Italy

Zabù Nero d’Avola 2021

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Tasting notes by Alan Crowley MW

Ideal to match the warmth of Christmas, this Zabù

Nero d’Avola, also from Sicily, is made from one of the most important indigenous red wine grapes in Sicily and indeed in all Italy. Named after the small town of Avola in south east Sicily where the vines thrive in the region’s hot and relatively dry climate producing a warm, full-bodied wine full of sweet plum and spicy flavours. This style of wine could be classified as being “friendly” as not only is it attractively quaffable but it has sufficient body and fruity flavour to go with all the rich food that the Christmas season brings. It goes well with both classic roast turkey with all the delicious trimmings to a traditional St Stephen’s Day plate of cold turkey, ham and stuffing.

https://cellaro.it/

Delicious Lumà Grillo 2022

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Tasting notes by Alan Crowley MW

The festive season calls for a crisp fruity white wine, one that is not only refreshing but has a depth of flavour to go with the richer food of Christmas.

This Lumà Grillo is a big flavoursome, citrus tinged wine from Sicily, a region which is quite the wine hot spot at the moment. Made from the unusual grape varietal, Grillo, this wine has a refreshingly round, juicy lemony style with layers of melons, tangy grapefruits and even creamy sweet lychees. This wine is ideal for festive gatherings and as a delicious complement to smoked salmon or the Christmas ham.

https://cellaro.it/ Wines with Soul

Principessa Gavia, Banfi, Gavi, 2017, Cortese (Cortese di Gavi) 100%, LobStar

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John and I enjoyed this smart, light Gavi with a tang of apples from Castelli Banfi in Piedmont which went well with the Lobster.

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Tommasi Valpolicella Ripasso 2014

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This was a Christmas Corporate Gift selected by Alan Crowley.

His tasting notes:

A Ripasso wine is made using normally harvested grapes. When the wine has finished fermenting, the skins of the dried grapes used to make Amarone are added to the wine and it undergoes another fermentation. This method of “refermenting” the wine gives rise to the Italian term of Ripasso, meaning “repassed over”. The wine then undergoes 12 months maturation in large old oak casks. This results in a delicious balance of the juiciness of fully ripened red grapes but with a depth of complexity and fullness. Bearing in mind the festive season, the classic Christmas dinner which is full of meaty flavours of roast turkey along with the tangy bitterness of sprouts, the sweetness of cranberry sauce and rich gravy is well partnered by the big full juicy spicy style of the Tommasi Ripasso. With the warmth, depth and complexity of fruit, spice, liquorice and rich plum flavours another way to enjoy this wine might be in quiet contemplation at the end of the day, perhaps relaxing in front of the fire.

​Les Mougiuels, Picpoul de Pinet / Torre del Falasco Valpolicella Ripasso

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John, David and I had a first visit for food to Fern & Co post-Golf (congratulations Dave!). The layout is the same as the previous Wild Boar entity with the Decor ‘Mahoganied’ up in the Bar and Restaurant. Fern have recently changed the menu and made the pricing more accessible. Not a bad meal.
Les Mouginels, Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc 2015

The white: very light, floral
– acceptable but lacking any depth though washed down my tasty Asparagus and Broad Beans, followed by the Sea Bass.

Torre del Falasco Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, Cantina Valpantena, 2014

Cherries & Chocolate with a spicy sweet finish. A competent yet expensive Ripasso @ €38 from Cantina Valpantena in the Veneto.

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