With spring around the corner what better time to experiment with your usual wine choices than by exploring different grape varieties from around the world. Get ready to head to your local wine merchants with a new understanding and appreciation of what makes an exciting red this year with The Wine Tipster’s top class red grapes for Spring 2022.

Gamay

The Wine Tipster’s guide to: Gamay

Primary flavour profile

Pomegranate, Blackberry, Bramble, Violet and Earth!

Palate Profile

Dry

Light to medium in body

Low tannins

Medium to high acidity

Low to medium Alcohol

Starting with the lightest bodied grape on The Wine Tipster’s radar this year, Gamay is similar to Pinot Noir a thin-skinned variety packed with red fruits. It’s not surprising as the two varieties are related. Gamay is primarily grown in the Beaujolais region in Burgundy, France. It also thrives in cooler-climates such as Canada, Switzerland, Oregon, and New Zealand. Gamay is often more budget friendly than Pinot Noir but is no less delicious, with stunning floral and red fruit aromas of red cherry, and red plum. As a high acidity, low tannin wine, Gamay is a great option for nearly any food pairing so try it with everything! The 10 Crus of Beaujolais offer tremendous value and Morgon (see below) is the closest in weight and structure to Moulin-à-Vent arguably the fullest bodied of the crus and super food friendly.

• For a classic soft, savoury, complex and fruity Gamay, try the Domaine Lucien Lardy Morgon, 2019, Côte du Py available from Majestic (£16.99 or £14.99 multibuy). A wine with ageing potential too.

Grenache

The Wine Tipsters guide to: Grenache

Primary Flavours Profile

Cooked/stewed strawberry, cooked red plum

Aged characteristics: Leather dried herbs

Palate Profile

Dry

Medium to full body

Medium tannins

Medium acidity

Alcohol high 15% or more.

On the cusp between being a light and a medium-bodied red due to its higher alcohol, Grenache has an unmistakable candied fruit and spice flavour that makes some of the most expensive wines in the world. The major regions for Grenache are the Southern Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In Spain it can be found in Priorat, and Calatayud as well as parts of Italy, North America, and Australia. The different climates result in different Grenache flavour and aroma profiles. Grenache is a great blending partner as it’s high alcohol and red fruit pairs well with some dark fruit flavour profile grapes. It can also go alone and produces some much underrated single varietal wines that are still not recognised as much as they should be. Regardless, the distinct spice aromas of Grenache make it perfect for pairing with rich and spice-laden dishes and can even reduce the heat of spicy food.

• The Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Villages 2020 is a well-balanced, medium to full-bodied, vegan Rhône, which is lovely to drink at a great price. Available from Waitrose (£9.99).

• The Grant Burge The Holy Trinity Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre 2019, Barossa, is a classic example of an Australian Grenache, full of dark chocolate and plum flavours. Available from Laithwaites (£25.00).

Carménère

The Wine Tipsters guide to: Carménère

Primary Flavours Profile

Red and black fruits: Raspberry, red plum, black plum, blackberry

Herbal and vegetal notes: Bell pepper, paprika

Aged characteristics: Notes of sweet vanilla

Palate Profile

Dry

Medium Body

Medium Tannins

Medium Acidity

Medium alcohol

Carménère is one of Europe’s most ancient grapes and is at the lighter end of Medium-Bodied. It gets its name from the French for crimson due to its vibrant leaves at certain times of the year. Carménère has an interesting history, having been presumed extinct in the Médoc region of Bordeaux after a plague of Phylloxera aphids in the mid to late nineteenth century. However, today it is largely found in Chile after being rediscovered when the Merlot grapes that had been growing there for 150 years were in fact Carménère! Its likeness to other red grapes in the Cabernet family make it a firm favourite for blending as it brings vibrant berry flavours and a subtly bitter taste that balances well. Another all-rounder for food pairings too.

• An affordable and top-class Chilean Carménère is the award-winning Mont Gras Reserva Carménère. Available from Waitrose (£9.49).

