World of Wine
Welcome to Meibs Wine page. I love good wine, and spend half my holidays travelling round shops hunting for good wine. I have become a lover of Spanish wine over the last few years (no prizes for guessing why!) but still love new world wines, and good old fashioned Italians.
Here I list some of my favourite wines and try to tell you a little about them.
Diamante Rioja
A fantastic white rioja, that is available in many supermarkets in Spain. It is slightly sweeter than some rioja's and a little less in your face. but absolutely gorgeous when ice cold.
Torres Fransola
Fresh crisp and dry with a subtle citrus and nettle nose. Lots of zippy acidity. Bright mid straw wine. Torres blends a little Parellada with the Sauvignon Blanc giving a smooth fruity wine. A short time in new American oak gives an extra degree of complexity. Enjoy this white Spaniard now. Perfect with Fish.
OGIO Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio, although originally from France is now grown all over the world but its famous homeland is Italy. The Italian version is typically dry and light with mineral elements. This Pinot Grigio was created in the Veneto with the temperate influence of the Adriatic Sea. It pairs well with light dishes with creamy sauces such as chicken in a white wine sauce and holds it's own with richer flavours. This one is available from tesco and is fantastic.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
An important Italian red grape variety extensively grown in Central and Eastern Italy. Confusingly it has no connection with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, nor the Sangiovese based Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is produced there. It produces a light to medium bodied fruit driven wines, often low in tannins and acidity and which are usually best drunk young. It's raw, but a good one can be excellent, try and buy a bottle for about £8.00 or more in a supermarket.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone della Valpolicella is a much acclaimed wine still made by traditional methods using grapes dried on wooden mats. Its full bodied concentrated character makes it an ideal accompaniment for richly flavoured dishes. The grapes are gained from vineyards situated in the heart of the Valpolicella area in the Veneto region.
Paternina gran Reserva 1994
The paternina bodegas produces lots of run of the mill wines, such as banda azul. But they do a yellow labelled Gran reserva, and the 1991 and 1994, are fantastic! They aren't cheap, but if you can find it, it is fantastic.
The grape is the Tempranillo, Spain's most prestigious native red grape. The wine, made from grapes grown in the central part of the Rioja Region.
Penfolds Bin 28
Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz is one of the top Shiraz wines from Penfolds, Australia’s largest wine company. Kalimna is an area on the western side of the Barossa Valley, and source of most of the grapes used for this wine. The vines are old and gnarled, producing small yields of grapes of fantastic intensity of flavour. The wine is made by John Duval, who also makes the costly Grange. It was aged in American oak barrels.
As and when I discover another gem, I will post it here on my webpage. So check back regularly.
