An Occasional Tipple: Italian wine and sunshine please!
At this time of year, a young man's fancy lightly tends towards thoughts of love.
So said Lord Tennyson and perhaps this was true in his day, when the very merry month of May was characterised by rolling green pastures bathed in golden sunshine. Comely maidens too, I’m told. Indeed, I seem to remember the springtimes of my own boyhood being similarly idyllic.
And yet, despite all the terrible warnings about global warming, we’ve been constantly bothered by cold winds and heavy rain this past week. Gazing out the window of my study, the view from my lovely home, Rose Cottage, has predominantly been one of an unrelentingly bleak, forlorn landscape. In short, miserable! June, surely you can do better!
To soothe my sorrows, I have been sipping upon perhaps one too many glasses of today's WINE OF THE WEEK, the rustic, superbly rounded and satisfyingly savoury 2022 Santenzo Langhe Nebbiolo (£10.99, Lidl). A light-bodied, lubricious palate with plenty of berry and cherry flavours which are nicely balanced by soft tannins before a lingering finish with hints of black pepper, this Italian red will benefit from being served very slightly chilled alongside pork or poultry.
Although we tend to think of rose wine as a summer drink, despite our awful climate it continues to be the fastest growing wine category in the UK with sales increasing by an average of 24% each year. Admittedly, you don't see too many men ordering a splash of pink in our bars and restaurants but my own informal and strictly off-the-record survey of friends, family and colleagues reveals that quite a few gents are happy to sink the pink at home, behind closed doors. On Sunday past, I joined them.
My illustrious wife, the enigmatic Madame G. and I raised our regular toast to the unceasing joys of matrimony with several large glasses of the delicate, deliciously dry, pale pink 2024 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie Blush (currently £5.23, Lidl). Teeming with bright redcurrant, raspberry and strawberry flavours this is, to quote my very eloquent Madame, a vibrantly aromatic, veritable mouthful of summer in a glass. An ideal match to poultry or seafood, it will be perfect for any picnics or garden parties you may have planned this weekend. Or, sometime in July, more likely.
Today’s final selection is the bold, supple and judiciously spiced 2021 Brindisi Rosso Riserva (£7.99, Lidl). This opulent Italian red has an intriguing palate full of ripe cherry flavours and earthy, pungent spices which are nicely balanced by firm tannins before a magnificent finish with hints of dark chocolate, walnuts and lick-your lips liquorice. One for rich meats like BBQ beef or smoky pork.
You may have noticed that all this week’s recommendations come from Italy courtesy of Lidl whose Italian Wine Cellar is currently running- many other noteworthy bottles which are well worth checking out for fans of Italian vino. Speaking of checking out, I’ll take that as my queue to bid you adieu and may your weekend paths tend lightly towards love- comely maidens, handsome gents etc.- whatever tickles your fancy, really. All we need now is some sunshine!