2,000/1 for The World Cup!

Whilst New Zealand may hold an uncomfortable juxtaposition with North Korea in The World Cup betting as the two countries at 2000/1, we all know that in the grape competition New Zealand would be good each way value. During this footie tournament I won’t be wearing a baseball cap reversed, nor will I be adopting the latest manic top ten chants at wide screen televisions. Instead I will be enjoying the grape performance of New Zealand and particularly the wines from St Clair in Marlborough.
This family business owned by Judy and Neal Ibbotson has been hitting the back of the net for some time now and having featured a couple of their wines in tastings recently this reminded me of the standards of wine making they achieve. St Clair Premium Sauvignon Blanc 2009, £9.99, is a classic example of delivering balanced, refreshing gooseberry and grassy flavours without varietal overkill. Stockists: La Cava Wines Tel: 01865-339599, Beaconsfield Wine Cellars Tel: 01494-675545. St Clair Premium Pinot Noir 2007, £11.99, has lovely cherry and damson fruit flavours, with soft tannins and medium weight. This should be your tournament match for barbecued spare ribs. Stockists: North Oxfordshire Wines Tel: 01295-750073, Wine Poole Tel: 01926-490970.