• The Mayu Carménère Appassimento 2017/18 is a terrific bottle with great richness and depth and is the first appassimento Carménère in the world. Available from Majestic (£12.99 or £9.99 multibuy).

Sangiovese

The Wine Tipster’s guide to: Sangiovese

Primary Flavour Profile

Red fruits: Red cherry, red plum

Savoury notes: Roasted tomato, balsamic vinegar

Herbal notes: Oregano

Palate Profile

Dry

Medium to full body

Medium to high tannins

Medium to high acidity

Medium to high alcohol

Sangiovese is a true Medium-Bodied red although it presents differently depending on where it is grown – which is typically across Italy. It can be more savoury and earthy in flavour or more fruit forward with distinct cherry flavours. Most good bottles of Sangiovese find the perfect balance between its earthy and fruity qualities which make it a great option for pairing with the rich flavours of Winter.

• A bottle of Chianti Riserva DOCG Castellani is a great introduction to Sangiovese as an aromatic and fruity vegan wine from Tuscany. Available from The Great Wine Co. (£11.50 or £8.63 multibuy)

• For a well-balanced example of this complex grape, Querciabella Organic Chianti Classico is a vegan wine which delivers on juicy red fruits and subtle acidity. Available from Waitrose (£19.99).

Tempranillo

The Wine Tipster’s guide to: Tempranillo

Primary Flavour Profile

Red and black fruits: Red cherries and dried figs

Herbal notes: Dill

Aged characteristics: cedar from oak and tobacco

Palate Profile

Dry

Medium to full bodied

Medium to high tannins

Medium to high acidity

Finally, Tempranillo is on the border between being a Medium and Full-Bodied red and can change depending on the ageing process. Those that are young generally have bright red fruit notes, while those that have the quality and capacity to age over decasdesevelop t give rich, dried fruit characteristics. As Spain’s number one red wine grape, you will most likely see Tempranillo from Rioja. It’s a great one for pairing with Spanish food, smoky barbeque dishes, and tomato based Italian or Mexican dishes.

• For a Lighter-Medium Bodied young Rjioja, the Monte Llano Tinto Rioja from Ramon Bilbao is a fresh example of Tempranillo. It is vegan-friendly and available from The Great Wine Co. (£10.25 or £7.69 multibuy).

• Bodega Matsu ‘El Viejo’ 2019, Toro is a more complex and Full-Bodied wine thanks to its long maturation. Full of jammy black fruits and smoky notes. Available from Majestic (£29.99 or £19.99 multibuy).

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Keep in touch with The Wine Tipster via Social Media to share any new bottles and grape varieties you try this year. Cheers!

On, Friday 10^th March, Chadlington Village Memorial Hall welcomed back The Wine Tipster for an evening of tips, tasting and tipsiness, all in the name of charity.

After the success of his last Whose Wine is it Anyway event in Chadlington 4 years ago, The Wine Tipster returned to raise funds for the Village Hall Project and entertain in an evening of information and merriment. There was breath-taking yet comic Opera performed by Claire Bradshaw (mezzo-soprano) and Richard Coxon (tenor), advice on how to bet on horses at Cheltenham and to taste and choose the best wines, as well as a much better than average raffle, with prizes including hampers from Chadlington Quality Foods and a Moët Magnum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the host of the evening, The Wine Tipster led his audience through a taste exploration of 8 different wines, including Proseccos, rosés, whites and reds, much to everyone’s enjoyment. The insider knowledge shared on which wines to look out for and cheapest places to buy them was invaluable, and well received.

Throughout the evening, the audience were treated to delicious mini pizzas from Café de la Post, and chocolate tarts from Chadlington Quality Foods that went down well with the wines and San Pellegrino on offer. With the pouring of the Beronia Rioja Crianza from magnum came the donning of berets and fake moustaches by The Wine Tipster and his team, much to everyone’s amusement!

A 70^th birthday was also celebrated on the evening, with a serenade from Claire and Richard and a delicious cake made by Susan Myatt which was shared around – what better way to celebrate a birthday than with The Wine Tipster in a beret and fake moustache.

