Wine with Leslie: Aromatic white wines suitable for lighter dishes and summer evenings
Portugese Wine: a long list of native varieties can be difficult to get your head around so most people just concentrate on the reds.
Now that the evenings are longer and a little warm weather has visited us for the first time in ages, my thoughts are with aromatic white wines suitable for lighter dishes and longer evenings.
I could, of course, have filled this page with talk of Pouilly Fuissé and Saint-Véran or perhaps Californian Chardonnay, Sancerre or Riesling — but instead I’m going to mention some grape varieties that are rather overlooked.
Portugal’s long list of native varieties can be difficult to get your head around so most people just concentrate on the reds. However, I recommend always looking to see what white wines are in the Portuguese section and I promise you won’t be disappointed by either flavour or price vs quality.
Down south in the Alentejo you will find Antão Vaz either on its own or more usually blended with Arinto or Roupeiro. This is probably my favourite Portuguese grape with Viognier-like aromatics but with acidity and more complexity. Arinto probably comes second — arguably Portugal’s most important white grape as it can retain its aromas and its acidity wherever it is grown and is useful for adding texture in blends while also working as a single varietal.
In the Dão region south of Porto you will find Encruzado which can have Burgundy-like complexity and elegance (e.g. Grão Vasco wines). Alvarinho is better known these days as Albariño from Rias Baixas but remember that it originates in Northern Portugal in the Minho and Vinho Verde region and is usually a little less expensive than its Spanish equivalent.
Some other Portuguese varieties you should not be afraid of trying include Malvasia, Fernão Pires, Bical and Verdelho/Gouveio which you may know already as it is grown in Australia and elsewhere. Inexpensive white blends from these grapes (especially from Lisboa) are likely to be found in independent off licences rather than supermarkets and are always worth a try.
My selections this week are from Northern Portugal plus a couple from Alsace — another region that is overlooked despite the praise given to it by people like me. You are bored of hearing me say you should try Riesling so try instead a Pinot Blanc and a Gewurztraminer.
Aldi has a new range of ‘Travel the World’ wines in store as part of their Summer range and I'm recommending a couple here. Prices are ridiculously inexpensive for the quality of the samples they sent me, I will likely have others to mention in the coming weeks.
Stockist: Aldi
I’m pleased to see this producer highlight the Loureiro grape on the label as this grape is worth knowing about whether in light frothy Vinho Verde or blended with grapes such as Arinto, Alvarinho/Albariño and Trajadura. Typical floral aromas (acacia, orange blossom) with herbal notes, textured and crisp with just a tiny hint of spritz so perfectly suited to a warm Spring day as an aperitif or perhaps with pasta or fish.
Stockist: Aldi
Pinot Blanc is rarely given the respect it deserves, even in Alsace (arguably its best region) where it is often treated as a workhorse. I think it makes the perfect lunch wine and works well with everything from oysters to spaghetti carbonara or perhaps a big bowl of moules marinière. This has pear and light floral aromas, rounded textured soft apple flavours and decent acidity and freshness.
Stockist: M&S
I mentioned this a couple of years ago but I tried it again recently and felt I had to remind you. This is classic Vinho Verde with a touch of spritz and those slightly green, bitter lemon accents perfect for a warm evening. On the nose, this has lemon verbena and floral aromas, crisply textured with a little hit of lime and lemon with green apples and a tongue-tingling spritz holding it together.
Stockist: Whelehan Wines whelehanswines.ie
Anselmo Mendes is one of the most renowned producers in Portugal and particularly in the Minho region famed for Vinho Verde and Alvarinho. This is a delight and like all Vinho Verde is light in alcohol at 11.5% — creamy lemon and apple aromas with a hint of chalk, no spritz but crisp and zingy and refreshing. Other excellent Mendes wines are also available from Celtic Whiskey Shop including an excellent skin contact Alvarinho.
Stockists: JJ O’Driscolls, Blackrock Cellar, Egans, Ely Wine Store Maynooth, The Corkscrew
Wineonline.ie
Casa Ferreirinha is famed for making Barca Velha and other solid reds — but try this intriguing barrel-aged white made mainly from Arinto and Viosinho. Stone fruit (peaches, apricots), floral and aromatic, vanilla and pear confit flavours, textured and complex but with a fine streak of mineral freshness to keep things in balance. Also watch for its sister wine ‘Planalto’ (eg in JJ O’Driscolls).
Stockists: Bradleys, O’Briens, Vintry, JJ O’Driscolls, widely available.
Gewurztraminer is admittedly not for everyone, it is intensely aromatic and richly textured — and yes there is often a touch of residual sugar although good ones are never flabby. I love it with everything from shellfish to Chinese takeaway. Hugel’s is a classic: lychees and rose petal aromas, ripe tropical fruit flavours with a spice note and just enough acidity. Perfect for most Asian dishes from Thai Curry to Kung Po Chicken.
Stockists: Matsons, Bradleys, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Next Door Ennis, Drik Store drinkstore.ie or via dankellyscider.com
It’s a few years since I featured the excellent Dan Kelly range of ciders, all made from apples grown on the family farm in Co. Louth. The full range is 'solid' (as is the apple juice) — watch in particular for the single varietal, ‘Katy’.
This is fermented in bourbon casks for six months and then matured for a further 12 before release. Pouring a dusky golden orange with light carbonation and aromas of baked apples, vanilla and sweet whiskey notes — rounded and fruity on the palate with pear and tropical fruits and some soft bourbon notes on the finish.
