It’s been a busy old time at YFW and in the Mount household… we’re almost ready for Christmas at YFW, with lots of great ideas, tips, and wine suggestions for parties and the big day, coming your way soon; but we're definitely not ready for Christmas at home!…well the children are! Younger son has downloaded the Xmas countdown app and music and tortures me with it daily (30 days to go now?!), whilst my 8 year old daughter is just formatting her Xmas list and deciding on typefaces that might make her letter stand out when Santa reads it (that girl will go far!); meanwhile their mother is in denial, and still reeling from the shock of hearing that the lovely Sam, in the YFW team, has done 98% of her Xmas shopping… you can go off people!!
To cheer myself up, I’m focussing on what wines I’ll be warming up with this weekend, when I reluctantly settle down to write my Christmas shopping list…
My top choices come from France and South Africa. I've always adored wines from the Rhone Valley in France, and I look no further than Vidal Fleury GSM for a perfect winter red. GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre - the 3 grapes that are blended for this wine. It's just gorgeous - rich, soft, spicy and packed with juicy, ripe blackberry and cherry flavours, with a bit of clove and white pepper spice in there too. It's bold yet soft and juicy and wraps you up in its warmth!
Try it with: winter stews, roast lamb and braised beef.
Try it with: winter stews, roast lamb and braised beef.
If it’s white that you’re looking for, then it’s time to move away from the searingly crisp Summer whites, and go for a white with a bit more fullness; I’ve always been a great fan of South African Chenin blanc, and my current favourite is Groote Post Chenin Blanc; the Chenin blanc grape has amazing fruitiness, and incredible aromas of exotic fruits, peaches and herbs. This one is full of vivacious, juicy, lime-zest and green apple freshness, yet with a lovely, ripe, softness on the palate. It’s incredibly fruity, lively and bursting with flavour.
Try it with: roast pork with apple sauce and mild Thai or Chinese seafood dishes
Try it with: roast pork with apple sauce and mild Thai or Chinese seafood dishes
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