Think of me as the scouting party in your wine world. The person you send in a pub or restaurant to check out the “vibe” before you decide to spend your money there or not.
I went scouting around the latest Lidl Wine Tour range just ahead of the release of its autumn Wine Tour which went into shops at the end of September.
Many wine retailers now run the “wigig” theme – a wine which is on sale for a limited time and “when its gone its gone”. Lidl has a few wigig “tours” every year and the autumn one has an emphasis on “good value” regional French wines.
Here’s A sparkler from the autumn Lidl Wine Tour
If you pop along to my small corner of the world on a regular basis, you’ll know that I love my fizz. Jean Truffot Crémant de Bourgogne (£7.99, 12.5% abv) is bubble-tastic. It is a pale lemon colour with notes of fresh apples, dried apple flakes and a flirt with cinnamon. It has a good acidity, a slight mineral finish and long-lasting fruit notes.
Here’s A Pink from the autumn Lidl Wine Tour
Summer might have gone but there’s always a reason to enjoy a lovely pink with memories of seasonal fruit. Côté Garrigue Rosé (£5.99, 13% abv) is a blush pink and a classic blend of grapes from the Languedoc – grenache, syrah, cinsault, carignan and mourvèdre. It has a nose of strawberries and cream with a peachy perkiness. It isn’t as fruity to taste as it is on the nose, but it is a pretty glass of something to share with friends.
Here’s A Red from the autumn Lidl Wine Tour
I’ve included Clos des Batuts Cahors (£6.99, 13% abv) mainly to get you thinking out of the box. If you enjoy a glass of malbec, nine times out of ten you’ll be drinking one from Argentina. The country has made that grape its own. Malbec, however, originally hails from France and Cahors is its classic region. This is an inky ruby colour, but slightly “see through” so it is not full bodied. It has a nose of wood, herbs and plums and there’s a good fruity finish with a dash of spice.
Here’s A White from the autumn Lidl Wine Tour
Finally, a white which is one of my favourite styles – Bordeaux blanc. Château La Peyrère Bordeaux Blanc (£5.99, 11% abv) is the perfect glass for a midweek wind-down (or maybe wined down). Sauvignon blanc makes up most of the blend (70%) with semillon and muscadelle playing a lesser part. Grapefruit, herbs, peach and honeysuckle, tickle the nose and there’s a good dry finish with a dabble of fruit.
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