BudBurst

My main gripe with supermarkets is that they peddle bog standardised fermented grape juice. Designed to offend as few people as possible with no ambition to create distinctive, characterful wines that hold a beauty and integrity within them, reflecting the land they come from and the people who make them.

To me that is what wine is all about.  Make wine in large quantities by all means but don't rob them of life, energy and a history.

So when I saw that the supermarkets were now doing premium ranges  - not new I just don't go there very often - I was definitely curious. Fully expecting to be able to sneer at them, obviously.

Supermarket labels give comprehensive notes and instructions and I decided to pair the wines with the suggested foods and taste them in context. Over the next couple of weeks I will be trying out a few different ones and will let you know what I think.

First up some Tesco wines. I start with Kenton Valley Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 06 from Australia's Adelaide Hills. Now this is nailing colours to the mast, the Adelaide Hills with its cool climate and height is one of the only places making elegant and stylish Sauvignon Blancs in Australia; the Yarra Valley and Tasmania being two others and Margaret River making wonderful Sauvignon/Semillon blends. The back label indicates it should be served chilled as an aperitif or with seafood or Asian dishes. (I was pretty surprised at the Asian.)

Tasted alone first, the pale colour was delicate yet vibrant and gave a good indication that the wine was not going to be heavy handed. The nose was floral, lightly tropical and typically gooseberry but restrained and elegant. It was rather lovely with great length. The  well-handled acidity did not buckle when tasted with salt and pepper squid sprinkled with lemon juice. It was a great pairing and I have to say the wine was a super expression of Adelaide Hills Sauvignon. An absolute steal at £7.99, I think it's worth a lot more.

Next a Beyers Truter Pinotage 04 from the Stellenbosch, South Africa. The serving suggestion called it a versatile wine (!) to enjoy alone, with red meats, curries & spicy foods. Hmm...

It had a warm inviting nose, black truffly cherry with a velvety texture that nevertheless had some grain through it. There were ripe dark, earthy, licorice tones and good acidity to keep it from heaviness. I paired it with lamb, minced and spiced with cardamom and cinnamon stuffed in sweet ramiro peppers and baked. The sweetness of the lamb and spice worked fine with the fruit.

I can't honestly say it tasted anything like Pinotage but for me that's not necessarily a bad thing. The wine was more of the "international" variety that I expected and was sweetly enticing and easy to drink. Nothing particularly to criticise but not a wine with soul either. I might have it for supper with friends who aren't into wine but not for me.

At £7.99 it is fairly priced though, I think.

More to come...