On The Grapevine
Christine Austin tracks down some great value wine in the Dales.
They tell us the recession is over, but household bills still seem as big as ever, and it remains a top priority to save money wherever possible. When wine is an essential part of the weekly budget, the most tempting option is to buy those half-price bargains at the end of the supermarket aisle. But beware. Some of those bargains are just too good to be true.
Many ‘half-price’ offers are nothing of the sort — the wines have been priced up so as to be brought back down again. What’s more, let me tell you exactly how much the wine in a cheap supermarket bottle is worth. From a £3.99 bottle, £2.20 goes direct to the government in duty and VAT. Then there is the retailer’s margin, around £1.15, plus another 25p for the bottle, cork and shipping, leaving just 40p to cover the cost of growing the grapes and making the wine. In other words, less than the price of a bottle of water.
But if you spend £5 or £6, or even up to £8, on a bottle of wine, all those fixed costs — duty, bottles and shipping — stay the same, leaving much more money to go into the quality of the wine. That is what I call good value drinking: when you actually get decent flavours for your money.
So how do you know if you are really getting value for money? The best way is to head to your local independent wine shop, where prices don’t go up and down according to the whims of a supermarket marketing manager. The independent shop owner selects a range of wine on the basis of quality, and prices it accordingly. In general you get what you pay for.
So what should you be looking for? Here are some of my favourites from our local shops. Nidderdale Fine Wines (01423 711703) is a small shop in Pateley Bridge, but it has a national reputation for its wines, and in particular its hand-picked selection of Australian wines. These are not the big brands you find in supermarkets, but bottles from small individual producers who make great-tasting wines. Start with the pair of wines from Grant Burge, in particular the GB51 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend (£5.99). Deep purple in colour, with rich berry fruits and a light touch of spice to finish, this is a warming red that would be just perfect with a slow-cooked beef casserole. Its partner, GB23 chardonnay Viognier 2008, has enough apricot and peach notes and light, crisp acidity to accompany a roast chicken salad or grilled fish. Stepping up in quality, Earthworks Shiraz 2008 comes from the historic Langmeil winery in the Barossa Valley. Deep and complex in flavour, it sidesteps the usual hefty tones of the Barossa and instead offers balanced notes of blackberries, dark cherries and light toasty oak. This is a wine to drink from winter into spring, with roast duck, grilled lamb or lightly spiced chicken.
Campbells of Leyburn (01969 622169) has a wide choice of wines on its shelves, and they are all available on its excellent website too. I particularly like the wines from Michel Torino, which come from the high-altitude vineyards of Salta in Argentina. Here the intensity of the sunlight, coupled with cool temperatures, creates deep-flavoured wines with rich, silky tannins. Start with Coleccion Merlot 2007 for velvety, soft fruit (£6.29), then trade up to Don David Syrah Reserva 2006 (£7.89), a wine which has won several awards and has lush, berry fruit. For a real taste of Argentina, Cuma Organic Malbec 2008, also from Michel Torino, provides dense damson and blackberry fruit, with streaks of liquorice across the palate. This is a wine to match with red meat such as beef, venison or a rich game casserole. Among the whites at Campbells, look out for Echeverria Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Chile (£5.99) for its bright citrus and tropical fruit with a crisp, lively finish.
In Masham, Corks and Cases (01765 688810) is a shop full of exciting finds discovered by proprietors Angela and Phil Newton during their travels around the wine regions of the world. They are always happy to suggest wines to go with particular foods, and will even provide a selection of wines for you to host your own blind tasting. For individual, stylish flavours head to the light raspberry and spiced cherry fruit of Terre Allegre Sangiovese 2008 (£5.99) from Italy. This is an easy-to-drink red wine that works well as an aperitif but can accompany anything from grilled sardines to roast pheasant. You might want to trade up to the deeper, more complex fruit of Tuscany’s Chianti Superiore 2005 (£7.99) from Villa di Campobello, made from a traditional blend of Sangiovese and Caniolo, with just a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon to provide savoury, mushroom notes amongst the fruit.
Also in Masham, Jamie Goodhart at Bon Coeur Fine Wines (01765 688200) has expanded his range, and now stocks a great choice of everyday wines as well as an exceptional variety of clarets and burgundies. Tasted just last month, the pair of St Jean wines - a red from the South of France and the white from Gascony (£5.49 each) - offer bright, lively flavours several notches above the quality level of most supermarket offerings from the same regions. From Navarra in Spain, the delicious flavours of Ochoa’s Garnacha and Tempranillo 2007 blend (£6.99) provide pure raspberry and redcurrant fruit in a light, supple structure. This is the perfect wine to drink with lamb.
In the glorious emporium of food and wine that is Lewis & Cooper in Northallerton (01609 772880),
a special offer of Pike’s Red Mullet 2007 (£5.99), from the Clare Valley in Australia, provides blueberry and plummy fruit backed by a touch of mint and spice. This Shiraz-Tempranillo blend with a splash of Mourvèdre and Grenache is just perfect with herb-crusted lamb or grilled beef fillet. And to accompany smoked foods, Asian spiced chicken or just to enjoy on its own, the bright, citrus-backed, spice and Turkish Delight flavours of Torres Santa Digna Gewürztraminer 2008 (£6.99) from Chile makes a refreshing, palate-cleansing change.
Last Updated: March 10, 2010