JANE MacQUITTY has made up her mind and Riesling can breathe a sigh of relief. For the perfect summer drink, Chardonnay might be a bit too Dolly Parton' and Sauvignon Blanc doesn't suit everyone, but Riesling perfectly echoes the season's produce'.
Many people have been put off Germany's star variety over the years, says MacQuitty, due to the cloying, ersatz wines that washed up here in the Sixties and Seventies', so it's still possible to find a number of bargains.
Newcomers should start with 2004 Bird Label Riesling, Lingenfelder (6.19; Oddbins), or for German sceptics, she suggests 2005 Private Bin Villa Maria, Marlborough Riesling (6.99; Waitrose, Majestic).
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'When I started writing about wine 30 years ago, there was one wine that truly enjoyed iconic status: Hermitage La Chapelle 1961,' says Jancis Robinson MW. As readers of Harpers will know, the producer of La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet An in the northern Rhne, was sold to Swiss financier Jean-Jacques Frey last week. 'This is great news for wine enthusiasts because Frey has an excellent track record of upgrading properties such as the classed-growth Chteau La Lagune in the Haut-Mdoc.'
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South African wines have never really been JONATHAN RAY's thing - I've usually found that the reds taste of burnt rubber and the whites of acid drops.'
A visit to Stellenbosch, however, prompts a change of view and Chenin Blanc is the first grape to make an impression. I'm on my second glass of 2005 Raats Wooded Chenin Blanc and I'm loving every drop.'
A Pinotage dinner is next on the itinerary and Ray is unenthused about the prospect of spending the evening with his least favourite of all red grapes'. But he's pleasantly surprised once again, saying: I am completely won over. Pinotage is South Africa's USP.'
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GILES KIME plays sommelier and suggests trying a bottle of 2004 Tesco Finest Muscadet (4.99) with avodaco and tomato mayonnaise or a touch of 2004 Errazuriz Merlot (5.99; Tesco) with Chilean steak served with pimientos and green olives.
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Perhaps Big Phil' Scolari could have been persuaded to take on the role of England football manager had he been plied with the right drinks, says ANDREW NEATHER. Some worthy Portuguese tipples could have included 2003 Dom Rafael Tinto Alentejo (7.95; Berry Brothers & Rudd) and 2005 Quinta das Setencostas, Alenquer (6.99; Oddbins).
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Screwcaps are in favour with JOANNA SIMON this week: The jury's still out on screwcaps for long-term cellaring, but for everyday wines, I'd always choose them. She recommends trying the chocolate and tobacco' 2003 De Bortoli Vat 4 Petit Verdot (5.99; Oddbins); the full, ripe' 2004 Capel Vale Mountain Duck Shiraz Merlot (7.99, or 5.33 if you buy three for two; Wine Rack, selected Thresher); and the brilliant Kiwi' 2005 Blind River Sauvignon (9.99; Oddbins).
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Matthew Jukes recommends dinner-party wines from independent wine merchants around the country. Selections include 2004 Ribolla Gialla, Sirch, IGT delle Venezie, Italy (8.20, Tanners of Shrewsbury), 2004 Mcon-Villages, Mise Tardive, Verget, Burgundy (8.95, Lay & Wheeler of Suffolk), 2004 Serpaiolo Rosso, Serpaia, Maremma, Tuscany (7.99, Adnams); 1990 Montlouis Grains Nobles, Domaine des Liards, Loire (25, Yapp Brothers of Mere); 2004 Chteau Roubaud, Tradition, Costires de Nmes (6.25, Yapp Brothers); Wine of the Week is 1998 Chanoine Champagne, Blanc de Blancs (down 15 to 14.99 until Valentine's Day, Tesco).
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It's a time of year when I find myself irresistibly led towards a single, cool glass of Sancerre ros,' says VICTORIA MOORE. One of the chief joys of this particular type of pink is its paleness, she continues. Why are so many of the ross you find in this country a deep, ripe-raspberry near-red?' The Sancerre stamp on the label means the cheapest of these wines are around a tenner but Moore thinks they're worth it. Try 2005 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre Ros (11.75; Lea & Sandeman). Moore's question from a reader this week is: What wine do you use to cook with? Will just anything do?' She replies that this is certainly not the case saying: After all, you wouldn't make spaghetti carbonara with artisan pasta, free-range eggs and Tesco Value bacon would you?' Her advice would be to use wines such as the simple, lemony Mcon Villages Cave de Prisse (4.99; Waitrose) or the highly respectable' 2004 Bourgogne Chardonnay (6.99; Marks & Spencer).
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MATTHEW JUKES presents a few seriously good' Italians this week such as the hypnotic, tropical' 2004 Litorale Vermentino, Cecchi Maremma, Tuscany (7.99; Waitrose), 2005 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Coste del Molino, Marche (5.99 or 4.79 if you buy two; Majestic), which is bursting with crisp, floral and citrus notes', and 2004 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Umani Ronchi, Marche (3.66 to 4.49; Waitrose, Wine Rack) - This is a cracker. If you are looking for a bargain red to serve with a monster pasta or pizza meal, then this is it.' This week's Wow is 2005 Moscato d'Asti, Saracco, Piedmont (8.49, or 6.79 for two; Majestic), which Jukes describes as one of the most exciting moscatos I have ever tasted'.
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RICHARD EHRILICH searches for some products with a real USP and finds a smoothie made with fresh fruit instead of fruit pure, called I Am Fresh (1.95 for 250ml; selected Waitrose) and an exceptionally good' single-estate coffee: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Highlands Coffee (2.89 for 227g; Sainsbury's).
