, basically. I’d also be inclined to pop it in the fridge for half an hour before drinking it.

If you’re ordering from Lea & Sandeman you might also want to pick up a few bottles of their Felix Rosé (12.5%) which was flying off the shelves when I was in there. It’s less delicate, pale and creamy than Provence rosé but hugely drinkable and again great for a barbecue.