Sunday Drinking: 5 November

Red wine bargains from Aldi plus a rave review on Jancis Robinson’s website and Rudy Kurniawan is back. All in this week’s Sunday Drinking.

Before we get on to some bargain wine recommendations from Aldi, I’m going to blow my trumpet a little. Cos nobody else is going to do it. I had been a bit nervous about Tamlyn Currin reviewing my book Vines in a Cold Climate on Jancis Robinson’s site because she doesn’t miss a thing. And my book is far from perfect. A Currin review is the gold standard for drink book reviews. So I was delighted that it was and end to end rave. I’m just going to quote a bit. Also I’d highly recommend subscribing to the site so you can read the whole thing:

"He's got away with putting things in print that no other writer has ever had the nerve to write about.... I laughed out loud... and I learned a lot." 

I was also on Janina Doyle’s Eat, Sleep, Wine, Repeat podcast over two episodes which was quite an honour. Two episodes! I’ve also got a few events coming up. At 1pm on Sunday 12 November I’m talking at Raffman & Huckster in Tenterden in Kent. There will be wine. Then on the following Saturday 18 November at 3:30pm I’ll be at the Dulverton Literary Festival in Devon with with William Sitwell off the telly. We’ll mainly be discussing vegan, sorry English, wines. Then on Thursday 23 November at 8pm I’ll be at the Folkestone Literary Festival with Jackie Wilks from Terlingham vineyard. 

My review of Rebecca Gibb’s Vintage Crime: a Short History of Wine Fraud appeared in the Spectator this week. Annoyingly that same day news broke that top wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan was back with a new venture. One of the threads of Gibb’s book is that not only can most people not tell real Bordeaux or Burgundy from faked stuff but try prefer the latter. Kurniawan has been cashing in on his notoriety with tastings where he cooks up some of his greatest hits and then offers them next the genuine articles. The results will amaze you.

Finally, my subscriber numbers are creeping up inexorably. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed but especially those who have gone for the $5 paid options. When they reach 1000, I’m going to do some paid only posts. And then maybe a ‘Rest is History’ style world tour. 

Right on to those wine recommendations. In preparation for the house move, I had drunk pretty much all my wine except vintage Port and a few bottles of decent Rhone, Burgundy and Barbaresco so there’s no everyday wine in the house. We needed Tuesday night wine and fast so it was off to Aldi. They’re all under a tenner and should be available in the shops even if they’re not in stock online.

Aldi Specially Selected Lebanese Red 2020

I believe this was made by Domaine des Tourellles or at least blended by the winemaker Faouzi Issa. Anyway it’s a classic budget Bekaa blend: big and rich, a little bit wild with a refreshing edge to. I bet there’s a good dose on cinsault in here.

Specially Selected Cairanne 2021

I think this one was a 2021, I chucked the bottle without checking the vintage. Either way, this is a delightful wine, soft, smooth and fruity with some lovely herb and chestnut notes. Not a rough edge on it and carries it’s high alcohol really well. If you like a perfumed style of grenache, then you’ll love this. 

Chateau Les Trois Manoirs Medoc 2019

Medoc from a great vintage for under £10. Just incredible value. This is ripe with blackcurrants, a great aromatic spicy quality and a little bitter dark chocolate. If I am being picky I’d say the tannins are a little rough but at this price… Drink now, don’t keep.

I should add that my very picky wife loved them all. I can think of no higher recommendation. I’ll look at some whites shortly.

Cin cin!