Great Wines for €12 and under!
Friday, 4 April 2008
Wine expert Chris Hill joins us with some fine wines that taste great and won't break the bank
1.
Name: Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc
Producer : VINA CASABLANCA
Vintage: 2007
Country/Region: CHILE CASABLANCA
Grape Variety: SAUVIGNON BLANC
Tasting Notes: A crisp, dry wine reminiscent of a very good Sancerre or Pouilly Fume. A bouquet bursting with ripe gooseberry and tropical fruits followed by lively refreshing flavours and a long dry finish.
Food Match: as an aperitif, with fish or white meat
Price: Approx €11
Buy it: Independent Off licenses nationwide
2.
Name: Pinot Grigio
Producer: Folonari
Vintage: 2005
Country/Region: The Veneto region in north-east Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Tasting Notes: Pale yellow colour, with a fragrant fresh bouquet. Dry and crisp with a background of green apples with a clean finish. A classic fruity fresh, dry, easy drinking Pinot Grigio from North East Italy.
Food Match: Shellfish, salads, fish, Asian cuisine, Antipasto
Price: €9.59
Buy it: CENTRA and SUPERVALU
3.
Name: Faustino V11 Crianza
Grape Varities:Tempranillo 95%, Mazuelo 5%
Country Region: Spain
Tasting Notes: A youthful fruity wine with added complexity and richness from oak ageing.
Colour: Bright, youthful cherry red with just a hint of ochre at the rim.
Nose: Lively youthful berry fruit mingles with toasty oak.
Palate: An exuberant youthful fruity wine with vanilla from the oak ageing adding a smoothness to the flavour.
Food Match: This fresh fruity wine is particularly suited to barbecues and indeed any informal foods such as pizza, pies or burgers.
Interesting stories about the wine:
Fermentation takes place at a maximum of about 24º C and the skins are left to macerate after fermentation to produce finer tannins with the whole process taking about 16 days. Then the wine is aged in American oak barrels, from West Virginia, for 10 months before at least another 1- 2 years ageing in bottle prior to release.
Maturation:
It is released ready to be enjoyed and in general the wine is at its peak from about 3-7 years after the vintage date but should give pleasure for a few years after that.
Price: €11.99
Buy It: Supermarkets Nationwide
4.
Name: Deakin Shiraz
Producer: Wingara
Vintage: 2005
Country Region: North West Victoria
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Tasting Notes: Full bodied with rich flavours of plum, chocolate, cracked pepper and toasted oak. Yum! It is medium bodied with fine tannins, allowing an extended focus of rich plum and blackberries along the palate. The palate is sweet and rich with fruit flavours combined with an oak taste. A balanced wine with good length.
Food Match: Red meat dishes from gourmet beef pie, beef steak or mild Asian beef stir-fry.
Price: €9.99
Buy It: Super Valu, Superquinn, Next Door Off Licences and selected independents.