Welcome back to our Fresh Choice Nelson wine aficionado, Neil Hodgson. This week Neil writes about European wines! Take it away Neil…
I’m forever amazed at how cost-effective many European wines are in New Zealand. Sure you can pay many hundreds of dollars for an ultra-premium wine. But, you can buy everyday drinking wines for as little as $15 a bottle. Sometimes, even cheaper when they are on promotion.
The Grocer at Fresh Choice Nelson City, and his clever wine buyer, Lee, have recently added some exceptional European wines to the range they have in store. That’s both exceptional in quality and price!
White European Wine Pick:
I am a big fan of Chardonnay. So, a bottle of Domaine Laroche Chablis Les Chanoines 2017 often finds its way into my shopping basket. For $35.99 (a saving of $6), you get a wine that is both elegant and bursting with ripe citrus and stony minerality. All wrapped around beautifully balanced soft oak characters.
Two Perfect Winter Reds from Europe:
In the winter, we tend to turn to red wines, particularly those packed with rich and warming berry fruit flavours. Two recent arrivals at Fresh Choice Nelson City come from Spain. I struggle to understand how these wines are landed on the other side of the world and placed on the shelf for as little as $16 on promotion.
Campo Viejo makes both wines, and both are Rioja (pronounced reeokka) and made from the Tempranillo grape.
The first is the 2016 Rioja for $16, a saving of $11. There is a little acidity in this wine to add some freshness to the lovely ripe fruit flavours that come with a grating of rich chocolate.
Finally, the second wine from Campo Viejo is the Grand Reserva 2011 for $30, a saving of $10. This wine is packed with intense dark berry fruit with lashings of spice to balance the intensity.
These European wines are all perfect for enjoying with winter casseroles. Try the Chablis with chicken and the Rioja with venison or beef.
