Author: Nick Gough Category: Lifestyle, Food & Drink
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The big challenge for wine drinkers is that wine is so diverse

For some of us, that is the reason we get so involved; enjoying all the different styles, happy to spend our hard earned money on top quality wines from the best producers and regions around the world.  However, I’ve seen far too many surveys that tell us that the many wine drinkers are not often sure the source of the wine that they are drinking and wouldn’t know very much about it even if they did.  So where do we start and how do we choose wines that we can happily pull out of the fridge when friends call in?

Whenever I am tasting wine with people, it is immediately obvious that they like a certain style of wine and tend to stick to it.  We are creatures of habit and choose the wines we know and like time and time again.  It may be a favourite brand, but it is most likely to be a favourite grape variety.  It is the grape variety that dictates the style of a wine.  What the winemaker does with his grapes is also a contributing factor (Californian Blush style White Zinfandel is made from a red grape that is also made into a full robust red wine), but we know that Sauvignon Blanc is going to be crisp and citrusy and Merlot will more often than not be smooth and round.

So it was no big surprise when the clever marketing people at my previous employer came up with a cunning plan…”We’ll introduce a range of wines that are varietally labelled.  We’ll send our wine makers around the world to source the very best wine made from the most popular grapes at the right price.  We’ll need to make bottles look attractive and easy to choose, with a clear indication of what the wines taste like.  Oh – and a name… after the winemakers – Oliver and Greg.”  And that’s what happened.

The resulting selection was spectacularly successful and became hugely popular in bars and restaurants.  Great glugging wines with enough punch to be drunk with food.

And now they are available for you to buy – at some pretty astonishing prices. Visit Drinks21 and you can choose from:

Chenin Blanc – Mouthwatering, fresh and lively
Chardonnay  – Rich, creamy and smooth
Zinfandel Rose – Exciting, juicy and refreshing
Merlot – Voluptuous, soft and lingering
Shiraz – Evocative, sumptuous and big
Cabernet Sauvignon – Indulgent, delicious and warm

Their descriptions – not mine, but I think you get the idea!

 

Nick Gough joins Fighting Fifty as our regular wine contributor.