I KNOW these are weird times but is anyone else experiencing a sort of deja vu with the 1980s, particularly in relation to wine? I thought I'd best add the latter in case you thought I was going to plant a pampas grass and order some weed.
For anyone under 50, pampas grass in the garden was a sure sign that swingers lived behind the chintz curtains and if your parents try to tell you otherwise, best stop digging.
I don't know whether the last year has just made me nostalgic for happier times but I've drunk more riesling, cremant ‘d'Alsace and Chardonnay these last few months than I have for 30-odd years.
Anyway, it's Chardonnay that's caught my heart again, especially the oaky ones. I taste wines all the time, as you can imagine (it's a dirty job and all that) so my Saturday evening bottle of choice to partner Strictly Come Dancing has to be good, and lately it's been Chardonnay.
If I could afford it, I'd drink Meursault or Puligny Montrachet all the time but if, like me, your Strictly budget doesn't run to £40 a pop then the New World beckons.
My current favourites are from California and South Africa but Howard Park and Penfolds in Australia are also producing corkers. If it's golden yellow in the glass, with a hint of butterscotch on the nose, the chances are it's good enough for Strictly.
Dear me, did I use the ‘S’ word three times in one column? Guess who has missed the sequins and fake tans.
Larry Cherubino ‘Ad Hoc’ Hen & Chicken Chardonnay, Western Australia
Larry’s wines never let me down but this one really stands out. Its literally my idea of a quintessential white burgundy with toasty vanilla, apple fruits and crisp acidity on the finish.
Pop Wines, Glasgow £16.50
Granite Hill Cellars Chardonnay, California
Creamy vanilla with passionfruit on the nose and a long creamy finish. Great on its own but perfect with seafood.
Oddbins £14
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