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Hot weather – its effects on grapes & wine
Whilst wine grapes benefit from sunshine and heat, when is it too hot to be beneficial to them? What impact does hot weather have on the wine produced in heatwave years that seem to be becoming the norm? The post Hot weather – its effects on grapes & wine appeared first on Wines With Attitude .
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Discover Classic Penedès and Corpinnat: Cava’s Competitors
Cava Wine & Its Alternatives What is happening to Spanish sparkling wines The sparkling wine industry in the Penedès wine region of Catalonia in Northern Spain where most Cava is produced has been the scene of in-fighting for a number of years. This blogpost looks at the history of Cava and the most recent developments in the Cava DO appellation, including how Cava has changed its categories of Cava and its labelling. In addition it considers the alternative Spanish sparkling wine formats that have emerged in competition with Cava, Classic Penedès and Corpinnat and what the future may hold for these competing Spanish sparkling wines. A brief history of Cava After the phylloxera epidemic destroyed European vines in the late nineteenth century and the only way to keep producing wine was to plant American species or graft European vines onto American rootstock, many red wine producers in Penedès decided to switch to growing white indigenous grape vines, grafted onto phylloxera-resistant r
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Albariño: the grape & wine
Albariño : the grape & wines Many white wine drinkers reach instinctively for familiar favourites like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. There is nothing wrong with any of these well-known varieties but looking further afield there is a world of exciting alternative white wines. None of these alternatives is more refreshing, versatile and food-friendly than Albariño (pronounced phonetically as Alba-reen-yo). If you’re looking to expand your palate and discover a white wine that balances elegance with vibrancy, Albariño may be exactly what you are missing. In my opinion, Albariño, especially from the Rías Baixas DO, is one of the best Spanish (and Portuguese) still white wines today. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore everything you need to know about the Albariño grape and its wines — from its origins and flavour profile to food pairings and buying tips—so that you can skip the Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot shelves and find a great bottle of this delicious wine ins
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Easter foods & wine
Easter foods & wine The long Easter weekend is a great time for getting together with family and friends. It’s an excuse to celebrate after the long winter months and perhaps splash out on some great wine and food. There is no one specific Easter dish in the UK so in this blogpost I look at a number of main dishes served up and down the country and make suggestions for wines that will complement if not enhance your Easter dinner, lunch or brunch. Note that it can be difficult to find wines to complement all the different flavours in some dishes. First rule of thumb is to match the richness and weight of the main dish with the body of the wine; so that means richer dishes with heavier, fuller-bodied wines and light foods with lighter wines. WINE FOR EASTER FISH DISHES My local fishmongers tell me that the tradition of eating fish on Good Friday is less adhered to these days but this doesn’t stop them having one of their busiest days of the year on Good Friday. If you are going to have a
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Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine
Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine You would not be surprised to learn that Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other well-known grape varieties are popular search terms on the Wines With Attitude website. However, one of the most searched-for varieties is Carmenère (pronounced car-mun-air), a rather more obscure, though distinctive, black grape variety. Part of the reason for its low profile is that Carmenère accounts for only a tiny proportion of the total world wine grape production. In addition it has long been the source of mystery and misidentification. In fact the grape was almost extinct and was only rediscovered many years later, in the late 20th century, on a different continent having long been mistaken for another grape. So why is Carmenère such a popular search term? Let’s delve into the mysterious Carménère and find out where it is grown, what kind of wines it produces, what it tastes like and why you should make it a part of your wine repertoire. The Ca
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The perfect wines to drink with Christmas pudding
The perfect wines to drink with Christmas pudding Whether you opt for Christmas pudding, the very traditional finale to Christmas dinner in the UK, or something equally rich and sweet, what are the perfect wines to drink with Christmas pudding? This blog post looks at which wines will complement your dessert whether it be plum pudding, mince pies, panettone, trifle, chocolate cake or cheese. You could also look at my wine suggestions to serve with main courses at Christmas. The main aim for the main course and for desserts should always be to match the weight of the dish with the body of the wine. And there is a fundamental second tip when pairing desserts & wine and that is … You might think that drinking a wine that is even sweeter than a dessert would make the dessert seem sickly sweet but surprisingly that is not the case. It will actually help to avoid creating an acidic or sour taste in the mouth. Of course the sweet wine must have good acidity too as that will also stop the comb
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The perfect wines to drink with Christmas dinner
The perfect wines to drink with Christmas dinner You’ve bought the turkey, made the cranberry sauce and peeled the brussel sprouts but what are you going to drink with your Christmas meal? Let’s take a look at the perfect wines to drink with Christmas dinner. These wine suggestions complement typical Christmas dishes that feature as a main course for Christmas dinner in homes across the UK. Wines that won’t match so well with your feast are also mentioned so you can avoid them and have a stress-free meal! See also my blog post covering Christmas desserts and wine. Difficulties finding the perfect wines for Christmas dinner Firstly, Christmas is about having fun and meeting up with family and friends. It’s not about stressing out about which wine or wines to have with dinner. If you just want the easy option and stick to your favourite wine, then no-one is going to turn up their noses and say that the wine you have chosen is absolutely the wrong choice to go with turkey or whatever you
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9 wine-based cocktails