As the evening progressed, so did the amount of alcohol consumed, which possibly contributed to the impressive total funds raised for the Village Hall Project: around £850. This wouldn’t have been possible without the sponsors of the evening, who kindly supplied the Hall with wine. Thanks go to Zonin for Prosecco Cuvée 1821 Brut and Prosecco Zonin Grey Edition Glera & Pinot Grigio Brut, Kleine Zalze from South Africa for Zalze Chenin Blanc , Esk Valley with their Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Rosé, Beronia (for the wine, berets and Rioja Crianza magnums), Château Léoube Rouge de Léoube from the Côtes de Provence  and Tim Adams for Clare Valley, Australia with The Fergus as well as San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna for keeping everyone hydrated throughout the night. Ticket sales and food from Chadlington Quality Foods and Café de la Post also made the night possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, The Wine Tipster did not disappoint, and everyone who attended said what a wonderfully fun event it was, as well as a success in regards to the fundraising for such a worthy cause. Since the 10^th, the Paulings who attended the evening had a success to celebrate at Cheltenham with Willoughby Court (14-1), who was trained by their son Ben Pauling winning on the Wednesday. There were other success stories thanks to The Wine Tipster’s advice and knowledge including Buveur D’Air, who would win the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. Successes all round!

 

The Wine Tipster will be back in action on Friday 10th March at Chadlington Memorial Hall near Chipping Norton at 7.30pm for an evening of wine tasting, horse racing tips for the Cheltenham Festival and opera with Clare Bradshaw, Mezzo Soprano and Richard Coxon, Tenor.

A selection of wines from both the New World and Old World will be available to taste. Neil will feature the ever popular and successful Prosecco specifically from the DOC regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In addition, you can try the quintessential Rioja, Beronia. The winery was founded in 1973 by a group of business who enjoyed the gastronomic delights of the Rioja regions when they were on holiday.

In the build up to The Cheltenham Festival, you can follow Neil’s top racing tips in his Racing Plus column and daily during Festival week. We will also get the latest news on the chances of our local trainers Charlie Longsdon and Ben Pauling. This meeting is truly the highlight of the Jump season which takes place from 14th to 17th March. Over 260,000 people enjoy the electric atmosphere at The Festival epitomising everything that is great about Jump racing. Watch the finest horses, jockeys, owners and trainers battle it out for the highest racing honours, their reputations and over £4.1 million of prize money.

Local opera singers Claire Bradshaw  and Richard Coxon, Festival Director for the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival  will provide the musical entertainment.

Light bites will be provided by Café de la Post and Chadlington Quality Foods. Tickets are available from Café de la Post and Chadlington Quality Foods or contact Judi Parker, judi@phillips-hill.co.uk or tel: 01608 676 830. Tickets are priced £10 each with all proceeds going to the Village Hall Project.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Raffle & Spot Prizes to be won!

With Christmas round the corner, it’s time to buy your bubbly, wines, sherries, spirits and ports. Here’s my time-saving list of recommendations that will work perfectly with every Christmas occasion.

Bubbly and sparkling wines play an important role in any festivities. If you want to create a stylish way to share and enjoy bubbly at your party, then opt for a magnum. They also make great presents! For a really special occasion, buy a vintage champagne. The 10 out of 10 vintage is 2002 and I’d definitely recommend Pommery Cuvée Louise 2002, from Ocado (£109.99). Look out for their Pommery Grand Cru Vintage 2004 too, which is stunning, Ocado (£51.99),  Another lovely vintage to enjoy now is the 2006 Jacquart Blanc de Blancs which is excellent and available at Tesco (£40) . For a signature celebration champagne, go for Laurent-Perrier Brut NV, available on offer at Waitrose (£24.99) and also at Sainsbury’s. Serve with a dash of sloe gin.

