M&S Negroamaro '11 & Rabl Gruner Veltliner '10

Grape:    Gruner Veltliner
Price:      £7.99
From:      M&S
Country: Austria
Region:   Kamptal-Donau
ABV:       12%

This week I searched the shelves of M&S.  Keen to avoid the usual suspects I made it my mission to find the cheapest bottles that contained the least known or less common grape varieties.  The choice became difficult in the end but having bought and sampled several bottles, I reached the decision these two were more than good enough to make the cut and get the Everyman treatment.

This Gruner Veltliner comes from the Rabl Winery which is located in what is arguably the best Gruner Veltliner producing region of Austria.  Having over 180 years experience of wine making, I was intrigued to see what the Rabl Winery could produce at this very affordable price.  The result is a very pleasing example of a mid-range 'gru-vee' which is mixed with the simple purpose of being inoffensive, enjoyable and affordable.

On the nose the label describes apple and elderflower and I couldn't agree more!  Both of the above came in equal generous measures.  The background contains minerality which reminds me of chalk but is mixed with a hint of white pepper.  Overall though, it is simple, clean and crisp.  The taste sees dry citrus fruit on the first attack with softer apple, peach and grapefruit coming through straight after.  As with the smell, elderflower is also present and provides a very slight hint towards sweetness, and combines well with the faint white pepper that can be detected at the periphery.  Crisp, unoaked and medium-bodied, this wine is very easy to drink.  The range of subtle flavours keeps the mouth entertained so the brain can get on with other tasks.  The clarity and simplicity of this wine also makes it ideal to share with friends when you want something that is pleasing to all but you don't want to be jumping about, demanding everyone's attention.

Grape:   Negroamaro
Price:     £6.99
From:     M&S
Country: Italy
Region:  Puglia
ABV:      13.5%

Negroamaro is almost exclusively grown in Puglia, down in the heel of Italy.  It is well suited to the hot climate and tends to thrive in water starved conditions.  Resistant to disease, this is a favourite of growers in the region as it grows well and produces high yields of thick skinned grapes with up to 350 individual grapes per bunch!

Powerful and versatile, this grape has followers who will compare the virtues of this grape to the popularity of Primitivo, however, in all honesty, I would put this grape in a class of it's own.  This wine is a fine example of what this grape can produce but I warn you that it may not be to everyone's liking.

When opened and decanted for a couple of hours, this wine produces dark, earthy notes which have a trace of an almost metallic smell to it.  Having asked around a bit, I am told this is described as Iodine.  The scent certainly has gravitas but isn't readily released.  Despite not being fully oaked, there are great wooden perfumes of all spice, star anise and nutmeg and the last thing to be detected is fruit, which manifests itself primarily as dark cherry.  The taste is formed around a robust and almost coarse structure with a full bodied feel.  Rather than being focused on developing the fruit, this wine maintains a different discipline which plays on spiced flavours, such as cloves, black pepper and nutmeg. This being said, however, dark and bitter cherry can be felt towards the back and last well into the aftertaste.  Acidity is high and the tannins are surprisingly tame, although they are ever present.

Having been informed this grape can open out and develop further, I decanted for 24 more hours which brought morello cherry more readily to the nose and an added layer of red fruits to the taste, although this was not overstated.  The balance of wood spices and bitter cherry were more integrated although this might have been achievable when I opened the bottle the previous day, had it have been a more ambient temperature.

This is an interesting alternative to fruit driven reds which dominate the shelves and opens up a whole new world of food pairing possibilities.  I am thinking regional pasta dishes, curry and burger but also have a hankering to try this slightly chilled with duck.

M&S have numerous stores throughout the UK as well as 300 stores worldwide.  They can also be found at www.marksandspencer.com.

Amanti del Vino Primitivo '10 & Marques de Caceres Viura '11

Grape:             Primitivo

Price:               £8

From:               Portland Wines

Country:          Italy

Region:            Puglia

ABV:                13%

A common trait of the wino is the never ending desire to find the new, different and exciting.  When someone recommends something that you haven't tried before and they do it with such gusto, there hardly seems any reason to knock the suggestion back.  The two I chose this week are previous recommendations given to me and have been on a list that seems to get longer, no matter the effort to shorten it!

First up is this typically Italian Primitivo, an ancient Italian grape with origins in Puglia, the same region that this wine was produced.  The Primitivo grape is also known as Zinfandel across the Atlantic (as well as several other names) and while examples of wine from both side of the pond are high in alcohol and acidity, the latter tends to be more evident in the actual drinking of Primitivo and is something that makes it recognisable as a European wine, whereas a Zinfandel from California, for example, will have the same attributes but the taste will be consumed with bursting, powerful red fruits throughout.  Once again, a great example of how environment, micro-climate, or dare I say....'terrior' affects the same grape (I feel as though I just crossed a line).

On the nose this red is very fruit driven with strong tones of overripe blackberry, cherry and strawberry.  A distinct lack of wood or any accompanying spices was disarming, however, the fruit does more than enough to keep one interested.  On the palate, the first attack is surprisingly mellow but retains all the fruit described above.  Similarly to the smell, the taste is all about the red fruits and the absence of other influences helps to concentrate the taste buds.  The taste develops quickly and finishes with a slightly sour cherry finish which is sometimes quite notable in Italian wines.  Medium bodied and high in acidity, this wine provides a welcome difference to oaky reds and the level of acidity leads me to consider this may be a good wine to try slightly chilled.

Grape:        Viura

Price:          £8

From:          Portland Wines

Country:     Spain

Region:       Rioja

ABV:           12.5%

This week's white is made from the Viura grape and is more commonly known as White Rioja.  Up until the 1980's it was generally made by barrel fermentation which added a layer of complexity and structure which provided flavours of toast, dough and vanilla which was derived from the oak in the cask.  At some point when neon colours were in fashion and Kelly LeBrock from Weird Science was all men could think about, tastes shifted and the Spanish market responded by leaving out the barrel ageing to create a lighter, drier wine which could be produced in higher quantities because of a better yield. Maybe a move to compete with the growing popularity of Chardonnay at the time.

This wine is very clean on the nose with crisp and pronounced sharp citrus notes, alongside a discrete wet granite influence.  Both myself and Mrs Everyman believed we also caught telltale signs of lees, which has a slightly buttery edge, although this was incredibly faint.

The taste is intensely refreshing with the first hit going to acuate lemon citrus which underlines the high acidity and dryness.  Served chilled, this sensation remains consistent throughout and well into the lengthy aftertaste.  This winemaker has a consistent high quality approach to all their wines and this is no exception.  If you close your eyes and squint a little before taking a sip, you can almost imagine yourself sat in the sunshine.

Portland Wines have several stores in the South Manchester/Cheshire area and can be found at www.portlandwine.co.uk