Whether you are planning a party over the festive season or are just looking for something sparkling to enjoy over the next few months, here are a few sparklers that I have enjoyed recently and will no doubt be popular with your guests.

Prosecco Villa Sandi IL Fresco DOC, Treviso, Italy

The Villa Sandi head office is a Palladian style masterpiece dating back to 1622. It is surrounded by fertile countryside in which fields and farms, nowadays as well as in the past, pay homage to the local history. A vibrant setting where nature and architecture live in total harmony. The Moretti Polegato family have been devoted to wine for many generations and have fostered this ancient tradition by promoting grape growing in the area on a modern basis. Giancarlo Moretti Polegato carries on the family tradition today. The winery has won many awards over the years. Grapes are grown in the area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Villa Sandi bottles its Prosecco to order – one aspect of the winemaking process that makes it different from many other producers. The must is held in tanks at zero degrees, and the secondary fermentation (in Prosecco this also happens in tank – the charmat method in French winemaking terminology), and bottling are done in batches. The use of added sulphur is low – around half the legal limit – and alcohol is always around 11.5% abv. Lovely easy drinking refreshing fizz with a light zesty nose. A little apple and pear with a creamy texture with a dry finish.

Stockists: Dolce Vita Wines, Annessa Imports, North South Wines, House of Townend (North and Midlands), The Wine Importers (Scotland). Pricing around £10.99.

Some Restaurants in London with Villa Sandi Prosecco in the wine List are:
Theo Randall at the Intercontinental
Lucio Restaurant
The Cavendish
Locanda Locatelli
Stafford Hotel

Campo Viejo Cava, Catalonia, Spain

Campo Viejo has a long history dating back to the Roman Empire however it has only been in the last century that the name has become synonymous with Rioja wines. From the first vintage in 1959 to the creation of their signature ‘Rioja Bottle’ in 1961 and the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art sustainable winery in 2001, they have been at the forefront of Rioja winemaking. From the vine to the bottle, they adhere to sustainable winemaking practices. The winery is also seamlessly integrated with the environment to minimise their impact whilst allowing them to create vibrant, colourful wines that are a true expression of Rioja’s Tempranillo.

The Cava Brut Reserva NV is made from musts produced from carefully selected grapes (a blend of Xarello, Parellada and Macabeo) and vinified at a controlled temperature. It then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, following the traditional method. The resulting cava is aged as a Brut Reserva for 18 months. A complex nose with fresh floral aromas.  Tropical apricots and limes on the palate with a peachy edge. Citrusy finish with good length.

Stockist: Tesco Wine by the case £54.00 (£9.00 per bottle)

Champagne Canard-Duchêne

In 1859, a cooper named Victor Canard, and Léonie Duchêne, a winegrower’s daughter, met in Ludes. After a whirlwind romance, they were married and in 1868 decided to join their family names and establish the Canard-Duchêne Champagne. Away from the large Houses based in Epernay or Reims, Canard-Duchêne  is unusually situated in Ludes, on a hillside, at the very heart of the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park where a rich diversity of vines and forests, rare trees and wild fauna make this an exceptional setting. A firm favourite of Nicolas II Tsar of Russia, Canard-Duchêne was granted the right to adopt the symbol of the Russian Empire, a double-headed eagle. A sword was added to honour an ancient tradition of the Napoleon cavalry, to present a sword to the hussars in victory. The Hussars used the sword to remove Champagne corks, a tradition still known today as “sabrage”. It is now part of the Thiénot group, owner of its own label Champagne Thiénot, plus Joseph Perrier and Marie Stuart.

For many years, the House has adopted a strict policy of sustainable development and respect for the environment and its Champagnes are crafted entirely from organic grapes.

Canard-Duchéne Cuvée Léonie Green NV, Champagne, France £40.99

Cuvée Léonie Green NV is just such an example of quality winemaking, innovation and a Champagne that should have a much wider audience. Made from organically grown grapes, this blend of 50% Chardonnay, with an equal split of Meunier and Pinot Noir has a wonderful freshness, combined with citrus fruits, roundness and crispness, Delicious!

Stockists: Southsea Wine Company, Vintage Wines

Cheers!

