Fringe Box

Socialize

Twitter

Tipple of the Month – October 2016

Published on: 13 Oct, 2016
Updated on: 18 Oct, 2016
Jeremy Blood of the Surrey Wine School

Jeremy Blood of the Surrey Wine School

Jeremy Blood from the Guildford based Surrey Wine School reveals his locally available “Tipple of the Month”.

Although I love the grapes Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay (all French varieties) they just don’t work as well with heavier dishes like stews and casseroles. So here are two red grapes that will thrill your taste buds over the coming months.

Syrah or Shiraz with its alluring aromas of black pepper spice, black fruits and liquorice, is one of my favourites. You can taste great examples from its home in the Rhone valley or from Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. It will fill your mouth with rich and ripe fruits all rounded off by a smooth and silky texture.

Grenache most likely originated in Spain where it’s called Garnacha. This Mediterranean grape can produce warming wines with strawberry and raspberry fruit it is lower in tannin but higher in alcohol so perfect for this time of year.

It can be blended with other grapes as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Rioja or can hold its own as in examples from McLaren Vale in Australia or Navarra in Spain.

So my tipple of the month has to be a wine that contains both Syrah and Grenache grapes and I have chosen, Réserve des Hospitaliers, Cairanne, Cotes Du Rhone Village, France 2014 (Waitrose £9.99).

Réserve des Hospitaliers, Cairanne, Cotes Du Rhone Village, France 2014

Réserve des Hospitaliers, Cairanne, Cotes Du Rhone Village, France 2014Cairanne is an appellation in the Southern Rhone that has just been promoted from village level to ‘cru’ status. Aged in French oak for nine months, the wine has developed a wonderful structure and richness.

Surrey Wine School’s Winter Reds tasting is held on Fri 25th Nov 2016, 7pm-9pm,at the Guildford Institute.

For more information about Surrey Wine School, visit www.surreywineschool.com, call 01306 898569 or 07436 072518.

Share This Post

Leave a Comment

Please see our comments policy. All comments are moderated and may take time to appear.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *