IT’S got to be patio wine this week hasn't it? Thankfully, there are plenty of crackers to choose from for a warm evening. We don't often get the chance to celebrate consecutive days of sunshine so making sure the rack is stocked up with the lighter varieties is a rare pleasure and one that I've revelled in these last few days.
I lined up a few old favourites in the fridge and thoroughly enjoyed a tasting session with nothing more complicated than a chicken salad. First off we're the Pinot Grigio wines. Pinot is a little on the light side when it comes to the body but they are blessed with refreshing acidity and it only really takes a few minutes in the fridge to make them perfect. Too cold and you lose the lovely apple and pear flavours.
The chardonnays were next and while the unoaked versions were lovely and refreshing, the winner for me was an oaked New Zealand wine which had a sublime hit of vanilla in the middle. Rieslings are always a favourite and my focus this week was on the Aussie versions which just are just fabulous at the moment, but my patio prize for the best wine to partner the sun has to go to the Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs. Ripe gooseberries and fresh grass on the nose and a palate full of tropical fruits and racy acidity. Bring on the sun.
V Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Surely one of the best value Marlborough Sauvignons. Excitable citrus fruits on the nose with a palate chock full of gooseberries and fresh apple slices. Absolutely gorgeous.
The Good Spirits Co £9.50
Exquisite Claire Valley Riesling
Aldi’s Exquisite range often falls short of the name but this one is definitely an exception. Grapefruit, limes and apples are the leading notes in the wonderful tune this wine plays.
Adli, £6.99
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here