Alternatively, a magnum of Prosecco, will also add a fun, celebratory feel to any yuletide party. Try the fresh, creamy style of premium Prosecco Magnum NV Masottina  from M&S (£19.99). This is also one to carry through and continue to serve with a smoked salmon starter on Christmas Day. Alternatively open a bottle of dry sherry such as Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino (£9.99) available in all major retailers. Serve this delicious, refreshing sherry chilled. Once opened, you’ll need to drink this within a couple of days. Otherwise, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, such as a good Sancerre, will also work well here like Sancerre Blanc 2013 Domaine Vacheron, at Majestic (£17.99).

Around 68% of us will be eating turkey on Christmas Day, according to a 2014 Gallup survey in Prospect magazine. So what’s the best wine to serve with it? Many opt for a Bordeaux to complement all the rich flavours of the accompanying dishes. If you’re looking for good value, choose a Bordeaux with a Cru Bourgeois label – a mark of quality. Bordeaux wines from 2009 are considered the ‘once in a lifetime’ vintage for Bordeauxs, but the 2010 Bordeaux are also considered exceptional. Bordeaux wines do need to breathe properly, so decant 2-3 hours before serving. Within this style of wine, some of the best value Cru Bourgeois wines are available at Berry Brothers & Rudd, Fine & Rare, Lea & Sandeman and The Wine Society.

Alternatively, a Rioja works well with turkey and game, including venison. Try Campo de Viejo Gran Reserva 2007 at Sainsbury’s (£15.99) or a Louis Jadot CÔte du Beaune-Villages 2012 (£16.99 – buy 2 save 15%) at Majestic, the Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir 2012 at Ocado (£19.49 to £16.49).

On Boxing Day, serve cold turkey with a fabulous Beaujolais such as the ripe and fruity, Château des Labourons Fleurie 2011, produced by Henry Fessy, and available through winedirect.com (£16.99). Or, equally good, the Brouilly Henry Fessy 2012 at Waitrose (£11.99) would also be very good here.

Now the cheeseboard. Pair a classic stilton or Alex James’ Blue Monday with Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009 at Waitrose (£15.99 to £12.99) or Sandeman 20-year-old Tawny Port, also from Waitrose, (£32.49). Other wines that will complement cheese include a red such as such a Bordeaux with a good cheddar, while Roquefort is a good match for Sauternes.

 

Tawny port is also a good accompaniment to mince pies, Christmas pud and as an aperitif, served chilled. Other rich, fruity wines that complement intense fruit flavours include; the Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso Dulce Muy Viejo VORS – a rich, dark Oloroso sherry, available at Waitrose (£19.99 half bottle), or try Blandys 15-year old Malmsey Madeira from The Oxford Wine Company (£26.99). Alternatively, opt for the rich, luscious flavours of the perfect Christmas tipple, Californian Elysium Rutherglen Black Muscat 2012, (£11.99) available at The Oxford Wine Company.

Good all-round easy drinkers I’m very happy to offer anytime over the festive break include South Africa’s Zalze Sangiovese 2013 (£6.99), available at Co-Op. Peter Yealands’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 from Co-op (£9.99) and Sainsbury’s (on offer £7.50) and  Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, Macon Villages 2013 (£8.99). For a Rose, try Les Dauphins Rosé 2013 at Asda, (£6.99).

Have a wonderful Christmas and make sure you watch the William Hill King George VI on Boxing Day at Kempton. Also, don’t miss the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Saturday 27th December.

Major thanks to the lovely audience and hard working team of the Thame Players Theatre for making last night’s Whose Wine is it Anyway? such a success.

We had a fantastic selection of wines with big thanks to Vilarnau, Wirra Wirra, Jackson Estate, Quinta do Noval,  Beronia and Waitrose for the tapas.

Also my show needs quality heckling and you went off piste with the celebrities in my village piece! We also fitted in punk, begonias, fish, apricots and horse racing in-between talking and tasting some fabulous wines.

