Choosing a wine when you are in the supermarket or in a restaurant or bar can be daunting. Where do you start? Should you stick to what you know or be brave and experiment?
I asked Alan Holmes, chef sommelier at Chewton Glen, the renowned country house hotel in Hampshire, for some guidelines.
“Don’t buy the cheapest wine,” says Alan. “Trading up a couple of pounds to around £8 per bottle means you will buy a much better quality of wine.” He also suggests checking out wines on offer in places such as Waitrose and Tesco where wines have been on sale at higher prices. “These can offer some of the best value for money,” he adds. “Ask the wine manager for advice. They are usually very knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction.”
When choosing wine in a restaurant, Alan says: “Don’t pick the cheapest one on the menu as it can often have the highest mark-up. Discuss with the wine waiter what wines you like and what you don’t like.”
Wine is personal. If you found a French sauvignon blanc too dry tell them, or a Australian merlot too heavy, say so. If you are not sure about grape types say what flavours you like. For example, strawberry flavours are often associated with pinot noir grapes, while blackcurrants and tannins are usually the characteristics of a cabernet sauvignon. If you like zesty whites you may want to try a riesling or sauvignon blanc from the New World.
“The same wine may taste different dependent on where the grapes are grown,” says Alan. “Sauvignon blanc from cooler climates such as the Loire Valley will be lighter than a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand as grapes grown in warmer climates have more sugar and the wines tend to be fruitier and have more alcohol.”
What wines to watch out for? Alan says wines from places such as Romania and Bulgaria can be good value. Chenin blancs from South Africa, sauvignon blancs and cabernet sauvignon from Chile and Grüner Veltliner from Austria are some of the most popular ones right now.
By Daralyn Danns
By Daralyn Danns