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Every January, six independent wine merchants, together called The Bunch, gather for a joint tasting. Their original aim was to highlight 'wines that they have and supermarkets don't'. But it takes a real effort to beat the supermarkets, reports JANE MacQUITTY. She discovers that, while 'weird wines are not always wonderful', The Bunch does have a few real stars, such as the 'sensational, scented, raspberry-stacked' 2004 Vin de Pays Catalan Carignan, Ferrer-Ribire (8.75; Adnams, Tanners).
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There's no theme from MATTHEW JUKES this week, only a mission to pick out the best wines he's tasted in the past seven days: A motley crew, but every one is a first-class drop.' This week's Wow is 2005 Blind River Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (9.99; Oddbins), which Jukes describes as nothing short of extraordinary'.
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According to JAMIE GOODE, there's only one type of wine that should be ordered with shellfish: crisp, dry whites'. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio ought to do the trick, he says, before suggesting a few examples to try. First on his list is 2004 Paul Mas Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d'Oc (4.99; Waitrose, Asda).
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Robert Parker's influence could well be on the wane, says ANTHONY ROSE, after a read of Elin McCoy's book Emperor of Wine (20; Grub Street). In McCoy's opinion, wine drinkers are turning to the Internet for more information, and the younger generation have never been enthused about aging gurus'. Rose doesn't let on exactly how much he agrees with McCoy, but he concludes that Parker might take comfort from his contribution towards helping wine drinkers make up their own minds.' His recommendation for weekend wine under a tenner is 2004 Fiano d'Avellino, Feudi di San Gregorio (9.99; Waitrose).
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California does things differently,' says JANE MacQUITTY and she's not very impressed. California has become complacent about the needs of the British palate, most likely because sales of the cheap, sweet, bottom-end Golden State wines are growing like topsy here.' The good news, however, is that a bumper 2005 harvest looks set to create a wine glut similar to those of the early Noughties', she continues, which should see the appearance of a few bargains in the UK. MacQuitty's favourites from California include 2002 Ironstone Cabernet Franc (6.99; Somerfield and Waitrose) and 2004 Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon (6.99; Waitrose, Co-op).
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TIM ATKIN MW meets Peter Sisseck and asks if it was really such a bad thing that 'a sizeable chunk' of his first vintage (1995) of Dominio de Pingus ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic. Sisseck confides that it was a pretty bad day but admits: 'Obviously, I'd prefer it if the boat hadn't sunk, but the loss of that wine had a crazy impact on the price in the United States. People were desperate to get hold of it.' And it would seem that this hasn't changed, which prompts Atkin to ask, 'Is Pingus worth the 2,500-a-case price tag it commands today?' Maybe, maybe not - 'but it's still a fantastic red that tastes as good in bottle as it does straight from the barrel'. He recommends 2003 Flor de Pingus (32.85; Corney & Barrow).
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Summer's coming, the World Cup is almost upon us and according to JONATHAN RAY, there has been no better time to set off on a bargain-hunting booze cruise to Calais. The Ray family head off to France to see what's what and the final verdict is a good one: We've had a great day, stocked up both larder and cellar (making considerable savings) and enjoyed the fleeting experience of being abroad.' The main focus of the outing was Champagne and highlights included Marie Stuart Brut Champagne (14.50/10.15; Carrefour) and Franois Heucq Brut Rserve Champagne (16/11.19; Le Bar a Vins).
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JANCIS ROBINSON MW goes to Germany for the evening to attend a Wine Rarity Dinner at the 2006 Rheingau Gourmet and Wine Festival and she discovers two wines fit to
blow apart all preconceptions about German wines: 1897 Steinberger Riesling trocken Cabinet proves that great German Riesling doesn't have to be sweet, and 1947 Assmannshuser Hllenberg Sptburgunder trocken Cabinet proves that Germany can also produce some excellent reds. Robinson concludes: It is surely significant that the two great German wines described above so eloquently vindicate the trend in modern Germany to produce dry wines from the country's greatest red and white grapes.'
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On a trip to Tulbagh Mountain Vineyard, South Africa, TIM ATKIN MW discovers that he's not the only fan of the country's grapes. The animals at this winery like the taste of grapes and are prepared to do anything to get at them.' Half the 2005 crop was stolen by baboons and Atkin, for one, is not happy about this state of affairs, saying it's one of the most exciting new wineries I've come across in the past decade'. He singles out 2004 TMV Viktoria (11.49; Richards Walford) as one of his two favourites from the range. He also comes across a producer who makes one of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the southern hemisphere': Wynand Hamman at Fryer's Cove. The 2004 vintage is available (9.68) from Anthony Byrne Fine Wines.
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ANTHONY ROSE sweet talks his readers this week, saying forget Liebfraumilch and Lambrusco, 'the fine sweet wines that end a meal beautifully are among the great wonders of the wine world'. If price is a problem, Rose lets slip that 'Australia cunningly replicates the Sauternes experience at a fraction of the price in wines such as the 2002 Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley Botrytis Semillon (5.99-6.99, half-bottle; Booths, Oddbins and Jeroboams). Sweet Riesling from Germany is a classic style, Rose continues, but 'no pantheon of sweet wines would be complete without Tokaji', and one of the best of the best is 1999 Royal Tokaji Tokaji Asz 5 Puttonyos (8.99; Waitrose).
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