Harry’s Birthday Favourites (April)

As you can see from the title it is my birthday this month! We’ve already had it as it was on 3rd and I had a lovely time given the circumstances that we find ourselves in, thanks for asking 😉.

Whilst I was just going to talk about how amazing I am for this month’s blog (given it was my birthday), I decided that I could not look past what was happening in the world at the moment. I can safely say that I have never lived through anything like this - I am not sure anyone really has but being 25 years old I know I haven’t.

It has been extremely interesting for me to see how much people obey, or do not obey in some circumstances, the government’s laws which have been put in place to protect us. We have seen an incredible coming together of people when clapping for our NHS for example. Over the past two weeks I have watched in awe as all of those doctors, nurses, surgeons and many more people have just continued to do their jobs despite the fact that fellow colleagues have unfortunately passed away from the very virus that they are trying to fight. I think when this is hopefully over, we will all have a much better appreciation for the healthcare system that we have and that it should not be taken for granted.

However, for the rest of us who are not allowed to leave home I have put together my top three wines that we sell so that you can enjoy being at home slightly more than you already are!

First up we have Domaine Thibert-Miranda Pouilly Fuisse 2016 - a beautiful example of the Fuisse village and what excellent white wine can come from it. Being right at the southern tip of the Burgundy region it has a good warmth; this really helps the grapes to grow towards the end of the summer ready for harvest. At 3 years old this is drinking very well, however with all good white wines you can lay this down for another year or two where you should really get the best out of it at 5-6 years old. In order to truly appreciate the wine, I would suggest having your first glass with either some nibbles (olives etc) or just on its own. You will be extremely impressed with its finesse, roundness and complexity. The finish is also quite long and that lovely butteryness does not disappoint. It also goes very well with creamy chicken or pasta dishes as well as most starters, so it is an all-round pleaser.

Next up for the Rose, we have Villa Safranier Lulle Cotes-du-Rhone 2018 from Provence. I do not know if this is a well-known fact amongst our readers, but Provence is one of (if not the best) region for Rose wine making. I personally believe that it is the best but that is of course debateable. I actually opened a bottle of this the other day and was so surprised (I don’t know why to be honest) at its freshness and powerful fruit forward complexity. Not a taste of boiled sweets at all, which I detest, and just a lovely mouthfeel with great balance. Again, you can drink this by itself next to a swimming pool (if we ever get to one!) or with nibbles and starters. It would also be a great BBQ wine too.

Last but definitely not least we have Domaine La Fourmone Vacqueyras Les Ceps d’Or 2015 for our red wine. This is my go-to wine for any dinner party that we host, whenever friends come over for dinner this is always the wine that is on the table for the main course. Some would say that I love it too much and they would probably be right. However, once you taste it you will understand why. Vacqueyras is not hugely well-known across the world but honestly it should be. If Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas are Kings of the southern Rhone wine region then Vacqueyras is the young beauty they fight for to be their Queen. She is elegant yet powerful, robust yet complex. She is the complete package that many people do not understand and therefore turn their nose up at, but they are fools and she knows it. I could go on but I think you get the picture, this particular wine has been crafted so expertly well that I would almost force it upon you so that you could enjoy it as much as I do… alas you will find it on our website for your perusal.

Many thanks for continuing to read our blog at four months in, we really do appreciate it!

I hope they have made you laugh a bit or at least been interesting and have given you some wine for thought…

Harry Vernau


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