Festive wine recommendations from Rowena Hawtin #thewinelady

#thewinelady Rowena Hawtin, has an incredible love for wine

Her wine tastings are lively and vibrant and she guarantees that you will leave with more wine knowledge than when you arrived and perhaps a little more passion for this subject.

 

Here she shares four wines to try over Christmas and New Year;

Cremant de Bourgogne NV Cave de Lugny Blanc de Blancs              11.5%  £15.00 Secret Cellar, Tunbridge Wells

Cave de Lugny is the biggest producer of Burgundy Maconnais wine. Lugny is an individual village with an excellent reputation. Cremant is a sparkling wine made outside the Champagne region and is an alternative to Champagne at a fraction of the price.

Blanc de Blanc is 100% Chardonnay and the grapes come from the  Maconnais region –  this is a rich and slightly creamy sparkling wine with notes of citrus and  apple and a fresh, crisp finish.

Food pairings– pate, oysters, seafood or as an aperiti

Rabl Gruner Veltliner Terrassen – Niederosterreich ( Low Austria) Kamptal DAC 2016 12.5% Austria £14.00 – Secret Cellar, Tunbridge Wells

 Gruner Veltliner is the most widely planted variety – Intense and full bodied, an off dry style with high acidity flavours but notes of peach and tropical fruit and spicy peppery notes.

Food pairings – duck and goose for Christmas – but also spicy food such as Thai

Valpolicella Ripasso Le Tobele DOC Veneto 2015 13.5% £14.00  Secret Cellar, Tunbridge Wells

 Valpolicella is North West of Verona – The grape is Corvina which is native to this region

Appearance -Deep garnet colour – medium tannin

Ripasso uses skins of the Amarone grapes and adds them to Valpolicella wine which is already fermented which adds richness, colour and of course more tannin for structure. The  wine  has a medium to full body with flavours of black cherries with hints of raisins and chocolate

Food pairing – Turkey, duck and lamb

Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2015 £11.99– 11% Majestic

From Hungary – made from Furmint – late harvest which means that the grapes are left on the vine to dry which concentrates the sugars. Aromas of Peach and Apricot and flavours of Honey and orange peel.  Food pairings – Fruit desserts go really well but also will go with Christmas pudding. Serve lightly chilled to bring out those fresh fruit flavours.

 

If you want to learn more about wine why not book on to one of Rowena’s wine tasting events here  http://discoverthevine.co.uk/courses

Or contact Rowena to arrange your own wine tasting event  rowenahawtin@discoverthevine.co.uk

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year

Cheers!