FOOD
its Which? recommendation. we found this one very sharp and acidic. a pungency unmatched by flavour. I Bulgarian Country Wine, Pavlikeni region, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot £2.45, Haddows Off-Sales. A really attractive, multi-dimensional smell, warm and fruity. To the tongue it is rounded, full ofcharacter and pleasantly woody — damp bark. Really drinkable.
I Classic Romanian Pinot Noir. 1986 £2.89, The Ubiquitous Chip, Peter Green, Victoria Wine. Strong intoxicating aroma promises great things, and this wine delivers — here there was unanimous eulogy: fat, rich, hot, full. sweeter. more opulent, well-balanced. more substantial, parsnip, hazelnut and a bit of fruit. Basically the bottle was empty in the twinkling of a glazed eye.
I COteaux du Tricastin Appellation Contrdlee, 1989, Paul Boutinot £2.59, Augustus Barnett. Wine magazine award winner, this had all the spiciness and interest that one would hope for from a Rhéne-style wine. With its peppery nose and piquant. flavoursome character. it stood out from the crowd.
I Don Darlas Vino de Mesa, Bodegas Vitorinas Spain. £2.49, Safeways. Another Wine winner. ‘Coffee. black pepper and spicey oak.‘ they say, but I swear it has the unequivocal fragrance of blackberries and a pleasing kir flavour. It is light but satisfying, if not particularly ‘vinous‘ or full.
I Castillo de Alhambra, 1989, La Mancha Spain. £2.69, Sainsbury‘s, Oddbins. A former Sunday Telegraph Wine of the Year, this one is perfectly drinkable. if a little bland. Snub-nosed I would call it — I could smell none of the celebrated pear drops, only detect a slightly artificial taste.
. I Cantina Settesoli Russo, 1987 Sicily. £2.79, Valvona and Crolla, Marks and Spencer. Despite a rather off-putting initial whiff of ammonia, this becomes a tasty. characterful wine, particularly enjoyable with food.
I Campo dei Fiori Cabernet Sauvignon, 1988, Maipo Chile. £2.99, Oddbins.
That an Oddbins branch manager was prepared to recommend this above all others is indicative of Chile’s ascendancy. This wine has a rich bouquet — hints of blackcurrants, citrus. cigar box. It is mellow and full-bodied. A very acceptable red wine. (Pomposity will out!)
I Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon, 1986, Plovdiv region £2.89, Peter Dominic, Safeway. Really feels like a higher quality wine: smooth, rounded and tasty— autumnal fruit and tobacco. Slightly tannic.
I Oriachovitza Reserve Cabernet Sauvlgnon,1984 £2.99, Peter Green. Very much the senior member of this selection, the relative maturity of this wine is evident in a bouquet of blackcurrant that deepens to rich
mellow. soaked oak wine. It has none of the tartness ofsome of the younger ones. but it is certainly not bland. A kick that leaves you warm and longing for more.
The Judges Lurch and Take Their Bow
Whilst it would have been satisfying to have unearthed some as yet unappreciated gem of a red. there is no denying the consistent quality of the Bulgarian products. Douglas RomerofiPeter Green is categorical: the B arians win hands down. You will not find anything from Bordeaux to rival these for less than £4.50 — and don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. He shares our enthusiasm for the Romanian Pinot Noir— the legendary Burgundy grape is not often accessible to the £2.99 big spenders — but hesitates to recommend it simply to avoid disappointment. Cases are snapped up as soon as they arrive, and he can never be sure of more. Let‘s hope as Romania continues to find her feet. Western enthusiasm will encourage her to exploit this area of evident potential.
Le Beauiolais nouveau est arrive — presque!
Are you thrilled at the prospect, or is this a young French maiden whose indescriminate exploitation of a once celebrated charm has given cause for scepticism? If you are prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt, she will be flaunted all over from 15 November, and should be very tasty. This summer‘s sunshine was a winegrower‘s dream. Expect to pay at least £3.50 a time.
Wine Tastings
I John Smith and Son Bookshop. 54 St Vincent Street, is having a wine tasting on Wednesday 14 November at 7pm. Tickets, £2 each. are available from the shop.
Oddbins is preparing to pounce on a change in the law. It has been illegal in Scotland to hold any kind of in-store tasting, so. up until now. public wine tastings have been formal affairs hosted by merchants in hired hotel suites and so on. Within a month or so Oddbins expect to be giving regular tastings in their various premises, some deferring to a particular theme, but others along the lines oftwo-bottles-open-on- the-counter. In English branches, customers have long been able to widen their horizons in this spontaneous and painless way.
Courses
I Glasgow College 01 Food Technology (041552 3751) runs a ten-week leisure course entitled Appreciating Wine. Learn how wine is made and classified, what ranges are on offer, how to understand labels and how to
serve and store wine. It also involves ‘
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regular practical tastings. The course starts in January (enrol on the 7. 8 or 9 between 5.30pm and 8pm), it costs
£21.30. and takes place on Monday evenings between 6pm and 8pm. I Teltord College in Edinburgh runs a
E Andrew .lcl‘l'ortl ( E l 0.95. I Ioddcr
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similar Wine Appreciation Course. i
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and Stoughtonl Comprising a ‘sL‘l‘lL‘S of feature pieces. and sun eys of tht major wine producing regions and the state of their Pl! iducts and iii stockists in this country.
I The Sunday Telegraph 1991 Good Wine Guide Rolict‘i .lnsepli (£6.90, Pan) This closely packed ielt-rcncc book compresses into its pocket format tasting notes on 500 selected and clearly categorised wines. instructions as to where to buy them a surveyol‘ontlets. an ,\- [OIWIIIC terms and lots more useful information.
though here it is very much a matter oflearning through practical experience. A series of ten wine tasting sessions take place one evening a week and will cost you £65. The course kicks off in January. Contact Derek Hathaway. ‘Edinburgh‘s wine buff‘, on 031 332 2491, for further details.
Books I 1991 Which? Wine Guide edited by
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