Friday, 7 March 2014

Supermarket Sweep: My Friday Night Wine Pick

Ah... that loonnngg aisle, brimming with hundreds of wines, lots of colours, styles, flavours, weird tasting notes and of course; offers! It’s no surprise that most of us buy our wine when it is on promotion; it stands out more on the shelf (sometimes even at the end of the aisle), it seems better value for money and helps to narrow down the choices! As Matt said yesterday, this can be a risky business, but this week I've found a good one.

From all of the hundreds of offers in supermarkets this week, here is my Friday night pick and it comes from Sainsbury’s:

Cepa Alegro Taste theDifference Rioja. Reduced from £9.99 to £7.49.

This wine is a complete steal. As a rule, Rioja is always best after at least 5 years; this allows the flavours and the oak to properly integrate, for the tannin to become smooth and for the acidic nature of the Temperanillo grape to soften.



The 2007 Sainsbury’s Rioja has done just that. It is soft, rich and rounded, with plenty of the rich dark fruit you would expect, a little tannin and a medium finish. The alcohol is quite upfront, and I would suggest letting it breathe for a good 15 minutes before you tuck in. It has the traditional packaging with the gold mesh and a cork, which makes it feel a bit special, and this would definitely be well received at a dinner party or an evening with friends.

For me, there is no better Friday than a cosy one with some carb-loaded food and a good bottle of wine. As a perfect dish to compliment this rounded, slightly smoky wine, I would whip up a simple dish with a little warmth. This Spicy Chorizo Pasta from BBC Good Food is perfect.


Happy Friday!

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