Co-op Top summer wine choices

Wine tasting and my Co-op Top summer wine choices

The great thing about being a lifestyle blogger is that lifestyle simply fits in to every niche, and so does wine.  Socialising with friends and family, holidays, relaxing at home and in restaurants.

So being invited to the co- op spring wine tasting event was like being invited on a day out with friends, so with the barbecue season coming up here is my Co-op Top summer wine choices

When there are so many vineyards and wine makers all over the world the hard work of finding interesting and exciting wines is taken away and done for you with the Co-ops wine team. Travelling the world and being experts in their field you know they will try hard to find something special.

I like certain wines and sometimes I do find me self leaning towards the same ones. So when you find a new wine you have not tried before and you love it, it is exciting as well as educating. Learning about the different wine regions, the different grapes, terrain and of course the people envolved in making the wine can be so interesting.

When we arrived at the co op we were greeted by Gyles Walker one of the Co-ops wine buying team. Gyles has worked in the drinks trade for the last 21 years so he knows his stuff. Gyles sources wine from the likes of Spain, South Africa and Portugal.

Having been on plenty of wine and champagne tastings before I now know a fair bit about wine but I had never heard of the jelly bean test!

So we all know that our senses are connected, I can often taste how things smell thing before I have smelt them and vice versa. Giles gave us all a jelly bean and made us hold our noses. We popped the bean in our mouth and then let go of our noses. We were immediately hit with the most amazing taste sensation. Proving the point that our nose plays a huge part in our senses and how we taste things.

The Co-op team for buying wine are made up from different people that look after each area or drink.

Ben Cahill buys the wine, champagne and sparkling wines from Italy and France. Joe turner sources from South America and the USA. Edward Robinson looks for the fairtrade wines and sources from Australia New Zealand Germany, Austria and English wines. Simon cairns takes care of the overall  beers wines and spirits.

It was a challenge trying 69 wines so I had to be a bit picky.

I know what I like and my tastes have changed over the years. I used to like oaky white wines heavy and sweet, now I prefer light dry flowery whites. For reds I preferred sweet or spicy now I like heavier mellow flavours like bordeauxs .

However it did not surprise me to find some real gems in the co-op’s choices.

Here is my Top summer wine choices from the Co-op.

Babera D’asti 2014 abc 14% £6.99

I am a lover of the Barbera since I love Italian cicchettii . This is Generously ripe and juicy but nice and light at the same time, perfect for pizza and pasta.

Ecsudo Real Vinho Verde £5.99

Recommended by Sarah from Scrumptious Kitchens. A perfect fresh wine from Portugal, crisp and light with apple and grapefruit aromas. At less than one bar of CO2 pressure, they do not quite qualify as semi-sparkling wines but there is something special about the slight fizz.

Perfect for alfresco dining and in an eye catching orange bottle, made from 3 different grapes, arinto, loureino and trajadura.

Vanity Grillo 2016 abv 13% £6.99

Sumi from  Sumilier brought my attention to this great white wine from Sicily. The Grillo region produces crisp and savoury wines with citrus blossom, peach, and herbal notes. This fresh and easy drinking wine is soft on the palate and would go well with fish.

Berton vineyards The Black shiraz 2016 abc 14.5% £7.99

This South East Australian red wine has Spicy fruit characters and the softest of spice. It is quite full bodied and perfect for serving with Steak or game.

Berton vineyards The Vermentino 2016 abv 12%

Another one of Berton Vineyards Metal plate wines. This Vermentino is full of tropical fruit aromas combined with hints of pear and citrus. Rich fruit balanced with a refreshing acid finish. Clean and crisp, perfect for seafood.

Of course I had to start and finish with just a nice glass of Champagne too, and what a great choice it was.

Champagne les Pionniers NV abv 12% £16.99

Perfect for that special occasion and with a great price, and voted best supermarket champagne by which magazine it is toasty and buttery on the nose. Followed by apple flavours and citrus acidity, lovely and lively a pure joy to drink.

And if you want to try something a bit more special you could try the vintage.

Champagne les Pionniers Vintage 2008 abv 12% 25.99

A beautifully flavoured wine with a good balance of fresh fruit and cream. Both champagnes are classy and sourced from winemaker Regis Camus and produced by Piper Heidsieck.

La Vielle Ferme Rosé 2016 abv 12.5% £6.99

A delicate dry Rosé delicious rose petal smell with a palate of strawberries, raspberries and a touch of nectarine, a delicious flavour. Great with salads and grilled meats.

Last but not least a cheeky dessert wine from France.

Domaine Lasser Jurançon 2014 abv 12% £6.99

So perfect for dessert,  Nice and Sweet with orange citrus note smooth and buttery.

I hope you have fun trying my Co-op Top summer wine choices, I know I can not wait for summer.

D x