Wine with Leslie: The best wines to fill your glass for those warmer days

In the last two weeks it has been lighter wines on the table

Fri, 04 Apr, 2025 - 02:00

Leslie Williams

As the weather slowly warms and I dare to think of summertime and warm days spent outside, my wine consumption has changed in recent weeks. I’ll still open the odd Rhône Syrah, young ripe Bordeaux red, or Mendoza Malbec should I need them to match a steak or stew.

But in the last two weeks it has been lighter wines on the table such as Valpolicella and Refosco from Northern Italy, Beaujolais and Pinot Noir from France, and Spätburgunder from Germany.

For whites it has been richer grapes from Southern Italy such as the Pipoli Greco-Fiano blend from Basilicata, Verdicchio, Vermentino, and some inexpensive Grillos from Sicily (a former Marsala grape much improved thanks to modern production methods).

The sunshine even had me digging out rosés from my stash. It may not always be warm enough to drink in the garden just yet, but you can look out the window at the daffodils and camellias and think of warmer days.

The Provençal rosé below is from Donnybrook Fair (DF), who have revamped many of their stores and are always a pleasure to visit. DF have a range of exclusive wines not found in other Musgrave Group stores so are worth a visit. (They just need to hurry up and open a couple of stores in Munster.)

Also below is a Salento Fiano, new to Lidl and an old favourite from Sicily, surely the island that evokes the Mediterranean spirit best of all. Sicily frequently offers remarkable value and is often a safer bet than Puglia which has too many wines made in a sweet style often from dried grapes. Watch for wines from the Mandrarossa Co-Op (independents), look for Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, and floral Frappato in red, and in white, Grillo, Cattarato, Inzolia, Fiano, and Carricante.

Masseria Metrano Fiano Salento, Italy €9.99

Fiano is probably the best white grape of Southern Italy (maybe all of Italy) and deserves to be better known, even Pliny the Elder was a fan (possibly). I love its combination of floral honey aromas and tropical fruit flavours balanced by texture and spice.

This version from Puglia has ripe pear with a touch of pineapple, texture, tang and concentration combined with length and not a little complexity.

Lidl

Saint Max Côtes de Provence Rosé, France €21.99

This is appropriate for Easter as it is named for a Provençal bishop St. Maximin d’Aix who was exiled in the Holy Land and became a friend of Mary Magdalene and Lazarus.

A blend of 50% Grenache plus some Syrah, Cinsault, Cariganan and others, this is prototypical with a salmon pink hue, floral red fruit aromas, a berry-fresh palate and a tang of citrus and chalk.

Donnybrook Fair

Vigneti Zabù ‘Il Passo’ Nerello Mascalese, Sicily €19.95

Nerello Mascalese is more commonly found on the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna which transfer a salty intensity to the grape, but they come at a price as they are rarely under €35.

This version shows off the more floral, juicy side of the grape with violet scents mixed with ripe blackberries. It is supple, elegant and delicious.

Bradleys; Matsons; O’Briens; World Wide Wines; 64 Wines; TheAllotment.ie; Donnybrook Fair; Independents

Whiskey of the week: Boann Single Pot Still Marsala Cask, 47% ABV, €70

In keeping with this week’s Mediterranean theme, this is finished in Sicilian Marsala casks (initially aged in ex-Bourbon barrels). Boann are really coming into their own and I have loved all their recent releases, including the Cork Whiskey Fest special (in Palo Cortado casks) as well as the Madeira and PX releases. Honey and spice, supple and complex with lingering citrus, dried berries and golden sultanas dipped in peppery honey.