LIVE24SEVEN // Wining & Dining


WINE E X P E R T - PAT R I C IA T E R R Y Alfresco eating and


As the warmer months move in and the sun is shining (well it is as I am writing this) and it has been warm for more than the odd day here and there, I am going to take the 'glass half full' stance and imagine that we dare pull the cobwebbed barbeque from under its covers


drinking


brush it off and plan for at least a few opportunities for alfresco eating, even if that means preparing in the kitchen and then bringing outside... plus a few wines that, in my opinion, are hidden and often forgotten gems, both in quality and value for money.


The Loire Valley is well known for producing excellent wines; a good Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé allow the Sauvignon Blanc grape to express itself in a way often copied, but rarely bettered. The ridiculously undervalued Quincy (a favourite of mine), Menetou-Salon and Reuilly are all made from Sauvignon Blanc, or perhaps a good Muscadet sur Lie. Then there are the Vouvrays, showing the incredible spectrum of quality and style that the Chenin Blanc grape is capable of, from bone dry (if you come across Savennieres, buy a bottle…buy several!!) through to luscious late-harvested sweet wines with jaw-dropping fruit and mouth-watering balanced acidity from Quarts de Chaume or Bonnezeaux.


While many of you are possibly familiar with white wine from the Loire, it is the region’s red wines that show the biggest discrepancy when looking at performance and quality versus price. Chinon is perhaps the best known of five appellations in the area that grow and predominantly work with the Cabernet Franc grape to produce the Loire's light reds, which by the way have always had a devoted following in wine bars and restaurants in Paris. The other appellations are Bourgueil, St. Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Anjou-Villages and Saumur-Champigny.


Some of the most treasured Cabernet Franc wines come from St. Emilion in Bordeaux. The grape itself is capable of great things and is part of the blend in many of the most prestigious wines of Bordeaux alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Two of the most famous and eye-wateringly expensive wines from


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