Antrim Guardian - Features - Around the World with a Glass of Red

Features

Around the World with a Glass of Red

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

The UK wine market has been buoyant in recent years. The popularity of wine as a social drink, combined with the growing market of people who enjoy purchasing mail order wines has meant that the UK population is growing accustomed to different wine tastes and aromas.

Furthermore, thanks to online wine clubs and distributors it is now incredibly easy to buy wines from across the globe; it's never been as easy to experiment.

However, as creatures of habit, when we try a certain wine (whether white or red), we tend stick to this variety in the future. This is something of a closed-minded approach; too many people, too often, are missing some of the outstanding vintages from around the world that are available today.

To show this, take the broad canvas of red wine and let us take a theoretical trip around the globe to highlight just a few of the outstanding choices available for those brave enough to break free from the shackles of what they know, and embrace the vinous unknown!

There is no better place to begin our trip around the globe with a glass of red than Europe. The Bordeaux region of France is synonymous with quality reds and we may be accused of spoiling ourselves with the initial choice of the Z Bordeaux AC France Luc Thienpoint 2008. This blended appellation controlee is a mix of 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 60 per cent Merlot and 10 per cent Petit Verdot to provide 100 per cent pleasure for the drinker.

Heading south, Spain and Italy are renown across Europe for their quality red wines. The wide variety of Spanish Rioja and Italian Chianti available are probably amongst the best known and most enjoyed red wines available today but eschewing such popular drinks, why not try a beautiful and cheap Nova Safra, Pinhal da Torre, Ribatejo from the less well known wine-producing country of Portugal?

This wine is made using traditional methods inland from the capital Lisbon and is based on Portugal's rich and unique indigenous grapes. It is a perfect red for many occasions, light enough to enjoy as a social drink of an afternoon, but with enough flavour and body to accompany any meal or evening social gathering.

From Portugal, we now head due south, to the increasingly popular wine producing region of South Africa. For many South Africa is synonymous with the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and therefore it is perhaps no surprise that Brampton's Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa is our wine of choice.

This Cabernet is not as lean as many others, and the gentle scents of blackcurrants, cherries and spice deliver a warming and pleasant taste to this underrated wine. It is the perfect wine to serve with food, or to enjoy with friends on a warm summers afternoon and evening.

Our journey continues, taking us halfway around the world to Australia and New Zealand to sample two outstanding wines this part of the world has to offer. The first is Omrah Plantagenet Western Australia Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cabernet sums up much of what makes Australia such a formidable wine producing country, a quality blackcurrant and berry flavour which is not to be kept and admired, but opened and enjoyed.

From New Zealand, the Southbank Estate Merlot Hawkes Bay is well worth considering. The favourable location of the vineyard, combined with the estate producing all its own fruit mean that you get to experience this full-bodied, plum tasting wine with a lasting flavour, for an outstanding price.

The final leg of our red wine odyssey sees us head initially to North America and to Oregon to try Pinot Noir - something truly spectacular.

Domaine Drouhin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir comes from the red hills of Oregon and it is no coincidence that these vineyards are located on the same latitude, aspect and climate to the famed vineyards of Burgundy; as a result this wine oozes that same unmistakable class and quality.

South America offers us a wide variety of wines from Argentina but instead, why not try a Errazuriz Max Reserva Chilean Merlot; a vineyard with over 100 years of pioneering winemaking expertise that produces this plummy, redcurrant and raspberry textured vintage that is truly a delight.

With many other countries producing red wine of a high quality, now is not the time to be conservative with your choice of wine, red or white. Open up your palate to the huge variety of different tastes available from around the world and you will seldom be disappointed with your choice.