More gigs to be announced shortly for my Whose Wine is it Anyway? show on www.thewinetipster.co.uk

 

Great session on BBC Radio Oxford today with Phil Mercer on the Garden Cafe show. Here are the four wines for Autumn that we featured:

Finca Flichman Reserva Malbec 2012, Mendoza, Argentina. Stockist: Waitrose £9.99.

Beronia Rioja Reserva 2008, Rioja, Spain. Stockists: Waitrose £12.99, Ocado £9.74 until 3rd December.

Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County 2010, California, USA. Stockist: Hedonism £18.10.

Quinta do Vallado 2010, Douro, Portugal. Stockist: winedirect.co.uk £23.

Really impressive selection. You can listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kfj57

You may have just waved goodbye to the relatives and not had a chance to consider your New Year’s Eve vino so here are a few time saving selections from The Wine Tipster. If champagne is your fizz of a choice then Harvey Nichols have a few bottles left of the stunning Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Millesime 1998 at a great price of £52.50. Of course you might be throwing a party and looking for ground pleasing bubbles for under a tenner then The Wine Tipster would rather go with the dry, applely, characterful Prestige Cava Brut NV, Penedes, Spain, £8.99, M&S, than a prosecco at the same price. For pink fans, the Moscato Rosé 2012, Bosman Family Vineyards, Wellington, South Africa, £8.99, M&S, is creamy, with ripe strawberry fruit, only 8% abv and a fun wine to kick off New Year’s Eve.

To keep your party rockin’ it is worth having a couple of crisp, fruity whites at home like Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mâcon Villages 2011, Burgundy, France, £6.99 or Domaine Félines Jourdan Rousanne Chardonnay 2011, Côteaux de Bessilles, France, £7.99 or £7.59 when purchasing any 12 mixed bottles, The Oxford Wine Company.  Alternatively, if you want a more aromatic style then go for the peachy, lychee, spicy McManis Viognier Family Vineyards 2010/2011, California, USA, £10.99, Waitrose, Majestic £10.99 down to £8.79 if you buy 2 bottles of still Californian wines under £20.

Of course a still rosé must be on hand and the Zalze Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Rosé 2012, Coastal Region, South Africa, £7.99, Waitrose, has just the right easy drinking, fruity, crowd pleasing style , whilst for the tinto fans, these have been some of the most consistently enjoyable reds of the year for The Wine Tipster starting with the Portal da Águia 2009, Tejo, Portugal, £8.00, Oddbins, from Rioja the medium bodied Campo Viejo Tempranillo 2010, Rioja, Spain, £8.29, – look out for offers – Tesco, Asda, Ocado, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the excellent, well priced Negroamaro 2011, Puglia, Italy, £6.49, M&S

As the party organiser you need to think of some lower alcohol wines like the Dr. L Riesling 2010 Loosen Brothers, Mosel, Germany, abv 8.5%, £7,99, Majestic  or Tesco Finest Vinho Verde 2011, Portugal, abv 11.5%, down from £7.29 to £5.00 until 1/1/13.

Have a great time and here’s to a fruitful and fabulous 2013. Cheers!

 

The Wine Tipster started his career in the wine trade with Moreno Wines, a specialist in Spanish wines, who are still successfully trading today.
Moreno Wines introduced me to wines from Ribera del Duero, Galacia, Priorat and many other exciting regions of Spain. However what I remember most were the tastings of older vintages of Reservas and Gran Reservas from Rioja, with vertical tastings of Berberana stretching back to the 1964 and 1952 vintages or enjoying aged wines produced by CVNE, López de Heredia and La Rioja Alta.
At the Majestic Wines press tasting this week they included four Riojas Viña Pomal Reserva, Beronia Reserva, Marqués de Murrieta Reserva and Urbina Gran Reserva from a special parcel they had purchased of the 1994 vintage: It seemed very nostalgic to be tasting these reds with some decent bottle age, with my favourite Viña Pomal Reserva 1994, £9.99, obviously showing age in appearance, yet still lively with classic subtle, spicy oak combining with delicate tangy fruit, which I find with older vintages of Rioja. Not a wine to be overpowered by steak, just simply pull the cork and share with others.

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