The Bath & Wiltshire Parent’s wine columnist, Ben Franks FRSA, from local business Novel Wines, shares his monthly favourite drinks with you
Here we go again! Let’s leave the real world for a moment and do what wine does best: bring people together to share memories. We’ve been having lots of fun over the last few months hosting virtual wine and cider tastings via Zoom or delivering wines to Bath locals who are enjoying a drink with a neighbour over the fence.
Lockdown doesn’t have to mean an end to your social life, so in this column I’d love to suggest some of the delicious wines that give you a taste of holiday that you can share with neighbours or loved ones – even if it’s via your tablet.
Over the other side of the equator, countries like Brazil and South Africa are about to enter the summer. Imagine a cool glass of Painted Wolf Paarl Roussanne (£15.99, Novel Wines) under the beating sun. The wine is full of mouth-watering notes of white peach over a creamy palate and pops of spice, perfect to sip while dipping breadsticks into a molten pot of baked Camembert. Why not recreate the scene at home, sadly minus the sunshine, as an after-dinner treat?
One of the places I’d like to visit is the northern region of Istria in Croatia, stretching inland from the Adriatic Sea. Wineries situated here include the family-owned Damjanic, which is making delicious wines from indigenous grapes like Malvasija-Istarska and Borgonja. The former wine, Damjanic Malvasija (£16.99, Novel Wines), is a wonderfully fresh white, layered with ripe grapefruit, apple blossom and herbaceous qualities. It will pair with a wide range of small plates, so meze or tapas at home is a good way to get a taste of holiday. If you prefer red, Damjanic Borgonja (£17.99, Novel Wines) is tangy and fresh, full of red fruits and a silky, plummy finish that would be a top swap-in for red wine fans.
New editions to our list like Bussay Tramini (£10.99, Novel Wines) may hail from Zala in Hungary, but the exotic fruit flavours of pineapple and cantaloupe melon with a hint of honey and almond sweetness offer a little flavour holiday from the norm. Also, off-dry wines like this are top pairings with chicken wrapped in bacon or lightly spiced curries.
Silky white wines like Akriotou Old Vine Savatiano (£11.79, Novel Wines) or reds like Semeli PDO Nemea Reserve (£15.49, Novel Wines) offer a taste of the Mediterranean. Both come from mainland Greece, with Akriotou’s Savatiano offering melon, quince, Turkish delight and ginger flavours, and the Semeli, made from oak-matured Agiorgitiko, gives you notes of figs and fresh berries. Both are delicious by the glass.
Finally, if you’re longing for a treat (and you’ve got a sweet tooth), no place is better to explore than Tokaj. These sweet nectar dessert wines are pure luxury. To single out one recommendation is a bit like choosing your favourite child, but a guaranteed winner is winemaker Dr Endre Demeter’s Sweet Szamorodoni (£28.99, Novel Wines). Think honey, fresh apricots, dried fruits, orange and gingerbread. Sip on its own or grab the Bath blue.