Great Value wines from the South of France

I’ve had a couple of French wines recently that have impressed me, not least of which because they represent excellent value for money. I know that we have ridiculous taxes and charges on our wines here in the UK, import duty, transport costs, supermarket mark-ups etc which leaves the actual cost of the wine a lot less than people think.

In this particular case I am recommending an obscure French wine for just £4.74 a bottle when you buy 6. It is called BASTIDE de Garille from a relatively unknown appellation (Cabardes) 2006. It is a delicious combination of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Apparently the cool air of the mountains combined with the Mediterranean sunshine in the south of France help produce some excellent grapes and because we are talking about France I am sure the terroir is perfect too.

The second recommendation is called Maison Maurel Vedeau 2007 also from the south of France. This Languedoc regional wine is taken from vineyards all around the region and is a lovely combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache grapes. I was expecting the sharp capsicum taste of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but this had none of it. I don’t know what proportions of the two varietals were included but it has a lovely soft, honey/melon/lychee flavour that makes you want to drink more and more and before you know it the bottle is empty. This one retails at £8.54 a bottle when you buy 6. Quite a lot for a south of France wine made from random vineyards in the region but believe me well worth a try.

Both of these wines are available from Tesco’s Wine club and if you look hard enough you might pick up the odd bottle at their bigger stores.

Its all Greek to me

I've just come back from a short trip to Athens. Now the Greeks are not especially recognised for their wine and so it was with some trepidation that I thought I would try some of their local Reds to see how they were doing. Choosing one to try from labels that look like spiders have crawled all over them was hard but I did recognise Cabernet Sauvignon on a couple and being a creature of habit headed straight for what I like.

I am delighted to report that they were not bad at all. Like the french they tend to be nationalistic about their choices so it was impossible to get anything other than Greek wine but I am glad that the standard has improved way beyond my previous visit nearly 20 years ago. The reds were robust, fruity and very similar to South America in taste and style. Apparently there are over 300 indigenous grape varieties in Greece of which about 60 are used today.

My advice would be to give them a go, if you can find any. My local branch of Oddbins does have one or two so if you are fed up with the usual suspects then impress your friends with something different. The best selection I have found is through mail order at Yamas Wines so if you are feeling brave give it a try, you might surprise yourself...

The French are selling out!

Has anyone else noticed the increase in varietal labelling from the french recently. I first noticed it in a bar in Spalding of all places. Louis Jadot no less! Their bog standard Bourgogne Rouge was clearly labelled Pinot Noir. I was mortified, how could such a well known shipper stoop to such levels and follow New World. What ever happened to people using their brains, and learning about this fine subject. But then I thought, no let's give the on trade the benefit of the doubt, maybe it is just to make life easier for the bar tenders who get constant request from customers along the lines of grape variety rather than a request for their finest red burgundy.

Yesterday I was in an off licence in London and Baron Phillipe de Rothschild had done the same, Oh My God! Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon etc etc. Clearly the world is going mad. Why are the french dumbing down, surely it is up to the New World to up skill their customers and differentiate their products by producer?

Not only am I disappointed at this turn of events but I for one will NOT be buying any french wine that cheapens itself by putting the grape variety on the label. Am I alone and out of touch???

BTW a for a great website that is well informed and really useful the click here.