Wines of the Rugby World Cup: Pool C
Find Pool A here.
Find Pool B here.
Two days to go; we’re getting close. Today, New Zealand (hobbit wine), Argentina (Latino wine), Tonga (no wine), Georgia (old wine) and Namibia (unlikely wine). Commençons.
Pool C
New Zealand
New Zealand, like it’s bigger brother Australia, is pretty on the ball when it comes to wine. Ten major wine regions across the entire country produce over 200 million litres of the stuff – generally utilising the most well-known international grape varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) – every year. This means that there’s quite a bit of choice when it comes to finding the right one, but considering the occasion, we’d recommend scouring the Earth for a bottle from Junction Wines, a winery based in Takapau, Hawkes Bay, owned by former All Black forward John Ashworth. They’ve got a range of particularly aromatic red, white and sparkling wines for surprisingly reasonable prices. An import might be necessary, so if you’re after something quicker, then we’d recommend just scouring Majestic’s range; these wines come from the same region.
Argentina
Argentina is another major player in the world of wine-making, being the fifth-largest producer in the world. Trivento, one of the country’s big names in wine, is the official sponsor for Premiership rugby – in the UK, admittedly, but it’s as good as connection as we’re going to get – so let’s go for a bottle of that. You’ll likely find their wares in any decent supermarket, but, if you can find it, this 2012 Malbec will be particularly pleasing – the aromas of mint, cherries and chocolate should make it a nice thing to drink whilst watching the match from the comfort of your sofa; preferably paired with the aforementioned as snacks. For true perfectionists, we’d recommend you make plans to drink it should Argentina and England face off against each other.
Tonga
Let’s just move on, shall we?
Georgia
That’s more like it. Georgia, whilst not being particularly well-known as a wine country, has been producing wine in one form or another since around 4000 BC, making it one of the very oldest wine regions on the planet. Today, it is one of the foremost producers in the former Soviet Union and is home to a whole range of renowned, world-class wineries. As for what you’ll be wanting to buy? We think the Georgian Wine Society would know better than us. Considering Georgia’s lesser-known position on the international wine stage, their range is staggering. We won’t tell you to go for one thing in particular – if you’ve never had Georgian wine before, take this opportunity to just go wild.
Namibia
Hold the phone, we’ve got some good news: Namibian wine is a thing. In total defiance of Africa’s unsuitable climate for grape growing, a number of small vineyards in the country have succeeded in managing harvests, and some are even of a surprisingly high quality – an achievement described by experts as nothing short of “a miracle”. And where can you get hold of such wines? Well, uh, Namibia. Sorry. Worth remembering next time you’re there, though.
Check back tomorrow for the final pool.
