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There’s
a nip in the air, leaves on the ground and the clocks are going back on
Sunday week when it will really start to get dark early. It may be autumn
but it feels like winter. Martin will discuss wines that act as winter
warmers and banish the blues on
the Sean Moncrieff
show on News Talk 106 FM today, Friday 22nd October,
at about 3.40pm.
When
it’s cold and wet as the forecast is for today and the coming bank
holiday weekend it seems absurd to be drinking certain types of wine.
Light ethereal, fragrant and flowery rieslings and sauvignon blancs are
perfect on a summer's day but really don’t cut the mustard when you’re
wearing a thermal vest. So banish them along with ‘nice cold salads’.
When
the mercury drops I want rib sticking food like roasts, stews and game and
if I’m eating pasta or risotto I want something gutsy like wild
mushrooms. To wash it down I want wines with guts and enough body to stand
a knife and fork up in. If Ready Brek is ‘Central heating for kids’, a
14.5% a.b.v. Barossa Shiraz is ‘central heating for adults’.
We
talking mostly red wines and mostly reds from hot climates. You can get
high alcohol, full-bodied pinot noir, merlot or cabernet but they can be
unbalanced and it doesn’t really do them any favours.
Some
grape varieties need a lot of heat to ripen and hence have high alcohol
levels and only then look their best. Many wine writers complain about
modern reds getting ever darker and higher in alcohol but I don’t hear
the public complain as it usually means a satisfying, rich, warming,
flavoursome wine that washes down hearty stews and pies or even curries
wonderfully well. There are so many to choose from we are truly spoilt for
choice. Those that might be grouped under the title ‘Rhone Rangers’
are probably my personal favourites. That means wines made from syrah (or
shiraz), grenache, mourvèdre and carignan, not just in the Rhone but also
from the world over, particularly in Australia where Shiraz is the most
widely planted grape.
From
the Americas look for Californian zinfandel, at all price levels and from
Chile seek out carmenère or a malbec from Argentina. Naturally the
Mediterranean basin has lots to offer, such as primitivo or nero d’avola
based wines from Southern Italy, Ch. Musar from the Lebanon and Nemea from
Greece. The Port country of the Douro Valley offers exceptional Touriga
Nacional based wines and there are any number of Rhone Ranger style wines
from Southern France.
If you want a white go for an oaked chardonnay or a white Rhone made from
Marsanne or Roussanne and don’t serve it too cold.
On the show we’ll be tasting a couple of wines from Dunnes. At the
budget end of the spectrum is former Wine Republic red of the year Cruz
de Piedra Garnacha 2002 from Calatayud in Spain at €7.29 and 13.5%
a.b.v. plus a thumper from down under, Mitchelton
Shiraz from Central Victoria 2001 at €13.99 and 14.5% a.b.v.
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