Wine Review - Tim Adams, Claire Valley Riesling, Australia, 2011

This wine is pale gold in colour with a vibrant nose of fresh lime, stone fruits and hints of kerosene. A nice intensity, but not overwhelming.

The palate follows on nicely with the fresh, crisp lime striking through the core of the wine. It is lovely and dry with a refreshing acidity and a light body, typical of Riesling. As well as fresh lime there are flavours of apricot and peach along with the hint of kerosene that was present on the nose. There is a great minerality to this wine that adds complexity. It is well balanced and well structured and is perfect for drinking now.

This wine can be enjoyed on its own but would be perfect with light seafood dishes such as crab salad or oven baked cod. The acidity of the wine would also work very well with smoked salmon.

This wine is available at Tesco for £10.79 a bottle. For me this wine lives up to the price point. It may be a little over a tenner, but for something that is a little different from the norm it delivers on quality. Well worth a try!!

http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/details/default.aspx?id=251706098

LP '04 vs Nyetimber '03 - The Results!

The eagerly anticipated results of Laurent Perrier 2004 vs Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2003 are now in!

First up is the LP '04:

A pale gold colour with an inviting nose of fresh green apple, citrus notes and delicate hints of almond. Wonderfully fresh and aromatic. Light on the palate with the nose following through. Green apple and citrus dominate the palate but hints of toast and almond show through on the finish. It is an extremely elegant Champagne with a fine mousse and a well structured body.

Nyetimber 2003 Blanc de Blancs:

Medium gold on appearance with a nose of toast, brioche and mango. Very full bodied with a good level of acidity. The palate displays warm flavours of brioche, toast and nuts with a citrus core. A lingering finish of hazelnut and dough linger with lemon zest to round this wine off nicely.

Conclusion:

Both wines are very different in style; The LP is light, delicate and elegant, whilst the Nyetimber is a little more brash and bold. The refined nature of the LP '04 is crisp and delicious, but for me the fuller bodied Nyetimber '03 wins through with its rich toasty aromas. The citrus core that shines through makes me want to try the Nyetimber again in 5 years time!!

For me, this shows how far along England has come with its sparkling wine and demonstrates the potential to further improve the style. The richness and body of the Nyetimber could certainly add the elegance and finesse on the LP '04 to its repertoire, but the important thing is that this is a sign of things to come!

Tweet me @roberthaynes88 to share your views and leave comments on the blog. Please get in touch if there is anything you want to hear about.

Christmas Treat (for me at least!!)

Everyone likes to indulge themselves at Christmas. Time is spent with families and friends so people like to treat themselves to good food, good wine and good company.

I am no exception to the indulgence rule and I have lined myself up with a little treat. I have decided to go for two different sparkling wines to celebrate Christmas so I thought I would compare them!!

First up is Laurent Perrier's 2004 vintage Champagne. LP traditionally produces a light, fruit driven non-vintage style, so I thought I would give their vintage wine a road test. I have been lucky enough to sample a few 2004 Champagnes and I have been very impressed across the board with the richness and elegance of the vintage. Let's hope that LP 2004 is no different!!

I have chosen a crafty rival in the form of Nyetimber's 2003 Blanc de Blancs English sparkling wine. This is a sparkling wine made using the traditional (Champagne) method from 100% Chardonnay grapes. The last time I tried this wine I was won over by the wine's full body and toasty character. Many English sparkling wines that I have tried have been a little light and flimsy for my taste but Nyetimber has certainly delivered.

This is a real England vs France and it will be great to compare two different vintage styles and see how they fare against each other. You will have to wait until after Christmas for the results and full tasting notes and you can see which one I declare the winner!!

Tweet your predictions to @roberthaynes88 using #bubblebattle

Salmon Risotto with Martinborough Vineyards Sauvgnon Blanc

My first food and wine combo is Salmon risotto with mushroom and courgettes paired with the Martinborough Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc have become synonymous, which is no bad thing as they do know what they are doing!

