These six bottles offer the perfect wine for winter
These wines have a smoky flavour profile that can be especially appealing in the winter months.
Red wines aged in oak barrels can have beautiful whispers of woodsmoke and the full-bodied, plush Syrahs of the Northern Rhone in France are ideal for this time of year. The wines of Cornas and Hermitage in the Rhone are famous for their power and elegance, with cedar smoke and dark fruits like Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Grandes Terrasses (£31.99 Majestic) or, if you are pushing the boat out, the delicious Delas Hermitage Rouge Domaine des Tourettes (£90 www.sohowine.co.uk).
Pinotage is another famously smoky grape and a speciality of South Africa, with Tesco Finest Pinotage (£8.25) being made by Stellenrust. A Fairtrade producer they boast one of the most successful Black Economic Empowerment projects in South Africa. Fantastic with grilled meats it is an ideal accompaniment for any burgers or ribs off the barbeque.
Chilean Carmenère is a dark delight and a popular choice for the colder nights given its scent of blackberries and fallen autumnal leaves. Even its name is a reference to the red shade the vine’s leaves turn during this season. El Nubarron 2022 (£12.99 Virgin Wines) is a robust mouthful of bramble fruit highlighted by smoke and spice. If you are drawn to fireworks first and foremost then sparkling wine, with its pop of the cork and glittering effervescence, may be more your style.
In terms of other wines for winter, Codorniu has been producing Cava for almost five centuries and they have it down to a fine art. Their Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs (£18 Ocado) is not only served in a stylish swirling bottle, perfect for any party, but the wine is excellent with its stone fruit and brioche flavours and fine bubbles. Having recently visited France’s Loire I was incredibly impressed by their Crémant de Loire, a fizz made in the same way as Champagne but with Chenin Blanc taking centre stage, giving it a zesty freshness and a more affordable price tag, like the brilliant Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference (£11.50).