Motoring & LeisurePaula's Wines of the WeekPaula's Wines of the Week, 1st-7th September 2008 Paula's Wines of the Week, 1st-7th September 2008
01/09/2008
As the last of the summer warmth fades, here are my recommendations this week. Matching wine to a baby leaf and herb salad, whose only coating is sea salt and black pepper, is easy - almost any white or light red wine will go. But finding a wine for a salad dressed in oil and vinegar is a little more difficult.
Malt vinegar mixed with oil produces tangy vinaigrette, but its acidity can mask the delicate flavours of both salad and wine. Try lowering the amount of vinegar or replace the malt vinegar entirely: red or white wine vinegars taste fruity and match the robust taste of cos lettuce and peppery rocket leaves. A less acidic dressing can be made with olive oil and lemon juice. Serve with light red wines, like Beaujolais, or whites from New Zealand or Sancerre in the Loire Valley.
Trying to find the perfect match for your salad dressing can still prove complicated, so an alternative strategy is to match your salad’s native home with a wine from the same country. Italian Insalata Tricolore (the three colours being green avocado, white buffalo mozzarella and red tomatoes) matches light red Italian wines like Valpolicella while Salade Niçoise, which literally means ‘salad as prepared in Nice’, matches light southern French wines.
No wines at £3.99
and under proved worthy of recommendation this week, but I have found six other wines priced at £4 and over for you to try.
£5.99 and under
There are a few fruity, slurpable wines among the forgettable masses.
Palatium Pinot Blanc 2007, £4.49 Tesco www.tesco.com/grocery (down from £5.99 until September 9th).
A very refreshing white wine with quaffable lemon and apple flavours and it'll match almost any salad you care to match with it. This well-made Qualitätswein will surely help update the image of German wines – I encourage anyone whose last taste of German wine was an overly sweet Liebfraumilch to give this one a go.
Periquita Portuguese White 2007, £4.99 Waitrose www.waitrosedeliver.com.
This blend of indigenous Portuguese white grape varieties is a real bargain at five pounds. Fresh lemon and lime aromas with a hint of peach complement the pear and apple flavours. Again some peachiness pops up in the taste and adds just enough sweetness to stop this wine becoming overly astringent. An excellent match to salads and fish dishes.
Osborne Solaz Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon, £5.12 Asda www.asda.com.
A light fruity Spanish red that tastes of plums, sloes and blackberries. Drink with salads that contain cheese or try it with the last of the new potatoes from your garden.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2007, £5.61 Sainsbury's www.sainsburys.com/groceries.(down from £7.49 until September 16th)
Gooseberry juice flavours with a bit of lemon, lime and melon thrown in – your typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Good value at under six pounds and it'll go with those salads dressed in vinaigrette.
Costs a bit more, but tastes great
Sometimes a bottle of wine tastes so fab it's still a bargain whatever it costs.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Italian Gavi 2007, £6.99 Sainsbury's www.sainsburys.com/groceries.
Another salad-friendly wine from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range tasting of pear, apples and melon with a creamy edge. Nicely balanced and nicely drinkable.
Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2003, £8.99 Tesco www.tesco.com/grocery/, Sainsbury's www.sainsburys.com/groceries, Asda www.asda.com, Oddbins www.oddbins.com, Threshers www.threshergroup.com.
Riojan reds typically taste of black cherries and chocolate and this example is no exception. A smooth and well-balanced wine that deserves its price tag. Try drinking with tapas-style light bites or any salad heavy on the olives.
If you want to tell Paula about a bargain bottle spotted at the supermarket or off-licence then contact her via jayne.warren@maturetimes.co.uk or directly through her website link below.