9 wine-based cocktails There is, in my opinion, a wine for every occasion but sometimes a longer alcoholic drink is called for, something beyond the traditional glass of red, white or rosé. It is possible to get enjoy wine in a longer drink by getting creative with wine-based cocktails. Warm summer evenings for example call for longer, cooler drinks. Refreshing, low-alcohol cocktails can elevate a lengthy brunch and let’s not forget the Mediterranean tradition of the aperitivo. All these occasions and more call for wine-based cocktails. So, in this post let’s explore why and when to enjoy wine cocktails and their advantages. Plus nine classic and modern wine-based cocktail recipes — from the timeless Kir Royale to the ever-popular Aperol Spritz – all of which are tasty, refreshing drinks and quick and simple to prepare so that you can enjoy the party. Why choose wine-based cocktails? Wine-based cocktails offer a number of advantages including: Lower Alcohol Content Unless you are parti
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A guide to the wines of the Rhone region
A GUIDE TO THE WINES OF THE RHONE REGION AN OVERVIEW OF RHONE WINES This blog post on Rhône wines, the first in a series, can only be an overview – the Rhône wine region is huge and the range of Rhône wines so varied that it is impossible to cover it all in one relatively short article. This guide covers Northern Rhone wines, Southern Rhone wines and their differences, Rhone wine labelling, what Cote du Rhone wines are and the general style of the region’s wines. Since 81% of Rhône Valley wines are red, I’ll focus on red Rhone wines – with the Rhone’s white and rosé wines to be covered at a later date (whites are 6% of production with rosé 13%). The terms Rhône and Rhone are used interchangeably in this blogpost. RHONE WINE STATISTICS First some figures about Rhone wine: there are over 5000 wine-growing businesses in 28 Rhône wine appellations using one or more of 27 permitted grape varieties to produce 3 million hectolitres for c. 372 million bottles of wine* – and that’s ignoring any
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Malbec grape and wines
Guide to the Malbec Grape & its wines Malbec, Argentinian Malbec in particular, is one of the most popular red wines in the UK. It was long considered one of the ‘beefiest’ red wines and became a staple house wine for many pubs and restaurants, initially increasing its popularity. That may however have come at a cost as public perception of the quality of Malbec seems to be in decline. This blogpost looks into the reasons for Malbec’s popularity, explores facts about the Malbec grape that account, in part, for the wine’s different aromas & flavours and for the different styles of Malbec wine. It also considers if quality has become an issue for ‘brand Malbec’ and covers which food is best consumed with Malbec. The Malbec grape Although the Malbec grape is the flagship grape of Argentina, it originated in the area of South West France around the city of Cahors, east of Bordeaux and north of Toulouse. It is also known in that area and in the Loire where a little is grown as Côt or Auxerr
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7 facts to help make sense of Burgundy wine
7 FACTS TO HELP MAKE SENSE OF BURGUNDY WINE … & UNDERSTANDING BURGUNDY WINE LABELS How are you supposed to make sense of Burgundy wines? Understanding Burgundy wine labels can seem impossible. Sometimes it is even difficult to know whether you have selected a bottle of red wine or white wine without an expert knowledge of the region and its producers. But it is worth finding out a little about the region’s wines because Burgundy, or Bourgogne as it is known in France, is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe and has a reputation for producing some of the world’s best wines. So let’s tackle this relatively small but daunting area with its complex labelling and numerous wine producers often with the same family name. Here is Burgundy in a nutshell, all you need to know to start you off tasting Burgundy wines. The beautiful village of Santenay in Burgundy The focus in the wine world at the beginning of each year is on Burgundy with the release of the latest vintage – in Janua
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2023 wine duty changes in the UK & what they mean
2023 – 2025 WINE DUTY CHANGES & WHAT THEY MEAN This blogpost will be updated shortly due to changes in UK duty rates applicable from 1st February 2025 but you can see the new rates in the table below. If you have been burying your head in the sand recently you may have missed an upcoming important deadline for wine-drinkers – 31st July 2023 – after which, despite much lobbying by the drinks industry and despite the government’s stated desire to control inflation, higher rates of duty will be applied to most still wines. THE 2023 CHANGES IN DUTY ON WINE IN THE UK From 1st August 2023 it is estimated that 90% of still wine will see duty rise by at least 9% from its current level of duty – £2.23 per bottle. Duty on a fairly average 13% ABV bottle of wine will increase by 20% to £2.67 and for still wine with 15% ABV the rise in duty will be a whopping 44% to £3.21 per bottle (these rates exclude VAT which applies to the duty charged as well as to the wine itself). Fortified wines like port
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To decant or not to decant? That is the question…
To decant or not to decant? That is the question… Often regarded as an old-fashioned, even somewhat pretentious practice, decanting wine has its fair share of doubters. Is decanting simply done for show or does it serve a useful purpose? If so, which wines should be decanted and how long before serving should wine be decanted? This blogpost looks into the why, which, how and when of decanting wine. WHY DECANT WINE? The main reason historically for decanting wine was to remove it from any naturally-occurring sediment often seen in wines that have aged a while in bottle. This sediment can taste bitter and, let’s face it, is unpleasant in texture – no-one likes to get that gritty last mouthful of wine. You would expect to see a sediment in vintage & crusted port and wines, mostly red wines, that have been aged for a number of years in bottle. Some younger wines can also benefit from being decanted. There is a small but growing number of natural winemakers who prefer not to filter their wi
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Guide to New Zealand Wines
Guide to New Zealand Wines The New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ocean New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and specifically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have been pretty much synonymous with New Zealand wine until fairly recently. Indeed even in 2023 Sauvignon Blanc still accounted for 65%* of New Zealand’s total wine grape vineyard area – and most of that was in Marlborough, 58% of New Zealand’s total vineyard area. Amazing facts especially when you consider that the grape was first planted in Marlborough only in 1975. You cannot ignore the importance of this grape as it thrust New Zealand onto the international wine scene. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc still clearly has its fans. Many have fallen for its aromatics, its crisp zing and unique flavours of gooseberry, red peppers with hints of passionfruit and fresh cut grass. As Sauvignon Blanc production started to become more commercial in the 1970s, at the lower end of the market (encouraged, it has to be said, by retailers importing into