Sweet Poison
February 5th, 2004
It is my pleasure to announce the arrival of Stefan’s wine column, Sweet Poison.
Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape
Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine. - Milton
Stefan distills reviews from many publications, and then serves us his meta-verdict on their recommended wines.
I’m heading down M&S pour un bouteille ou deux as soon as I can, and I hope some of you will be doing likewise once you’ve taken a sip of Sweet Poison>...
Apparently, our spending on wine has risen about 35 per cent over the past five years as we adopt a more “continental” lifestyle. Unfortunately, this new-found sophistication doesn’t appear to have carried over to our wine-buying habits. Generally, people:
- Buy the cheapest, nastiest wine they can find – how silly – do please remember you’re going to be putting this stuff in your mouth;
- Buy a “brand-name” wine (Jacob’s Creek anyone? Blossom Hill? Banrock Station?). It’s a bit like buying a Sony hi-fi – “you can’t go wrong” (oh yes you can); or
- You buy the most expensive wine you can(not) afford on the basis that it’s “reassuringly expensive” – believe me, there’s nothing reassuring about expense.
You don’t need to make these mistakes – just remember a few simple rules:
- Cheap is bad. Bargains are good. The average price of a bottle of wine is £5.60. A fiver will buy a good bottle… Heck, £3.29 (see below) can buy a good bottle!
- Jacob’s Creek is a brand name that we trust because it is familiar. The company’s wines are very tasty but do you want to drink the same wine forever? Wouldn’t you prefer to experience a taste sensation on a regular basis? I know I would. From now on think of Jacob’s Creek as the missionary position of wine and remember that variety is the spice of life (and not just in the bedroom).
- Stella Artois is “reassuringly expensive” and it gives me a headache.
Here are three pleasurable plonks worth trying:
L’If Grenache Blanc 2002 (Safeway – £4.99)
It’s hard to underestimate the “joys” of shopping in Safeway on St James’s Street, Brighton. But, provided you don’t feel too self-conscious smuggling your shopping through the blockade of Big Issue sales people, there are some delightful (and cheap) bottles hiding at the back of the store next to the cider, which seems to be very popular.
This blend of 95% grenache blanc and 5% muscat is a clean and fresh, apple-edged white with an underlying peachy warmth that makes it a perfect drinking wine for these cold, winter nights. I had a glass (or two) to accompany a meal of trout in marmalade sauce and it was a good match for this and, one would assume, other fish dishes.
Vier Jahreszeiten Pinot Gris 2002 (Marks & Spencer – £4.99)
I love Italian Pinot Grigio but this German example (Pinot Gris) from the Pfalz, or Palatinate, region is, for my £4.99, a better example of how this white wine should be made. Like the Grenache Blanc, above, it has lots of ripe peaches behind the citrus acidity.
And you can buy one of their tasty ready meals while you’re at it. I’d recommend a light poultry dish with a crisp salad.
Vina Ulmo Sauvignon Blanc 2003 (Marks & Spencer – £3.29)
One thing you should know about me from the beginning. Like Robot Person I am from God’s Own Country (Yorkshire) and that means I don’t like spending money without good reason. This Chilean white is a good enough reason for me and is a far classier Sauvignon Blanc than the price would suggest. Buy two bottles at the same time.
Next time: Three good, cheap reds in the run-up to February 14.