WINNING
REVIEWED BY WES GAME
ALSACE, FRANCE
Kuhlmann-Platz, Gewurztraminer
AUSTRALIA
BVS, Peter Lehman, Shiraz
£8-10 Majestic
Wine Direct £10-12
Whilst everything about this wine looks and
sounds German, it is French. The Alsace region
has both French and German influences in its
culture and winemaking due to its location.
“Gewurz” is the German word for spice and this
medium-dry wine has a certain spiced aroma.
Somewhat different to your usual white wine, it
is very light in colour and body. Don’t be fooled
as this fresh wine has aromas of apricot and
peaches with quite a long aftertaste. Slightly
sweet compared to most white wines and will go
well with strong cheeses or Asian food. I tried
this out on some friends without telling them
what it was and they were pleasantly surprised.
Australia is the world’s 6th largest wine producer
and they export around 1/3 of their wine to the
UK. I think that means the Brits like Australian
wine. BVS stands for Barossa Valley Shiraz
and this is a fine example. BVS has created a
reputation of big full flavoured wines, dark in
colour yet still smooth. This BVS is bold with
plenty of dark fruit flavours and ripe plums.
With hints of spicy pepper and dark chocolate
coming through as well as some vanilla from
the 12 months spent in oak, you will need to
eat something meaty. Beef or a winter BBQ
perhaps?
FRANCE
Nicolas Potel, Pinot Noir
LOIRE, FRANCE
Domaine Joel Delaunay, Sauvignon Blanc
Majestic £10
Lee&Sandeman, Hawkeshead Wines
or Majestic £9-£11
Pinot Noir from Burgundy is considered to be
some of the best in the world, but as we know
it’s all about personal preferences. Pinot Noir
is the most widely planted black grape in the
region and of course they vary widely. However
once you get above the budget priced wine,
you are rewarded with some elegance. This
is somewhat different to the Australian Shiraz.
Much softer is style and lighter in colour,
the aromas are of strawberry, raspberry and
blackcurrant. Very drinkable but always goes
down well with pasta or cold meats. A touch
of class.
The Loire is France’s longest river and connects
some great wine areas e.g. Sancerre, PouillyFume, Vouvray, Samur and Anjou to name a
few. More famous for its white wines there
is a great range of styles and grape varieties.
This Sauvignon Blanc is from a small grower in
the Touraine region in the middle of the Loire
Valley. Whilst not hitting the heights of a classic
Sancerre, it still has a lot to offer. Clean and
crisp citrus flavours together with some classic
green apple and gooseberry aromas make this
a very pleasant wine. I could drink this wine by
itself but will easily accompany vegetarian dishes
as well as fish. A great value wine for £10 that
you could impress the neighbours with.
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