July! And at last, we have had a little sunshine! Goodness knows we’ve waited long enough for it! The month is full of celebrations all over the country, from Wimbledon and Henley to the RHS garden show at Hampton Court and the British Grand Prix all culminating in the official start of the native Oyster season on the 31st. There isn’t a week that goes by without a good reason to celebrate with something nice to drink. It’s also the time for picnics and al fresco eating, so let’s have a look at our wines of the month for July.
Antica Distilleria Quaglia Aperitivo Berto, Italy NV
Try something new this summer. This aperitivo is a delightful alternative to the usual suspects of Aperol or Campari. An Aperol Spritz just a touch too sweet and a Negroni is just too bitter for me (I know that makes me a bit of a wimp!). Berto Aperitivo sits perfectly between the two - grown up enough not to be embarrassing but just sweet enough to be approachable. The distillery was started in 1890 in Castelnuovo del Bosco, Piedmont, between Turin and Asti. The distilled liqueur is infused with gentian, orange and wormwood and aged in small oak barrels.
For a Spritz, use the classic ratio of 3-2-1, that is 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperitivo Berto, and 1 part soda water. Serve with ice and a slice of orange.
If making a Negroni, use equal proportions of Gin, Aperitivo Berto and Sweet Vermouth, again served over ice with a slice of orange.
Taste: Fragrant and elegant. Aromas of citrus and herbs. Pleasing combination of sweet and bitter orange with fresh ginger. Soft and rich with a lingering finish.
Try: The little cicchetti that you find in Venice at Aperitivo time are ideal, such as little fried squid or crostini with cannellini beans are just the thing. If you have an ice cream maker, try adding a splash to a pink grapefruit sorbet.
JULY OFFER £18.70
Villa Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling, Pfalz, Germany 2019
The Villa Wolf estate is in the heart of the Pfalz wine growing area and has a history of making wine going back over 250 years. The area has been producing wine for over 2000 years, since the Romans invaded. The climate is very similar to that of Alsace. Indeed, the Haardt mountains which provide shelter from the prevailing westerly winds, are an extension of the Vosges of Alsace. The Rieslings of Pfalz are richer and more generous than those of the Mosel.
Founded in 1756, it is a highly regarded winery. At the height of its fame, in the 1840’s the magnificent Estate house and villa were constructed. After WW2 there was a downturn throughout the area. In 1996 the celebrated Ernst Losen took over the vineyards and set to work to restore the reputation to its former glory.
Taste: Light, refreshing wine, zesty enticing aromas of lime and white peach, perfect balance of stone fruits and acidity, bursting with ripe nectarines and apricots on a dry finish.
Try: On its own as an aperitif. Smoked fish make great partners too. Try a fish Sauerkraut or even a fish Solyanka - a hearty broth with cabbage and smoked fish served with soured cream from the Ukraine.
JULY OFFER £13.00
Chateau Puech-Haut Le Pic St Loup Rouge, Languedoc, France 2019
Think of an archetypal French country scene…sunshine, fields of lavender, markets with stalls groaning under the weight of beautiful tomatoes, olives, a smell of wild thyme underfoot, and vineyards stretching into the distance and you get an idea of the area around Chateau Puech-Haut. Founded by Gerard Bru, the Chateau has 115 hectares of some of the best vineyard sites in the south of France including Pic Saint Loup. The area has a Mediterranean climate and a mixture of clay and limestone soils which help to produce great wines. The landscape is dominated by the Pic Saint Loup mountain, named after its resemblance to a wolf’s fang. A hearty red made from Syrah and Grenache; this is truly a wine of its terroir.
Taste: Intense bouquet of kirsch, plum and blackcurrant with a touch of lavender. Big, bold and powerful on the palate with fantastic complexity and concentration. It is extremely well-balanced and structured with dark fruits and cracked black pepper on the long, impressive finish.
Try: The southern side of the Pic has many oak covered slopes which are fertile ground for the famous black truffle (tuber melanosporum). Try the classic truffled scrambled egg or tagliatelle with truffles in the Autumn. Try adding a little fresh truffle to your mushroom duxelles for a beef Wellington. A rustic lunch of coarse pate of duck or hare with crusty baguette, a few pickles and the local Tete de Moines cheese would be ideal too.
JULY OFFER £15.00
Cielo Santerive Bardolino DOC, Italy 2023
Bardolino comes from a picturesque area east of Lake Garda in the Veneto region. The town of Bardolino itself sits right on the shore of the lake with the vineyards sloping down from the north. Though wine has been produced here since Roman Times, it wasn’t until the 19th Century that the reputation for quality gained recognition culminating in the award of DOC status in 1968. If you are lucky enough to visit in early October you may witness the annual Wine Festival, the most important event in the Lake Garda culinary calendar. The lakeside towns are full of stalls highlighting the wines and foods of the area.
The soils of Bardolino are very varied, having been deposited by glaciers coming down the Adige valley at the end of the last ice age. Different glaciers left different deposits – pebbles, gravel, boulders, loess and clay, that go to make up this varied area. Though made principally with Corvina and Rondinello, as in Valpolicella, the wines offer a very distinct flavour and texture. Lighter in style, generally containing less Corvina, they are often served slightly cooled to around 16 degrees C and are perfect for summer drinking.
Taste: Strawberry, cherry, and raspberry aromas fuse with violet overtones. Light, juicy, and generous on the mid-palate. Rounded tannins and further summer fruit with a hint of vanilla. Easy, approachable, and so more-ish.
Try: A great match for many fish dishes, such as baked cod with grilled polenta and spinach, a rich shellfish risotto.
JULY OFFER £8.30
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