Bridal Wine

Well, it has the same name as my vocaloid 'bride' – Mayu. As it happens, Mayu is the Mayan word for the Milky Way galaxy, but in this instance it's in a bottle from Chile...

It's all right, but not quite to my personal taste. There's a slight hint of the Lambrusco about it – not too intrusive, but it does detract from it, I find. It goes all right with strong flavours (I had peppercorn sauce beef steak) when one doesn't notice. Then again, perhaps I'm becoming too fussy in mt old age!

Not that I dare complain for fear of becoming her latest 'hatchet job', as we are reminded of the lady's tendency at around 14-15 seconds into the short demo video of a GUMI song Ama no Jaku (Heaven's Weakness)...

The Difficulties With Chablis

This is a useful little item in CityAM on the topic of Chablis, and echoes much of what I have discoevered the hard way over the years.

It is a difficult wine to buy in a good version, and yet at a reasonable price. It is never going to be cheap, but doesn't have to be the normal £12 or more for a decent 'weekend' Chablis (as it is described).  I have dabbled with the co-called Petit Chablis and found it seriously wanting – and it certainly isn't sold at a bargain price (typically around £7, occasionally a little less).

I have seen the Grand Cru types, but cannot justify the high cost as matters currently stand. Perhaps one day...

Flavour or Body?

The title might seem like an odd question, but it's a distinction one needs to be careful to make if considering buying McGuigan's 'Classic' Cabernet Sauvignon, from Australia.

McGuigan produce some very good wines, by the way, but they are too expensive for me to recommend routinely, so look out for offers – such as those at Sainsbury in recent weeks, where one or another white and a red has been marked down, in turn, to a much more affordable price (around a fiver, typically).

In the case of their Classic Cabernet Sauvignon, the label describes it as full flavoured rather than the more usual description full bodied; and in fact it is really medium bodied (and a a bit, perhaps) but certainly with lots of flavour.

I like it, especially with pizza and salad, or picnic-type items again with salad. It also goes well with Bavarian smoked cheese, though not quite as well for this as (say) Kumala Zenith red.

Don't Buy For Me from Argentina...

...The truth is, their wines are very variable.

However, one very good red is the one I won in a raffle yesterday: the Waxed Bat (I kid you not!) Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec.

This is really quite good and goes well with (for example) even medium-strength cheeses and meats such as pork (including gammon, bacon and pepperoni), lamb and venison.

Earlier years had the Petit Verdot grape* in the three-way blend instead of Cabernet Sauvignon, and that I haven't tried as yet, so for now my recommendation applies only to the version I have described. If I can get hold of the other variety, I shall give it a try and report my findings in a later post.

(*  Petit Verdot is a grape I have previously encountered only once, and that in another three-way blend, Hardy's Voyage series red.)