Valentine's Day wines: Linda Piggott-Vijeh selects her favourite romantic reds

Chef and wine tutor Linda Piggott-Vijeh gives her views on some of her favourite wines for Valentine’s Day

As many of us may have indulged Dry January, by February it’s time to indulges in some winter warming.

While the summer will naturally lean us towards lighter wines, at this time of year the heavy hitters seem more appropriate somehow, so here are some romantic reds that at 15% alcohol will pack a powerful punch, and be sure to warm up the cockles of your heart.

Firstly, two wines by renowned Southern Rhône producer Domaine la Barroche. Described in recent reviews as a wine to die for is

Pure, Domaine la Barroche, Southern Rhône, France, 2009. Grenache, 15%. £52.40.

Not easy to source, but well worth the effort, the vines were planted in planted in 1901, and before release the wine is aged in oak 16 months. This truly stunning biodynamic wine, has a deep ruby colour, and on the palate it is rich, intense and mouth filling. The superlatives roll off the tongue just as easily as the fat, ripe, juicy, sweet, berries, backed up by a spicy, liquorice finish. This one is definitely a keeper.

Many people choose to get engaged on Valentine’s Day so what better wine to toast the happy couple than this one

Fiancée, Domaine la Barroche, Southern Rhône Valley, France, 2007, 15%. £49.75

Made from 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah taken from vines aged 25 to 100 years, this spends 18 months developing in oak. The production is very small, hence it is much in demand. Whilst just about drinking now, the wine continues to evolve and still has plenty of tannin that will see it through for another 15-20 years. Full bodied, it is deep purple in colour, with notes of liquorice, tar, toast, smoke, blackcurrants.

La Sereine Noire, Mathilde & Yves Gangloff Cote-Rotie, France, 2009, Syrah, 15%. £80

This a fabulous, extraordinarily expressive modern organic wine. An inky ruby colour, it has a heady earthy aromatic bouquet of potpourri, violets and smoky minerals. Another wine for keeping, this will take several years until its supple tannins mellow, smoothing out the oaky vanilla, black raspberry, pepper notes. It is robust, heavily structured and muscular, yet with a sexy elegant floral quality, just like the men in my life (in my dreams!).

This next, modestly prices wine, should certainly put you in the mood for love

Very Sexy Shiraz, Cloof, Darling, South Africa, 2009. 15%. £12.30

Aged in French oak this wine, with its lo….ng finish, and deep dark red colour, is dangerously seductive. Full bodied, intensely luscious, with spicy earthy flavours, its complex nose delivers white pepper, cloves, cinnamon.

Brazil Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodl, California, USA, 2011, 15%. £12.99

Intense flavours of plum and chocolate mark out this organic wine from low yielding bush vines, and which has great concentration and ripeness, but some freshness to balance it out nicely.

Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, Sonoma, California, USA, 2011, 16%. £32.99

Powerful and rich, this wine, made at this family-owned estate, has a deep ruby colour and enticing aromas of dark summer fruits. The intense palate is backed up by supple tannins, and a long, smoky finish.

Château Fleur Cardinale, Saint-Émilion Grand Cur Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2009, 15%. £45

Rich, plush and highly concentrated, this wine is well balanced, with ripe, soft, velvety tannins, with blackberry and bramble fruit coming through. Just ready for drinking, it will keep for another 10 years.

Cantina de Negrar, Amarone della Valpolicella Calssico, Veneto, Italy, 2011, 15%. £18.99

Luscious and very approachable, the grapes are dried to make this concentrated style of wine. It is produced by the local co-operative, which has gained a renewed reputation for quality and value.

Piancornello, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2009, 15%. £29.99

A fantastic wine made from the Sangiovese grape variety, it has intense aromas of dried, fruit, chocolate and nuts. The soft tannins and earthy appeal is rounded off nicely by a long finish full of flavour.

Ca’ Bertoldi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy, 2007, 16.5%. £34.99

This wine, one for indulgence, is characterised by a perfect blend of body and flavour. Ageing for a minimum of 6 years in a combination oak casks and bottle ensures a well balanced finish.

And, for non-red lovers and little certainly goes a long way with these two dessert wines …

Santa Cristina, Vin Santo, Della Valdichiana, Italy, 2009, 17.5%. £11.99 (for 35cl.)

This elegant, yet complex wine, intensely sweet, is a fine example of this style. Made from Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes dried for five months on straw mats, then aged in oak, it has butterscotch and caramel written all over it.

Crociani, Vin Santo di Montepulciano, Italy, 2008, 16.5%. £19.49 (for 35cl.)

Sublimely mouth-filling, this traditionally-made wine is redolent of ripe raisins and plums with a velvety, smooth finish.

While not wanting to be spoil-sport do be aware that a 175ml. glass of these wines is approximately 2.6 units, and 140 calories. Better find someone to share the bottle with, and to work off some of those calories then!

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Taste the rainbow

Linda Piggott-Vijeh gives advice on choosing the perfect wine

We’ve had the rain, and plenty of it, but fortunately after the rain, comes the rainbow, and some well deserved sunshine and warmth.

