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

Morrisons The Best Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie

If you're looking for a crisp dry wine to drink with seafood muscadet fits the bill perfectly.

It comes, as you may know, from the Loire region of France where it's consumed - in quantity - with the local oysters and other shellfish in the classic plateau de fruits de mer. The description 'sur lie' means the wine is left on its lees - the remains of the yeast that is left after fermentation which adds extra texture and a slightly nutty taste.

These days it's considerably cheaper than more fashionable albarino especially when it's on special offer - as it is in Morrisons at the moment - at a bargainous £6.50 rather than the usual £8 (which is by no means greedy for a well made wine of this quality. )

In a completely different register I also like Morrisons The Best Western Australia Cabernet Sauvignon which sells for £7.25. Western Australia produces a more restrained elegant style of cabernet than south Australia but in this case still it's still a powerful 14%. It would be good with both a barbecue or a burger.

All Angels Classic Cuvée and sparkling rosé

There’s so much English fizz around now it takes something special to make them stand out. These two All Angels wines, have the advantage, for a start, of coming from Berkshire, a county which is not as well known for its wines as more southerly counties such as Hampshire, Sussex and Kent.

They’re also really good. I tasted the Classic Cuvée 2014 first which was appealingly smooth and creamy with a nice touch of citrusy freshness and didn’t expect to like the sparkling rosé, also from the 2014 vintage as much, given how incredibly fruity it was - just jam-packed full of strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant summer pudding flavours. Maybe it’s more a wine to enjoy with a picnic tea than as an aperitif but it’s absolutely delicious. And surprisingly a shade drier than the classic cuvée.

That is made from chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier and pinot gris and the rosé, largely from rondo along with pinot noir and pinot gris. Both are from the 2014 vintage and made by Emma Rice, the award-winning winemaker at Hattingley Valley.

All Angels, if you’re wondering, is named after the estate's local parish church, St Michael and All Angels at Enborne which apparently dates from at least the 12th century.

At £28.50 from the winery’s online shop they’re also relatively reasonably priced compared to many English sparkling wines now (quite a few prices are creeping up over the £40 mark). You can buy one of each for £57 with free delivery this week as it's English Wine Week and also from winebuyers.com.

English Wine Week has been postponed this year from May possibly in the hope we all might be able to visit vineyards by now. However there are lots of online tastings and webinars in which you can take part. Let’s hope we can actually get into the vineyards before too long.

Wine of the week: Rafala Tinto Tempranillo

It may be so-called flaming June but the weather is anything but summery this weekend so I’m abandoning rosé for the time being and thinking about red.

This Rafala Tinto Tempranillo 2018, from Castila is perfect for this time of year being appetisingly juicy and not too heavy despite its 14% ABV. And it’s organic which is an unexpected plus at this price. At just £7 (from the Co-op) it’s an absolute steal.

It would go with a pizza, it would go with a curry and it would be be perfect with a barbecue, assuming the sun breaks through.

If you like an even fuller-bodied red you’ll like the Firebrand Old Vine Grenache 2019 (14.5%) from Australia’s Riverland that the Co-op is selling for £9.50. It has the hefty wallop of ripe fruit you expect from an Aussie wine but avoids being excessively jammy. There's a good back story abouit it on the Co-op website. Think beef - burgers, steaks and BBQ.