Wine of the Week: Weiber Crémant d’Alsace

If you’re popping into Lidl this weekend to buy the wines I’ve recommended in my Guardian column*, try a bottle of this inexpensive sparkling wine too.

It’s from the Alsace region of France and is made entirely from riesling which makes it a bit different from the champagne-style sparkling wines out there. It's light (11.5%) and peachy with a touch of honeyed sweetness which should appeal if you’re a prosecco drinker. I’d serve it as an aperitif or possibly with a light dessert like a fresh fruit tart - or maybe to kick off a summer barbecue. Good value at £7.99

There’s also an attractive 2016 Tüzko gewürztraminer which is part of Lidl’s new Hungarian range. It’s also made in a sweeter style that I think would go particularly well with hot Thai food (though maybe not a Thai green curry) and would be also rather delicious with those milky Indian desserts (especially with mango). That’s just £6.99.

Both these wines are available on a WIGIG (when it’s gone it’s gone) basis so you may or may find them in store when you visit.

* the Zenit Tornai Princeszet 2016 (£5.99; 12.5% abv) and light red Dornfelder (12.5% abv), from the Pfalz (£4.99) Read more about them here.

Morrisons The Best Marques de Los Rios Rioja Blanco Reserva 2011

I’m flagging this up not because I think you’re all going to love it - mature white wines are not for everyone* - but because I think it’s a fantastic achievement for a supermarket to stock a six year old wine of such quality in its own label range.

It was the only supermarket wine to be given the top accolade of Gold Outstanding at the 2017 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) - one of only 38 such medals handed out at the awards.

It’s an extraordinary wine full, richly textured and golden. but with a surprisingly fresh finish for its age - comparable to a great white burgundy at a fraction of the price (You should also I think drink it out of burgundy glasses) Although you could pair it with meat such as grilled pork I’d personally favour rich fish dishes such as hake or turbot or chicken or guineafowl with a creamy sauce. It would be good with a mature Manchego too. If you love oaked white rioja - and I do - it’s a real steal at £13.

While you’re in Morrisons take advantage of the special offer they’ve got until Sunday on their medal winning sherry range which is down to £5 a half bottle. Their The Best Oloroso Sherry won an IWSC Gold and the Manzanilla and Palo Cortado were awarded a silver.

*If your favourite wine is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for example I think you might struggle with this.

See also The Best Food Pairings for White Rioja

Drink of the week: Sawanotsuru sake

Always on the ball Aldi announced this week that it had added a sake to its drinks range. Not quite the bargain it first appears when you discover the bottle is £3.99 for just 300ml but that’s enough for two and interesting nonetheless.

It’s sweeter than I would ideally like with that characteristic creamy, earthy, slightly nutty flavour that’s typical of the drink which, as you may know is brewed from rice. Think a dry(ish) pale cream sherry - it’s roughly sherry strength at 14.5%

It’s maybe slightly too sweet for sushi - certainly sashimi - but would go with, say, salmon teriyaki, miso glazed quail or a sesame noodle salad.

It may not be the best example out there (if you’re in London there are better options at the Japan Centre) but they’ve probably pitched the sweetness right for a new audience and if it gets people into sake all to the good. (Watch other supermarkets now leap on the sake bandwagon!)

Oh, and it comes in a rather lovely decorative box.

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)