An Occasional Tipple: Time flies with wonderful wine
Lent is four days old, the weekend is here and they're already teetering on the brink of abandoning their ill-judged vows to abstain from the devil's buttermilk for six long weeks. Naturally, they're fearful that reading too much of my poetical prose about this 'plump, peppery, delicately spiced' red or that 'complex, distinctive and ferociously crisp' white might just make them crack.
Some poor souls may even have gone from Dry January almost straight into to their Lenten sacrifice. Alas, not me- my livelihood dictates that I must continue imbibing so as to be able to point those of you doing likewise in the direction of a palatable bottle at a working man or woman’s price for the weekend. And recently I’ve had no shortage of excuses to indulge myself.
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Hide AdLast weekend was Chinese New Year where I cooked duck legs and roast potatoes with a red wine and cranberry jus alongside a delightful beetroot vinaigrette lovingly prepared by my darling wife, the redoubtable Madame G. We matched it with a medium sweet, extravagantly flavoursome Georgian red (a gift) with notes of blackberry, cherry and a hint of liquorice which complemented our duck wonderfully well. Georgian reds are not a million miles away from Bordeaux in terms of style and yet also completely different from any wines that you’re used to- if you’re looking for a new thrill, they’re well worth investigating. Difficult to source in local wine shops but you can begin your voyage of discovery online with the Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com) or Taste of Georgia (tasteofgeorgia.co.uk) who both deliver to Northern Ireland.
Wednesday was Valentine’s Day which meant steak frites at our lovely home, Rose Cottage, washed down with a few glasses of today’s WINE OF THE WEEK, the big, bold and intensely fruity 2022 Facon Grabado Malbec (£12, M&S). A smooth, exuberantly juicy palate with pronounced notes of plum and black cherry leads to a satisfyingly lengthy finish with luxurious strands of vanilla and just a hint of dark, bitter chocolate.
Our final celebration was the anniversary of the purchase of our lovely home which we marked with baked trout in a creamy dill sauce with courgettes and yet more potatoes - parboiled and then baked alongside the trout. We had this with today’s final selection, the zingy, zesty and gloriously refreshing 2022 Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc (£10, Tesco). This elegant, delicately scented drop has an impressively floral bouquet before a lively, mineral-rich palate with pronounced notes of apple and elderflower, culminating in a brief, discreetly acidic finish.
Which is where I must finish today. I pray that you have all emerged from the Feast of Enforced Commercialised Romance with your marriages and relationships still intact. And for those of you who have forsworn the booze this Lent, let’s hope that the tempus does indeed fugit. Till next week, tipplers, sante!