We got a customer to blind taste the Chainti without eating & she hated it, we then gave her a small cracker & cheese , got her to taste the very same wine & the result was astounding , she adored the wine!!! & would not believe it was the same one , so our rule of thumb since then when drinking Italian wines in particular it’s always best to eat too.

Try it & let us know if you agree

Anyway , back to’ Wine of the Month ‘

This is a very smooth Spicy wine with a very long finish , as it explains below It is a wine level between the Valpolicella & Amarone and considering that Amarone is not easy to get below €60.00 this is a fantastic wine for the price & that’s the reason we have decided to make it this months Wine . Try it out I promise you won’t be disappointed : )

‘Ripasso‘ literarily means ‘revision‘, is an old technique used byValpolicella winemakers to enrich the normal Valpolicella wine with the flavors of the Amarone. After harvest in September, the best grapes are dried for four months before they are processed to become Amarone, normal grapes are vinified soon after harvest to make the normal Valpolicella. At the beginning of February, the five months old Valpolicella wine is put on the grape skins left at the end of the Amarone making process so that they can get some of the flavor of the Amarone. The resulting ‘ripasso’ Valpolicella is a medium bodied wine which stands between the normal Valpolicella and the Amarone.

Following fermentation, the wine is aged for just over a year in a mixture of large oak and small, French oak barrels prior to bottling. Deep colour, restrained and concentrated nose with perfumes of fresh and dried cherries, a hint of spiced fruit compote and good depth of cherry and chocolate on the palate which comes from the dried grapes. A lovely balance between concentrated, juicy fruit and just the right amount of structure supporting it

WINE on WEDNESDAY in April

MONSALVE- Verdejo- €24
Beautiful pear drops and tropical notes on the nose followed by luscious honeyed mouthfeel with a crisp freshness which shows pineapple pear and stone fruit flavours with a touch of lemon sherbert on the finish.

*ARGENTINA WHITE*
PASCUAL TOSO- Sauvignon Blanc- €21
Grassy ,Gooseberry nose with a slight hint of banana follows through to the palate with lemon and lime as would be expected but also some nice melon and a slight hint of mandarin and tropical fruit.

* CHILE RED*
VISTAMAR- Reserva Carmenere- €24
True expression of the varietal with lovely coffee and cinnamon spice combining with black fruits on the nose
followed by dark plums , damson,some stewed rhubarb and beautiful vanilla flavours on the palate, a nice spicy hint of nutmeg at the end.

* ARGENTINA RED*
PASCUAL TOSO- Syrah- €22
A food friendly new world syrah with a respectful nod towards the Rhone Valley, gentle oak aging reveals light spice and blackberry on the nose followed on the palate by black cherry and damson with a nice hint of chocolate on the finish.

* SPAIN RED*
LA TRIBU- Monastrell/Syrah – €24
Excellent example of modern Spanish winemaking,Blackcurrant and earthy black olive combine with spice on the nose followed by full bodied black fruit palate with plum and blueberry touches and a nice hint of eucolyptus.

MONTESIERRA- Tempranillo/Cabernet- €20
A well worked blend with the black fruit framework of the cabernet ably combined with the strawberry and cherry notes of the tempranillo, some light oaking gives a touch of spice to the finish

Also our famous Sangria  (be careful)  1/2 lt or 1 lt ……….Salud

Bellini – Prosecco,  (Italy)Peach Nectar & topped up with Peach Schapps.

Kir Royale – Sparkling Chardonnay (France) & Creme de Cassis.

White Chocolate Espresso Martini – Espresso coffee shot, vodka & White Chocolate Syrup over crushed ice.

Erdinger non alcoholic.

Budvar,Czech Republic.

Estrella,Spain.

Peroni, Nastro Azzurro.

Chardonnay Spritzer.

Zinfandel Rose Spritzer.