Choose from these French wine’s for your Valentines meal
No other country produces wines of such diversity and if you are dining at home this year I offer some French suggestions below to match even the most elaborate meal your beloved could cook for you (including a wine for chocolate).
All Valentines meals should begin with some fizz and of course Prosecco, Cava and New World fizz can be excellent but there is still something about good Champagne that is guaranteed to set the correct tone.
Champagne Drappier were in Dublin recently and their full range is now available through the guys in The Corkscrew.
All their wines are fairly priced and had a lovely dry purity and not a little finesse.
I also liked that Drappier use low dosage across the range - dosage being the small amount of sweet liquid added to Champagne to balance out the high acidity of the finished wine before it is sealed with its final cork.
A high dosage can help mask an inferior wine so low dosage is generally a good sign.
The Drappier house is family owned and retains an individualistic streak – for example the apple and honey scented Quattuor Blanc de Blanc which is made using the four permitted white varieties — Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Arbane and Petit Meslier, the latter two being rarely used these days.
Their low use of sulphur is also rare and they also make a zero dosage, zero sulphur Brut Nature that more than held its own — no easy thing given how crucial sulphur can be in keeping a wine fresh.
The Superquinn French Wine sale was always worth keeping an eye on and it’s good to see SuperValu continuing the tradition — one in every four wines they sell is French apparently.
The sale has some unusual wines including a good Picpoul de Pinet, a Coteaux du Giennois (near Sancerre) and a decent Roussillon Bourboulenc.
SuperValu
Sauvignon Blanc is by far the most common white wine in Ireland these days so it would be remiss of me not to recommend one occasionally. The Loire Valley is producing Sauvignons to rival anywhere in the New World for freshness and zing and this is a bone-dry typical example.
SuperValu
There is no sexier still wine than Viognier in my view and this will match creamy pasta dishes or seafood. Cool fermented to preserve the acidity and aromas of nectarine and apricots, weighty but fresh on the palate with lingering grapefruit and lemon curd flavours.
SuperValu
Crozes Hermitages only really shares a name with the hill of Hermitage rather than a level of quality but this is a decent fruit-driven Syrah with darker spicy tones on the mid palate and lingering dried fruits and a hint of liquorice. This will match stews, steaks and Bolognese.
The Corkscrew, www.thecorkscrew.ie
Made from 100% Pinot Noir using the Saignée method where the vivid pink colour comes from 36 hours of maceration rather than in the final blending process. Raspberries, violets and red fruit aromas, fresh and lively with a fine mousse and lingering citrus and red currant flavours.
SuperValu, Independents
La Chablisienne are one of the great co-ops in France with consistently high quality across their range. Not all Premier Cru Chablis is worth its premium price but this is a clear step up – mineral, stony, racy, and with lovely purity and lingering crisp flavours. Try with oysters (or any seafood).
O’Briens Douglas, Beacon and larger stores
One of a range of Grenache-based Vin Doux Naturel wines from this excellent producer. Also watch for his Banyuls and Rivesaltes. Complex sweet prune and black fruit aromas with flavours of sweet cassis and raisins and a long finish. Works well with chocolate mousse.
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