Wine of the week: Pere Ventura Primer Reserva Cava

Finding bottles of sparkling wine under £10 that are not prosecco is increasingly hard so snap up this very attractive Pere Ventura Cava which Waitrose is selling (In larger stores and online) at an introductory price of £9.69 until next Tuesday instead of its regular price of £12.99.

It’s made from local Catalan grape varieties macabeo, xarel-lo and parellada and is aged champagne-style in the bottle for 15-18 months

The alcohol is quite low - just 11.5% - but it has real elegance and a really attractive peachy character without that overt yeastiness that often characterises cava. And although the residual sugar is comparatively high at 12g it tastes quite dry. A Cava for drinking with food (like fish and chips or tapas I’d suggest) rather than on its own but well worth laying in even if the party season doesn’t look like happening this year.

Also worth snapping up on the same promotion is De Bortoli’s new 17 trees shiraz which is on an introductory deal of £6.99 rather than £9.99. It started as part of a project to plant 17 trees for each company-owned vehicle and now the proceeds from each six bottles that are purchased go towards planting a tree. A good juicy everyday red to have to hand over Christmas, if not before. (The pinot grigio from the same range is not as good btw)

Bosman Adama Fairtrade Red 2017

The South African wine industry has had a torrid 2020 so far with a ban on exports back in April and now a ban for the second time on domestic sales, citing the pressure that hospitals are under dealing with the high levels of alcohol abuse on top of the COVID crisis.

But the economy is heavily dependent on the industry so you’ll be doing them a favour if you buy South African wine.

This is a big generous red from Bosman Family Vineyards who have been at the forefront of the Fairtrade movement and employ women of colour in both their winemaking and viticultural teams as I mentioned in my recent Guardian article

It’s made from an eight grape blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Primitivo, Viognier, Nero d'Avola and Tempranillo and is aged in both new American oak and older French oak barrels which makes for a full-bodied red which would be ideal for a good steak, a barbecue or a cheese board.

I generally like the accompanying white too but the vintage available in the UK also dates from 2017 which means it’s lost a little of its freshness. I’d stick to the red.

You can buy it for £10 from the Co-op though I suspect it won’t be available in every branch and for £12.95 online from Master of Malt

Earth’s Essence Shiraz 2016

If you’re someone who is sensitive to sulphur but not convinced by natural wines Earth’s Essence shiraz is for you.

It’s aged by a revolutionary process which has been developed by giant South African wine producer KWV using wood extracts from the native rooibos and honeybush plants. They possess naturally high levels of antioxidants, which preserve the wines from oxidation and spoilage and does away with the need for sulphur.

According to KWV "When the Rooibos and Honeybush plants become too old for further tea production (after five years), the leaves and stems are removed so that only the wooden stem remains. These are dried in the sun, finely milled and roasted, and placed into infusion bags which are inserted into the wine."

The grapes are sourced from Swartland, one of the best wine regions for shiraz.

The net result is an extraordinarily natural-tasting vibrantly fruity red wine which is selling for a highly affordable £6.99 at Aldi (though not currently online). It would be brilliant for summer barbecues, steaks and burgers.

Gin of the month: Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin

You like gin? You like shiraz? You’re in luck! Australian distillery Four Pillars has combined the two in a gin they’ve called Bloody Shiraz, the perfect bottle with which to celebrate Australia Day.

Apparently it’s made from shiraz grapes that are steeped in gin for 8 weeks, giving it a luscious dark berry character - a bit like a sloe or damson gin. I enjoyed it most as a shot and on the rocks: although they advise that you can drink it with tonic I actually found it too sweet that way. There are lots of other cocktail ideas on their website including the Bloody Jasmine.

The price in the UK varies considerably. The cheapest I’ve spotted it is on special offer at £34.99 from Ministry of Drinks and Simply Wines Direct and £37.95 from Field & Fawcett while some sites sell it for as much as £51.

Either way it’s not cheap but I know a lot of you gin fanatics out there like to get your hands on something different and you can pretty well guarantee no-one will have a red gin in their collection!

Six food pairings for gin that might surprise you