Summer, as you may have noticed, is finally upon us, and any oenophile worth their salt should by now be searching far and wide for the perfect wines to accommodate those sunny, blue-skied days.
In case you haven’t quite found the right one yet, though, we’ve put together this little list of our personal favourite summer wines – any one of these is guaranteed to be the perfect companion through the coming months.
This wine from Coteaux du Layon (which sits at the heart of the Loire Valley) is just sweet enough to work in perfect harmony to compliment your favourite summer fruits. Match it with strawberries and cream for the best results – this is the one to take to Wimbledon. Waitrose do it for just £8.99, here: http://bit.ly/1eLkckY
Sauternes, a sweet white wine made with hand-picked grapes that have been affected by noble rot, is notoriously difficult and expensive to make. Tesco’s £13.99 offer, then, is a steal – especially considering the sheer quality of this luscious, rich wine. Honey and fruit comes to the front here – Sauternes is classically paired with foie gras, but will work equally well with a good, sweet dessert. Get it here: http://bit.ly/1AFwSUm
If you’re after something a bit drier, this rosé from the 700-year old Commanderie de Peyrassol will fit the bill – hints of strawberry and peaches on the nose, and a particularly refreshing palate. It’ll go great with a summer salad, but will work just as well for sipping outside as the sun goes down. Majestic have it for £12.99, here: http://bit.ly/1M45y3c
This off-dry rosé from Château La Gravette is a bit lighter, and brings together Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan vareties of grape to give a vanilla and strawberry bouquet. Majestic’s £6.99 bottle is an actual factual bargain: http://bit.ly/1I1poh9
The star of our recent post on alternatives to Prosecco, this Crémant d’Alsace sparkling wine from Wolfberger is also a perfect alternative to Champagne, being a little bit lighter and a lot cheaper. Up there with the best sparkling wines, and available at Bonvin for £11.99: http://boutique.wolfberger.com/Nos-Cremants-d-Alsace/Cremants-d-Alsace-Classiques/Cremant-d-Alsace-Brut-pid81-f25.html
Sparkling wine from Saumur is like rosé from Provence or port from Porto – it’s just what they do. This Bouvet Brut blends Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay into a lighter wine with highly fruity and floral aromas. You can almost taste the sun, probably. Maybe. Majestic, again: http://bit.ly/1AFHoex
This violet-scented wine from Clavesana, by the River Tanaro, is low in alcohol, light and sweetly-flavoured. The perfect bottle to go with a lighter summer meal, if BBQs and deeper reds aren’t really your thing. Berry Bros & Rudd do it for £12.95: http://bit.ly/1JmmPoo
If BBQs are your thing, though, try matching up this versatile, deep Riojan red. Grenache and Tempranillo at play here, to make a great value and well-balanced fruity wine that’ll go just fine with some pork or steak off the grill. Majestic, for only £6.99: http://bit.ly/1M6IeSx
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