Whilst I may not be Sauvignon Blanc's biggest advocate, it does serve its purpose, especially when paired with  dish such as this. Salmon is a flavoursome fish and the mushroom and risotto add a real creaminess to the dish. Sauvignon Blanc is perfect as the high acidity cuts through to the heart of the dish so that the delicate flavours of both the fish and the wine can be enjoyed. 25% of the wine is barrel fermented which adds body and weight to the wine, helping it stand up to the richness of the creamy sauce.

The Martinborough Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc displays the classic gooseberry and elderflower characters along with a refreshing acidity. The partial barrel fermentation adds hints of vanilla and a more rounded mouthfeel.

This is a great example of how food and wine really work well together to compliment aspects from both parties.

Martinborough Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is available from Majestic Wines at £13.99 on multi buy, down from £17.49

A trip down memory lane....

I was looking back through some of my photos and I saw this! Reminded me of my visit to Chateau Hospitalet at Gerard Bertrand's winery near Narbonne in May 2011. This magnum of La Forge Vineyard Corbiers was a superb wine, made even better by the fantastic setting in the south of France!!

Bored of Sauvignon Blanc? Want to try something new?

With the demise of Chardonnay over recent years and the ABC club (Anything But Chardonnay) in full attendance, another grape variety has shot to prominence; Sauvignon Blanc. Traditionally grown in the Loire valley of France where it has found fame in Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, this crafty grape variety has stolen the limelight from the other side of the world.

The first Sauvignon Blanc plantings in New Zealand took place in the 1980's and its astronomical rise to fame spirralled from there. Kiwi Sauvignon is now one of the most popular wines on the market and people just can't seem to get enough of it.

I have begun to wonder whether Sauvignon Blanc will follow 90's Chardonnay and lose popularity through sheer over exposure. I am a big fan of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc certainly has a place due to its light body, crisp acidity and refreshing nature. It is perfect chilled for when you get in from work and need a cold glass of vino. It is a lovely lunchtime summer sipper when you need to quench that thirst. However, there are some super alternatives out there that are currently under the radar, and in my opinion, offer something a little more interesting.

First up is Gruner Veltliner. This is an Austrian grape variety that I have recently discovered. Grown all over Austria it is a great alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. It still has a racing acidity and a core of citrus fruit, but the overtones of peach, melon and a hint of spice make this a tantalisingly refreshing white wine. Light in body and a refreshing acidity means that this wine will pair with similar foods to Sauvignon Blanc, such as summer salads and light seafood dishes. This wine also pairs very well with Chinese cuisine.

Another grape variety to test out is Rousanne. This is a French varietal grown across the Rhône valley and Languedoc regions of France, as well as experimental vineyards in South Africa. It is slightly fuller bodied than Sauvignon Blanc and has a distinct nuttiness as well as stone fruit flavours and a rounded mouthfeel. The wine still has a lovely, crisp acidity, but the added body and depth of flavour make it a great match for light poultry dishes.

Although these grape varieties may not be at the forefront of many retailers, offerings are available from Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Majestic Wines. Next time you reach out for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc just take a brief moment to consider trying something new. You never know what you might discover!

Need help choosing wine? Wotwine? is here to help!

Wotwine? is a fantastic free app (available now on the Apple app store) that will help you choose the perfect wine. Free and easy to use it will enable you to easily choose the perfect wine for any occasion.

The expert tasting panel rate supermarket wines and give them a Wotwine? price that they would be prepared to pay for each wine. As well as checking whether or not the wine is good value they also provide a brief tasting note so that you can make the right decision.

Follow the link to their website to meet the Wotwine? team and to find out more. The app is free and available to download now!www.wotwine.com

Introduction

My name is Rob and I love wine! I am relatively new to the world of vino. I have worked for a major UK wine retailer since March 2010 and I have fallen in love with the topic. I have completed my WSET (Wines and Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 certificate, and I am now studying towards my Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.

Through this blog I hope to share my passion with you guys in the hope that you will discover something new, delve a little deeper and share in my enjoyment of wine!

Upcoming content will include producer profiles, regional tours, great food and wine combos and tasting reviews.

I hope you enjoy my blog and if you have any comments or topics you wish to learn more about then please get in touch.