18th January 2022 – Lidl Italian Wine Tour starts January 20th
Lidl’s new Wine Tour starts this Thursday 20th January in-store with 28 wines from Italy. These quarterly events are designed to expand their everyday wine range with specials that are available in smaller quantities, so to quote Lidl “when it’s gone… it’s gone”.
With just 12 red wines, 11 whites, 2 rosés and 3 sparkling wines the choice is restricted to interesting examples of their style and grape type. Try the Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2019 (£7.99), a red wine made from re-using (ripasso) the semi-dried grape skins from another wine called Amarone mixed in with the usual freshly pressed grapes which adds extra depth and flavour to the final result – you get a lot for your money. The ripasso method is also used in the Duca di Sasseta Puglia Primitivo Leggermente Appassite – a richly flavoured red at £6.99.
The use of semi-dried grapes (passito) is a method which pops up all over Italian winemaking and the latest Lidl Wine Tour has several of them – there’s the Duca di Castelmonte Passito di Pantelleria (£14.99 white dessert wine) and the Nicodemo Vin Santo del Chianti (£12.99 rosé dessert wine).
White wine lovers will love the Corte Aurelio Vermentino 2020 made with the increasingly fashionable Vermentino grape variety. The result tastes similar to Sauvignon Blanc with its refreshing fruity flavours. Which is a bonus as if you’re a Sauvignon Blanc fan who likes the New Zealand stuff then you’ll be having a hard time this year as stocks are way, way on down. So buy this value alternative at just £5.99.
And don’t forget the three new sparkling wines. There’s a Prosecco of course (organic Prosecco Spumante Vino Biologico Extra Dry, £7.49), Ribolla Gialla Vino Spumante Brut (£6.49) named after its grape variety which can also be used to make still white wines (M&S has one in their Found range at £7) and the lightly sparkling aromatic Malvasia Frizzante Seco at £6.99.
Wines recommended by www.wineuncorked.co.uk
Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2019
£7.99
Red wine made from re-using (ripasso) the semi-dried grape skins (passito) from another wine called Amarone mixed in with the usual freshly pressed grapes which adds extra depth and flavour to the final result. So you get a lot for your money.
Duca di Castelmonte Passito di Pantelleria
£14.99
A sweet dessert wine made with semi-dried grapes (passito) – which is a method which pops up all over Italian winemaking (see the Valpolicella above). The result is flavours of Seville orange and honey. Which is similar in style to a French Sauternes at double the price.
Corte Aurelio Vermentino 2020
£5.99
A white wine made with the increasingly fashionable Vermentino grape variety. The result tastes similar to Sauvignon Blanc with its refreshing fruity flavours.
Prosecco Spumante Vino Biologico Extra Dry
£7.49
Organic Prosecco with pear flavours and a light fizz.
Ribolla Gialla Vino Spumante Brut
£6.49
At a pound cheaper than the Prosecco, this southern Italian fizz has similar fruity flavours and comes in the same type of barrel-shaped sparkling wine bottle so no-one will know the difference except you.
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© Paula Goddard 2022 www.wineuncorked.co.uk