 

Bodega Maraňones Picarana 2011, Vinos de Madrid, Spain, £15.20, listed by Wine Bear in Chipping Norton, is one of the top whites The Wine Tipster has tasted so far in 2013 and it is no surprise that this classy wine comes from Spain.

Made from 100% Albillo, the 30 – 70 year old vines are located in the hills of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, where you will also find the Picarana bird at the highest points.

Picarana is a  serious, weighty, complex white, with tropical, citrus, creamy, vanilla flavours, styled by beautiful elegance, a stunning lengthy finish with further development to come.

Although intense, it is not fat, so Picarana can be enjoyed on its own or would easily match with veal in a creamy sauce.

Spain is known for its traditional white Riojas and Albarinos, however look for the grape variety Godello, found in northwestern Spain, which is now being used to produce some perfumed, citrus, complex whites that will develop including Louro do Bolo 2011, Valdeorras, Bodega Rafael Palacios, £20.00, BBR and Valdesil Sobre Lias Godello 2011, Valdeorras, £15.99, Waitrose.  

 

Zoe Bawtree interviews The Wine Tipster ahead of The Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival 14^th – 16^th June 2013.

Q) As you are an expert on Wine, Food, Horse Racing, UK Ambassador for the famous Champagne houses G.H. Mumm and Perriër-Jouet, Master of Ceremonies . . . to name a few is there anything you can’t do?

A) Actually I can’t build a shelf and I can’t do circus acts, especially juggling!!

Q) How did you get interested in Wine?

A) I was a punk rocker living in Gloucestershire, who headed north to Sheffield to see some great bands, whilst doing a degree in Urban Studies and a dissertation on deprivation! Post graduating I went for interviews with record companies before my parents, who were members of a wine society, told me to come along to a wine talk and try some Chardonnays from around the world.

Q) What is it that excites you about wine?

A) There’s a wine for every mood you may have, every occasion. As a taster I am always looking for something new.  At the moment, I am getting excited about wines from Croatia, Brazil and Germany.

Discovering new wines is really exciting, but so is tasting a wine that you already know.  I associate wine with memories. Wine is also very challenging and different every year.  You can never get bored with wine.

Q) As a food and wine matching expert, can you recommend wines to go with the following dishes?

Coq Au Vin, Fish Pie and Beef Wellington

A) Coq Au Vin: Cotes du Rhone 2012, Les Dauphins or Aurora Pinot Noir Reserve 2012 from Brazil
Fish Pie: Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc 2011, South Africa or Josif Graševina 2011 from Croatia
Beef Wellington: You need a level of intensity with this dish which you could get from a Cabernet Sauvignon from Santa Rita or a lovely Bordeaux from the brilliant 2009 vintage.

Q) Is it still possible to find hidden gems in the supermarket?

A) Yes it is. Knowing regions that are not fashionable is always a good start. Croatia has some fantastic wines from indigenous and classic grape varieties.  Portugal has quality wines at all levels, white or red. Germany is producing some wonderful Rieslings that are great as an aperitif style and match up with fish like mackerel as they can really stand up to dominant flavours.

Q) What are you looking forward to at The Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival in June this year?

A) We are running wine masterclasses on all three days of the show for the first time this year. Our wonderful wine journey will start on Friday at 12.30pm with Podere Sant’ Alberto wines (pictured above) from Tuscany and end on Sunday afternoon by Celebrating with Wines of Brazil!

In between, we will be tasting some exciting wines from Spain, England, Croatia, New Zealand, France, South Africa and Germany.

Also, we have some great beer speakers this year with Tim Hampson, Jane Peyton and Sophie Atherton.  And let’s not forget Phil Huckle who will be talking about Malts and Blended Whiskies.

Look forward to seeing you there. Cheers!

For further details check out the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival

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.

Sherry isn’t unfashionable, it is cool as an edgy, trendy metropolitan drink or as a stylish, rural I buy Boden aperitif. Either way, whether you are entertaining trendy mates or want something

to imbibe post mowing get down to Sainsbury’s for their Lustau Taste the Difference 12 -Year- Old Dry Oloroso Sherry , Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, abv 20%, £7.99 on offer down to £6.99 for a 50cl.

This delicious, dry, tangy, salty and complex sherry is best served at around 11-13 degrees and will, once opened, stay fresh for 3-4 weeks. If you are looking for some olives and meats to go with your oloroso then check out Brindisa.

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