Category: Food & Recipes

I’ll start in northern Italy with a Prosecco from Veneto, the Casa Canevel Extra Dry (Oakham Wines £18.49). This is the finest Prosecco I’ve ever tasted. It’s medium-bodied with a lovely nose of melons, peach stones and yeast, but the intensity and complexity of the palate is quite something. Alongside the usual melon and sweet pear fruit, there’s yellow plum, white berries, creamy yeast and a touch of white pepper to the finish.

If you find yourself in Portugal and are looking for something refreshing but characterful, then track down a bottle of the Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Vinho Verde (Eton Vintners £13.95). I remember my first encounter with a vinho verde. Manny, a Portuguese cellar hand at Harrods, gave me a glass as he enthusiastically introduced me to this ‘green wine’. It made such an impression on me that I avoided it years. Modern vinho verde can be fantastic, though. Improved winemaking and site selection give us wines like this one which offers wonderful quality for an affordable price. Pale green-gold, the bouquet is bright, fresh and citrusy with an undertow of flowers. On the palate it’s crisp, packed with green and yellow citrus fruit with nectarine, peach stones, and green herbs adding depth and balance. Enjoy this with seafood or bola de carne (meaty bread).

France has its holiday charms, and if you know where to look (i.e. outside) you may see a vine or two too. If you’re in the Loire Valley you’ll be spoilt for choice. From the crisp, saline-tanged Muscadet – France’s best value white – to the smoky, ‘flint’ wines of Pouilly Fume, great wines are produced along the length of this mighty river. My choice is the Sancerre La Graveliere from Joseph Mellot (Vinatis £19.63). For me, Mellot is Sancerre’s finest producer. Their wines capture the elegance and style for which Sancerre is famed, but offer power, complexity and longevity. I re-tasted the 2022 a couple of days ago and it was excellent. The nose combined leafy blackcurrants, gooseberries, rhubarb and grass with dusty mineral notes. These are continued onto the palate where they are joined by grapefruit, greengage and green pepper flavours to give an intense, complex, beautifully refreshing glassful that has a distinct savoury edge. Sip this with freshwater mussels.

Slip southwest and you’ll find yourself in Bordeaux. If you haven’t considered Bordeaux as a holiday destination, do. Aside from swimming in fine wine, it’s a stunningly beautiful city with amazing restaurants – La Tupina is a must – and you can visit one of the largest subterranean churches in France is Saint Emilion, so there’s something for the kids too! My recommendation is a white wine, the Mouton Cadet Blanc 2020 (Slurp £10.50). Mouton Cadet Blanc was my introduction to white Bordeaux, and my passion for it burns to this day. What I like about this is that a little bottle age has given it a peach, apricot and honey tone alongside the usual citrus, gooseberry and green peppers. This gives it a rich mouthfeel and extra weight. Try this with fois gras (when in Bordeaux…) or with a fish cassoulet.

Keep going southwest and you’ll end up in Spain. Like most wine lovers I tend to associate Spanish wines with reds such as Rioja. Speaking of which, do your cellar a favour and get some Beronia Reserva Rioja 2020 from Waitrose while it’s on offer (£12.99 from £15.99) – it’s tremendous. In the heat of the 28C sun of Rioja, you’ll probably want something white though. So ask the waiter for a bottle of the Valenciso 2022 Blanco (Highbury Vintners £25) and relax in the company of this exceptional white Rioja. To me, this has the precision of a fine white Burgundy with the passion of a Rioja. Made from a traditional blend of Viura and Garnacha Blanca aged in American and Russian oak, it’s full-bodied, fresh, spicy and hugely enjoyable. Layer-upon-layer of white and green-skinned fruits are interspersed with vanilla, honey, and earthy spices. With a little air it becomes weightier, and the steeliness of the Viura is balanced by the richness of the Garnacha to give a wine that’s harmonious and satisfying. Lunch in Haro’s old town square with this and a plate of melon and Jamon Serrano and you’ll be very close to heaven.

No European wine tour would be complete without a couple of stops in Italy. Italy is by some margin the world’s largest wine producer and also is home to some of the greatest regions and producers on the planet. Wind up in Veneto and you can sample the excellent 2020 Campofiorin Rosso del Veronese (Waitrose £14.99) from the renowned house of Masi. This rich, full-bodied red is produced using a double fermentation method, the second utilising semi-dried grapes to add even more weight and texture. Deeply coloured with a nose of cherries, prunes and spices, the palate is decadently rich with masses of sweetly toned black and red cherries, plums, black and red berries and a soft, spicy finish. Savour this mighty wine with roasted red meats, mushroom risotto or hard Italian cheeses over dinner in the shadow of Marmolada.

Tuscany has more than its fair share of incredible wines. Ancient superstars such Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino have been joined by a raft of newer wines, the so-called ‘Super Tuscans’. These have often blended native varieties like Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot or just use these international vines to startling effect. While the most famous of these wines – Tignanello or Sassiciaia – can cost several hundred pounds a bottle, others are producing wines that remain affordable. Take the Bulichella Rubino (Terravigna £17.49). This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese shows how exciting this new meets old approach can be. Invitingly deeply coloured, the bouquet combines blackcurrants, plums and cherries with green peppers and violets. In the mouth it’s generous and full, but with a firm structure and a lean edge that keeps it food-friendly. Crushed blackcurrants, damson conserve, bitter chocolate, sweet and sour cherries, and a twist of herbs make for a wine that’s as much about the mind as the mouth. Sit and watch the cypress trees turn black as the evening descends while you enjoy this with bruschetta and tomato and basil pasta.

Like all good things, holidays have to end, but if you’re in eastern France then make a pit stop in Burgundy and enjoy a bottle of two of the Domaine Decelle Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Aux Bousselots 2017 (Perfect Cellar £51.56 down from £73.65). Domaine Decelle is a young domaine – re-established in 2008 – with roots dating back 1880. The wines are made in a modern way to exacting standards. This is a silky, seductive style of red Burgundy that offers that unique combination of red berries, cherries, flowers and beetroot that makes the region’s wines so special. Pretty incredible now, you get the sense that over the next 5-10 years even more will come from this show-stopper.