Rainbows are optical illusions, symbolising peace or a new beginning; a sign of good luck and fortune on its way.

With that in mind, a ‘rainbow’ of fizzy cocktails should cheer us all up as spring begins to take hold, transforming our sodden landscape into something bright and beautiful.

I prefer my champagne unadulterated (sacrilegious to use it as a mixer), so I use a good quality brut cava or prosecco. If having a party you could provide the ingredients, all readily available in most supermarkets, allowing guests to have fun mixing their own.

The first recorded use of the word cocktail is thought to be in The Morning Post and Gazetteer in London, England on March 20, 1798, and the first publication of a bartenders’ guide which included cocktail recipes was in 1862, giving ten recipes for drinks referred to as “Cocktails”.

The first “cocktail party” was allegedly given by Mrs. Julius S.

Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1917. She invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour, until lunch was served at 1pm.

In all cases I would recommend adding between 25cl. and 50cl.

(according to taste) of each of the key ingredients listed to a champagne flute, simply topping up with sparkling wine, garnishing as you see fit.

RED – CHERRY BRANDY

The Crown Inn, Sarre, a pub in the heart of Kent cherry-growing country, launched a cocktail called ‘By`George’ to toast the birth of Prince George of Cambridge.

Locally, the pub is known as The Cherry Brandy House because of its secret recipe for cherry brandy brought over by the Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France under Louis XIV. It was acquired by distiller Thomas Grant who began making liqueurs in Kent in 1774. Grant’s Morella Cherry Brandy was a favourite with Queen Victoria, holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales and is mentioned by Charles Dickens in The Pickwick Papers. If you have difficulty obtaining this, just use any other cherry brandy. It can also be served over ice, and garnished with a cherry.

ORANGE – BUCK’S FIZZ or MIMOSA

This cocktail is frequently on offer as part of popular Sunday brunches – part breakfast, part lunch, a good excuse for indulgence. Made by mixing 2/3 freshly squeezed orange juice to 1/3 champagne, it is named after London’s Buck’s Club, where it was invented as an excuse to begin drinking early, by barman Mc Garry in 1921. He also features in the works of P.G. Wodehouse as the barman of Buck’s Club and the Drones Club.

The true recipe, which includes more than just champagne and orange juice, is only known by the barmen of Buck’s Club. The Mimosa, invented in Paris four years later, also contains sparkling wine and orange juice, but in equal measures.

YELLOW – LIMONCELLO

Many of us who have visited Italy will have sampled Limoncello, and it should come as no surprise that a cocktail has been invented using this popular liqueur. For each serving place a strip of lemon peel in the glass and ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice, before adding the Limoncello.

GREEN – MIDORI MELON LIQUEUR

Spring is the time when the wedding season kicks off, and the bright green colour of this cocktail should help put a spring in the step of any young bride-to-be if served at a hen party.

Adding just a dash of lime juice will take the edge off the sweetness, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

BLUE – CURACAO

The flavour of this orange liqueur derives from the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, and gets its name from the island of Curacao where it is grown; a descendant of the Valencia oranges brought to Curacao in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. It is too bitter to be eaten, but in making the liqueur the peel is dried, releasing its sweetly fragrant essential oils.

INDIGO – WILD BLUEBERRY

This liqueur, made from a mixture of wild and cultivated fruit, is made locally by Lyme Bay Winery and provides an interesting new take on the traditional kir, made with cassis, that is so popular, giving a lovely purple hue. Why not plonk a few fresh blueberries in the glass first?

VIOLET – PARFAIT AMOUR

Nicely finishing off our rainbow, a cocktail made from Parfait Amour, the dark purple liqueur with a complex flavour of rose and violet petals, vanilla, orange peel and almonds. Adding it to sparkling wine turns the colour a fetching shade of pale violet. It is popular served at weddings, adding a festive feel to the occasion. As an alternative you could use Crème de Violette, used to flavour drinks for centuries.

Original article 

http://www.limitededitionsomerset.co.uk/society/11237941.Taste_the_rainbow/

Wine tasting at Seavington

A WINE-tasting session was held for members of the Seavington Wine Club at the village community shop and cafe last month.

Wine tutor Linda Piggott-Vijeh was invited by fellow Rotarian Brenda Lake to hold the event.

She said: “I was pre-warned that I wasn’t just dealing with amateurs here.

“Many of those present take their wine quite seriously, and read my column in Society magazine each month. With this in mind, I decided to hold a comparative tasting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from both ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ countries.

“We tasted 10 wines in all, ranging from under £5 a bottle to £20 a bottle.

“It was interesting to note that the vast majority preferred the more expensive wine. While price is not everything, it goes to show that, by spending that little bit extra, you can have a much better experience.”

http://www.yeovilexpress.co.uk/news/11193816.Wine_tasting_at_Seavington/?ref=rss

Astrological Wines

ASTROLOGICAL WINES

Despite millions turning to their daily horoscopes, I stopped reading mine years ago; not liking the tone of the predictions. Whatever your views on traits inherited at birth, there appear to be common characteristics relating to zodiac signs.

