An Occasional Tipple: All your questions answered with wonderful wine
The biggest pleasure of my week is opening my inbox to peruse the correspondence I've received from my many followers.
Would it be sacrilege to call you disciples? Sometimes I copy and paste your verbatim comments and forward them to my very beautiful, talented boss, especially when angling for a raise. Hi, boss!
Things like this: "Thanks so much, Raymond, for yet again pointing me towards a fabulous wine at an unbeatable price. You are the one rock on which I can rely in an increasingly dangerous, terrifying world". Or this one, my personal favourite: "Oh Raymond, you look so handsome with your bushy beard and blue cardigan- your columns are always so witty and profound. You make Saturday’s News Letter essential reading. I know you love your darling wife, that Madame G. one, but I've enclosed a photo of myself in a swimsuit in case you'd like to meet up for a drink next Saturday at 6.30 p.m. in..." Well, you get the drift.
Occasionally, however, you actually send me wine-related queries so I thought that today I’d take the opportunity to answer a couple before passing on my recommendations for your weekend tipples.
How and why to swirl wine? The how is simple: between your thumb and first two fingers, hold the stem of your glass just above the base. Move the glass quickly three or four times in a circle about twice the size of the base. And the why is simpler again- it releases aromas and in doing so helps you to better appreciate the taste.
How much should I pay for a good bottle? Tricky- you can get a great bottle for a tenner and an awful one for £100 and vice versa. A £100 bottle will rarely be 10 times better than one that costs a tenner but to a refined palate the subtle differences may merit the extra bucks. It’s not impossible to get a good bottle for less than £7 but you’re less likely to get a really good one in the nether regions unless you follow the advice of an expert such as little old moi. Ultimately, you should buy whatever style of wine you like best and pay no more than you can afford.
Today’s WINE OF THE WEEK, one which I’ve been swirling most contentedly of late is the powerfully flavoured yet very approachable and 2022 Vignamatta Veneto Rosso (£9.49, Lidl). An impressive bouquet with lots of red fruit and delicate spicing leads to an opulent palate with cherry and blueberry flavours alongside gentle tannins before a savoury finish with hints of oak and vanilla. One for steaks, burgers etc at barbecues should the sun deign to shine.
And if it does you may decide on something lighter such as today’s second and final selection, the delightfully dry, elegant and gloriously refreshing 2024 Primitivo Rosato Puglia (£7.49, Lidl). This stunning, well-rounded, refreshing splash of pink here which is packed with red berry and citrus flavours and lively floral aromatics. We had ours with Manchego cheese and olives stuffed with anchovy paste.
I know I haven’t yet answered all your questions but I must dash as I may or may not have a very important appointment to prepare for at 6.30 this evening, depending upon which version of me you wish to believe in. Till next week, tipplers!