WHETHER you’re coming home to a fireside snack or tucking into a hearty autumnal dish after a bracing walk, pairing your wine with the weight of the food is the perfect way to step into fall.
Here are six deliciously fruity wines all ideal for your harvest basket ...
1. This ... Loves Malbec Shiraz 2017, Western Cape, South Africa (£4.99, Aldi, in-store only)
ONE to settle into with a juicy steak, Aldi have made it easy for wine-loving foodies by launching a six-strong collection of wines, each priced under £5 a bottle, with a food pairing suggestion on the label.
Smooth, soft and fruity with a twist of pepper on the finish, it’s well on target for the price.
2. Tesco Finest Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2016, Italy (£7, Tesco)
IT’S hard to think of a better accompaniment to a traditional spag bol or rich tomato sauces than this moreish Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region in Southern Italy. Rich and full-bodied, with a juicy blackberry character and enough brambly fruit to remind you of a dense forest floor, flourishes of herby, savoury spice will make you want to round off the meal with a chunky corner of Parmesan cheese.
3. Slovenian Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Slovenia (£7.99, Aldi)
A REGAL looking red that combines ripe blackberry, liquorice and plum flavours, it’s worth venturing beyond your usual casual pour if you like a firm, fruity cab sav, with a leathery finish to pair with a ribeye steak, chips and peppercorn sauce. With its bottle ageing and a discreet nose that’s elusive from the start, give it some time to breathe for the cedar-spiked fruit to take centre stage.
4. McGuigan & John Torode Tempranillo 2017, Adelaide Hills, Australia (circa. £46.96 for case of 6, Amazon)
AVAILABLE by the case at just shy of £8 a bottle, this Spanish grape has been given a tasty makeover Down Under and speaks with a warm, friendly Australian accent.
Marked by vibrant red berry fruits, sweet spice and a savoury, bushy earthiness, as if by culinary magic, it’s versatile enough to serve with miso steak as well as spaghetti with clams.
5. Gabriel Meffre Organic Cotes du Rhone, France (£9.99, Waitrose)
SHOWCASING the warmth, body and elegant structure of a Rhone Valley red, this customary blend of grenache, syrah, cinsault and mourvedre comes into its own this time of year.
Generously fruity, with wafts of ripe plums and cherries, its plush black fruits are punctuated with peppery notes and sweet spice, ending with soft tannins on the long finish.
6. Somontes Colheita Tinto 2015, Casa Da Passarella, Serra da Estrela, Dao, Portugal (£11.95, davywine.co.uk)
THE Dao region in Northern Portugal is famous for its red wines, which are often underrated. Try this modern style made from touriga nacional and other local grapes. Delicious from the word go, a beguiling red-fruited bouquet leads to deep plum and blackberry fruit flavours, with earthy notes taking a back seat.
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