With Pisces ruling this month, we have had a watery time, in more ways than one. So, with tongue in cheek, exploring wines and grape varieties associated with zodiac signs, seems fitting.

The zodiac can be linked to many natural objects, grape varieties being one of them, each having individual personalities. When considering the organic yearly cycle, the different vintages, and the birth of a wine, viticulture and astrology are natural partners.

Aquarius - born leaders, original thinkers, trend setters; Aquarians are also down to earth homebodies. Cool, restrained, eccentric Riesling seems perfectly matched, with good acidity, some minerality, and characteristic tar and petrol aromas. Hugel & Fils Jubilee 2007, £20, with white peach, quince and grapefruit flavours, is perfect for detached, intellectual Aquarians.

Pisces – the embodiment of water, adapting to its surroundings, moving with the tides; bringing to mind malleable Chardonnay, growing well wherever planted. I suggest Louis Jadot Meursault 2008 Burgundy £24, or notoriously difficult Pinot Noir, a sensitive red variety suited to dreamy, poetic Pisces. Louis Jadot Les Suchot 1er Cru Vosne-Romanée, 2006, £45 is worth the outlay.

Aries - fiery and adventurous, hardy and outgoing, with a penchant for trying new things, Aries is naturally attracted to exploring spicy, ruby red wines. Concha y Toro’s 'Gravas del Maipo' Syrah 2007, £56, with its forward heat, spicy pepperiness, and minty character, suits this lively, demanding sign.

Taurus - this strong-willed earth sign has a grounded sensibility, craving comfort. Unlikely to move once they've established roots, Taureans lean towards tried and tested favourites. Try a reliable well-balanced Bordeaux, Cháteau Domeyne, 2010, £18, or more rustic Marques de Riscal 'Riscal 1860' Tempranillo, £9.

Gemini – unsurprisingly, contradictory, opinionated, on the move, always gravitating towards something different. This duality conjurs up Waimea Estate Pinot Gris 2012 Nelson, £13.50, a New Zealand wine blending Old World techniques with New World pioneering methods. Likewise, Sauvignon Blanc from down under, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, £18.50.

Cancer - hard on the outside, softies inside, forming close bonds with others; but don’t upset them. Reminiscent of ..... Pinot Noir! Joseph Phelps Vineyards Freestone Pinot Noir, Sonoma County 2010, £32 will suit. To bring out the softer side, botrytis affected Semillon, producing luscious sweet wines, will crack Cancer’s hard shell nicely. Try Keith Tulloch Hunter Valley Botrytis Semillon 2011, £20.

Leo – always the star of the show, embracing the finer things in life; hence, a recommendation for Cabernet Sauvignon. Trefethen Family Vineyards Napa Cabernet 2008, £50, offering great value; sure to win over Leo, with its stable reliability and persistent blackcurrant, cedar and cigar-box style.

Virgo – down to earth, rarely seeking the limelight. Hard working, organised, and friend to all, Virgo likes nothing more after a hard day than unwinding with refreshing, undemanding, and low maintenance Sauvignon Blanc. The 'Justine Barbou' Domaine des Corbillieres, £16 will perk up the spirits.

Another Loire favourite, Cabernet Franc, adding backbone to many great Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignons, fits the bill perfectly with its restrained, smooth berry flavours; around £12.

Libra - born leaders, requiring balanced, harmonious relationships; like Riesling, which needs a balanced combination of acid, sugar and texture. Trimbach 2011, £12 provides consistent quality.

Crowd pleaser Chardonnay, so eponymous it is ordered by name, like Libra, lubricates and pleases many social situations. 2011 Errazuriz Max Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, £10, is an undemanding New World wine, balancing fruity ripeness with steely restraint.

Scorpio - can be tricky, taking time to warm to others, like the Sangiovese grape, often bitter when young, gaining fragrance with age, as with 2001 Conti Capponi Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva, £59. Also suiting Scorpio’s intensely complex, paradoxical nature, is deep, dark, mature Zinfandel, with high alcohol levels, aromas of dried fruit, burnt rubber and pepper.

Sagittarius – outgoing, generous and bawdy, Sagittarian’s honest, direct nature suits straightforward Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel 2010 Alexander Valley, £22, with its silky texture, dark berries and flowers. "Sangiovese" means "blood of Jove", and as Jupiter rules Sagittarius, Brunello di Montalcino 2008 Banfi, £24, with its liquorice and chocolate is a full bodied alternative.

Adventurous Sagittarians will be tempted by versatile, exuberant Viognier. The 2008 Condrieu la Doraine Domaine Etienne Guigal, £50, is rich and unctuous, yet approachable.

Capricorn – stubborn patience and perseverance mark these late bloomers attracted to scaling new heights, romantically, socially and physically. Juicy 2010 Pulenta Gran Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, £26, with its New World flair, tempered by Old World restraint, should impress.

Alternatively, Nebbiolo, Italy's pride, will suit those patiently waiting for the 2007 Barolo, Casina Bric 460, Vergne, Piedmont, £35, to reach its peak.