Its Autumn and time to hunker down with a good book, or a few friends and a great glass of wine.
Mon P’tit Pithon White, 2020, France
Organic, biodynamic and delicious. This is a mix of Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Maccabeu - none of which we are at all familiar with. They make a fruit-forward wine with strong flavours of pear, white each and also some honey and more floral notes. Made with indigenous yeasts its a little cloudy and a lovely honey colour in the glass. As the tongue in cheek label suggests, this is a fun wine, designed for sharing round the table in the sun with friends and lots of generous and well-flavoured food. I'll be trying my next bottle with some smoked kahawai - the acid will cut across the oily fish and the flavours will stand u to each other. You should be able to find this for around $30 a bottle - excellent value!
Adrien Vacher Graphic Pinot Noir 2019, France
Made by a fourth generation winemaker, this is a fresh and fruity Pinot Noir from Savoie. Its fermented in steel tanks but there is still some fine, soft tannin from the maceration. This is an aroachable, easy drinking wine. There's lots of red cherry and other red berry fruits. This is a fun, straight-forward wine. Its asking for a relaxed meal of autumn fare. Some stuffed mushrooms, chestnuts or maybe Jerusalem artichokes would all go well. Wine like this is proof that Pinot Noir does not have to be fussy or cost a lot to be an enjoyable drink.
Takapoto Estate The Blend Pinot Noir 2019, New Zealand
Autumn for me is the season of pinot noir. The grape in all its vinified forms loves the food we're eating as the days get shorter and cooler. This Central Otago pinot is by Takapoto Estate - a great producer based in Karapiro, where the wine is actually made. This is their entry level pinot and its a blend of three vineyards from three key Central Otago regions. Its upfront red fruit but followed by a sophisticated savouriness which is what I'm looking for for autumn dinner parties. At around $45 a bottle this is excellent value for money - a glass you will sit, sip and savour.
Clearview Estate Seaview Red NV, New Zealand
Autumn means its a good time to pull out the dessert and after dinner wines. This has lots of berry fruit upfront and when young along with a rich sweetness and a lovely texture. Its perfect for sipping on quietly after a satisfying meal and airs well with some hard cheese or a sweeter after dinner treat. You don't need a lot and the bottle happily keeps in the fridge for a couple of months - allowing you to grab it out for a little glass of something extra whenever you feel like it. Clearview are confident it will mature in the bottle, developing more complex flavours and I think they are right. Though I've been enjoying the fresh red fruits of the younger wine.
Bemrose Estate Gingermead
This is not a wine, though mead is a fermented honey beverage that shares similarities with winemaking. And its very tasty on a chilly autumn evening! Gingermead takes the Estates flagship wintermead - a sweet mead made from dark bush honey - and adds a touch of ginger. The result is warming and pleasantly sweet, without being cloying. The earthy flavours of the bush honey are strongly present - there's a sense of drinking in the NZ bush which is really nice. Delicious with dessert - I had it recently with apple pancakes, rhubarb and cream - but also tasty as a sipper on its own or with cheese. I served it cool, but its been designed to be mulled - and would be very tasty gently warmed.
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